Green Smoothie Recipes

Tips

Green smoothie recipes are easy to make and can be sweet or savory.

Victoria Boutenko, author of "Greens for Life", recommends drinking one quart a day of green smoothies for the maximum benefit. She also recommends rotating the greens that you use. For example, one day you might use chard, the next day kale, the next spinach etc.

If you like sweeter smoothies, add Stevia. It is an all natural, no calorie sweetener that comes in either powder of liquid and can be easily added to your drinks.

Experiment with the amount of greens and the amount of fruit. If the green smoothie recipes below are too "strong", begin with more fruit and less greens. You can always work up to more greens as you adapt to the drinks.

If you haven't been eating many fruits and vegetables, you may start to detox once you begin drinking these nutritious drinks. Symptoms of detoxing include headaches, nausea, skin breakouts etc. This simply means that your body is throwing off toxins into your blood that will be eliminated. When you feel the symptoms of detox, it means that your body isn't eliminating the toxins quickly enough.

To slow the detoxification process and eliminate the symptoms, try using fewer greens until the symptoms disappear. Eventually, you will be able to build up to using more greens without experiencing the detox symptoms.

Any of these recipes can be made in a good blender, but the best way to make smoothies is using a Vitamix. A Vitamix is a very powerful blender that can not only blend drinks, but chop nuts and vegetables as well.

Sweet Green Smoothie Recipes

Basic Sweet Drink

1 cup of chard
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit such as berries
1/2 - 1 frozen banana
1 cup water
stevia (for sweetening) to taste

Blend in a powerful blender or Vitamix for best results.

Good Drink For Beginners

1 cup chard
1 cup spinach
8 - 10 strawberries
1 mango, peeled
1 apple
1 banana
juice of lemon
2 cups water

Blend.
(From Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko)

Dr. Oz's Green Drink

2 cups spinach
2 cups chopped cucumbers
1 head celery
1/2 inch or 1 tsp. gingerroot
1 bunch parsley
2 apples, chopped
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Puree 30 seconds or until smooth. Makes 2 - 4 servings.
(From First Magazine, January 2011)

Nikki's Green Smoothie

My good friend Nikki came up with this recipe. The coconut milk lightens and smooths the taste of the greens so they don't taste as strong. It is delicious!

1/2 cup coconut milk or almond milk (this is the drinkable coconut milk that comes in a carton and not the canned coconut milk!)
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
Grated fresh ginger to taste
1/4 of a cucumber
1 celery stalk
Half an apple or half a banana
1/2 an orange
lemon (I used the juice from 1/2 a lemon)
1 - 2 pitted dates or stevia to taste
1 - 2 Tablespoons parsley
2 - 3 handfuls of greens (kale, spinach, chard etc.)

Put all ingredients in a Vitamix or a blender. Add some water if necessary and blend. Serves 1 - 2 people.

Hawaiian Dandelion

3 cups dandelion greens
1 cup sweet Hawaiian pineapple
1 banana
1 apple
2 cups water

Blend. Yields 2 quarts.
(From Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko)

Savory Green Smoothie Recipes

Creamy Ginger Spinach

2 cups spinach
1 Bosc pear
1 apple
1/2 avocado
1 inch ginger
2 cups water

Blend. Yields 1 1/2 quarts.
(From Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko)

Cilantro Spicy Soup

2 cups cilantro
2 stalks celery
5-7 leaves romaine lettuce
4 tomatoes
1 avocado
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 jalapeno pepper
2 cups water

Blend. Yields 2 quarts.
(From Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko)

Green Energy

1/2 cucumber
1 tomato
3 lettuce leaves or other greens
spinach
1 stalk of celery
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 avocado

Blend all ingredients except the avocado. Once ingredients are blended add avocado and blend again.

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