I was recently inspired by Holly to try out the whole green smoothie thing. I love vegetables even though I probably don't eat them as often as I should. I also had never tried making a smoothie with greens before, so I wanted to try it out-for fun and health. Good news-green smoothies are awesome! Since this was my first encounter with the whole thing I started small with a five day challenge. If you want to join in the fun you can! The rules are simple: make a smoothie everyday for five days that includes two big handfuls of greens (spinach, kale, whatever you like!). Here are my creations.
Day 1: I made a smoothie of 2 cups blueberries, 1/2 a banana, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 1 cup of water. This smoothie was delicious and I was surprised to find that I couldn't taste the spinach at all. This made a little more than a full glass so I used the extra smoothie batter to make Popsicles for my 2 year-old niece. I saw her eat two in a row one day, little did she know she was eating a little spinach too. I'm a very sneaky aunt!
Day 2: I made a smoothie of 2 apples (one gala and one granny smith), 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup crushed ice. This one was much more grassy in taste. It wasn't bad, but this was my least favorite. I did like the tart taste that the granny smith apple added to it.
Day 3: I made a smoothie of 1 cup raspberries, 1/3 cup coconut flakes, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 1 cup water. This was one of my favorites as I love the combination of raspberries and coconut. It was almost dessert like-it was so good!
Day 4: I made a smoothie of 1 1/2 cups sliced peaches, 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup raw oats and 1 cup water. I have seen folks include oats in smoothies before and I wanted to see what it was like-it's good! This smoothie really made me feel full and the addition of a little honey was a sweet treat.
Day 5: I made a smoothie of 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, 1/2 a banana, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 2 cups water. This was probably my favorite smoothie from the whole week-the pineapple made it super refreshing!
All berries and the peaches were frozen and slightly thawed before use. I got a tip from a fellow instagrammer to put the greens on bottom before blending because it helps it blend better-that worked like a charm. And even though I had smoothies with spinach every day for 5 days it never felt boring because there are just so many combinations to try. If you decide to do this challenge leave us a comment with any new smoothie combinations you discover, or if you already have a favorite! xo. emma
5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge
I was recently inspired by Holly to try out the whole green smoothie thing. I love vegetables even though I probably don't eat them as often as I should. I also had never tried making a smoothie with greens before, so I wanted to try it out-for fun and health. Good news-green smoothies are awesome! Since this was my first encounter with the whole thing I started small with a five day challenge. If you want to join in the fun you can! The rules are simple: make a smoothie everyday for five days that includes two big handfuls of greens (spinach, kale, whatever you like!). Here are my creations.Day 1: I made a smoothie of 2 cups blueberries, 1/2 a banana, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 1 cup of water. This smoothie was delicious and I was surprised to find that I couldn't taste the spinach at all. This made a little more than a full glass so I used the extra smoothie batter to make Popsicles for my 2 year-old niece. I saw her eat two in a row one day, little did she know she was eating a little spinach too. I'm a very sneaky aunt!Day 2: I made a smoothie of 2 apples (one gala and one granny smith), 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1 cup water and 1/2 cup crushed ice. This one was much more grassy in taste. It wasn't bad, but this was my least favorite. I did like the tart taste that the granny smith apple added to it.Day 3: I made a smoothie of 1 cup raspberries, 1/3 cup coconut flakes, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 1 cup water. This was one of my favorites as I love the combination of raspberries and coconut. It was almost dessert like-it was so good!Day 4: I made a smoothie of 1 1/2 cups sliced peaches, 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup raw oats and 1 cup water. I have seen folks include oats in smoothies before and I wanted to see what it was like-it's good! This smoothie really made me feel full and the addition of a little honey was a sweet treat.Day 5: I made a smoothie of 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, 1/2 a banana, 2 big handfuls of spinach and 2 cups water. This was probably my favorite smoothie from the whole week-the pineapple made it super refreshing!
All berries and the peaches were frozen and slightly thawed before use. I got a tip from a fellow instagrammer to put the greens on bottom before blending because it helps it blend better-that worked like a charm. And even though I had smoothies with spinach every day for 5 days it never felt boring because there are just so many combinations to try. If you decide to do this challenge leave us a comment with any new smoothie combinations you discover, or if you already have a favorite! xo. emma
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