How To Make A Healthy Green Smoothie & 4 Recipes To Try
Start With Naturally Sweet Ingredients
“Vegetables such as carrots, peppers and sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, and balancing these with darker green vegetables can give a smoothie a sweeter taste while adding more nutrients – ideal if you’re new to green smoothies. Watercress is a fantastic addition, too, particularly alongside sweeter veg. It’s a powerful cleanser and can work wonders for your skin, digestion and circulation. Another trick is to add one of Your Zooki’s sachets of vitamin D or turmeric – these add nutrients you can’t easily find in fruits or vegetables, as well as a hint of sweetness without any white sugar.” – Sarah Carolides, head of nutrition at Zooki
Choose Dark Green Veg
“Spinach is the gold standard of nutrient-rich green vegetables and works well in a smoothie. The great thing about it is it doesn’t have a strong taste and mixes well with all fruits and other vegetables. Kale is another good option – try lightly steaming and freezing it, so it’s ready to pop into a smoothie when you need it. To add creaminess, try avocado, which will also keep you fuller for longer thanks to healthy fats, while frozen broccoli florets will add a boost of nutrients. If you do lightly steam your veg prior to freezing, be sure to save the water before you drain it – add this to an ice cube tray then add it to your smoothie for a cool crunch.” – Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart, nutritionist & psychologist
Get The Ratios Right
“It can be tempting to add endless green veg to a smoothie, but you’re likely to need some fruit to balance out the bitterness. Aim for one to two different fruits to every three parts veg. Get into the habit of making your smoothie first, then adding honey or agave syrup to taste. As your tastebuds get used to a green smoothie, you’ll probably find you’re able to reduce the sugar and perhaps even remove it altogether. Remember – if you’re eating plenty of fruit and veg already, you probably don’t need a green smoothie and if you’re not, a small amount of honey won’t take away from the benefits of adding three or four portions of fruit and veg. A small amount of pineapple juice also works well and complements the flavour of green vegetables.” – Sophie Medlin, dietitian
Try A Green Powder
“If you don’t have fresh greens to hand, a green powder is a great substitute. There are so many on the market it can be tricky to know which one to use. I rate Foga’s Super Green Blend, which contains organic kale, spinach, moringa, broccoli and spirulina. Just one teaspoon is equivalent to a handful of leafy greens, so a little goes a long way.” – Naomi
Add Protein – Always
“Adding protein to your smoothie will keep you fuller for longer and give you an additional burst of energy. Either use a handful of raw nuts and seeds, or try Form’s Superblend protein powder, which combines plant-based protein with added greens and vitamins.” – Sarah
Mix Things Up
“If you enjoy making smoothies, get into the habit of switching up your ingredients, which is essential for maintaining optimal gut health. This is also particularly important with green smoothies because raw spinach, for example, contains oxalates which are fine in small quantities, but can cause longer-term problems if eaten every day. Mix things up with celery, lettuce, apple, cucumber and mild herbs such as parsley.” – Caroline Hund, registered nutritional therapist for Vitaminology
Use Different Liquids
“If you exercise frequently, use coconut water as your base – this is a good way to replace electrolytes, which are lost through sweat. If you use a plant-based milk, try to vary it – almond milk one week, coconut or oat milk the next, for example. This will ensure you get a range of nutrients in your diet and avoid over-exposure to one ingredient.” – Caroline
Kickstart Your Morning With These Healthy Green Smoothie Ideas…
Power Smoothie: Rosie Millen
Matcha is full of antioxidants and amino acids. While it does contain a small amount of caffeine, the amino acid L-theanine found in matcha prevents an energy crash to keep you firing on all cylinders.
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.
Lemon & Ginger Smoothie: Emma Moross
The combination of spinach, lemon and Vita Coco’s original coconut water means this smoothie is full of vitamin C, which supports the normal function of the immune system. Add a scoop of protein powder for a post-workout boost.
Add the coconut water, spinach and ginger to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Add the celery, avocado, apple and lemon juice and blend again.
Add ice cubes and blend to thicken.
Pour into a glass and serve.
Detox Green Smoothie: Caroline Hind
This green smoothie helps to support the natural detoxification process thanks to the B vitamins and antioxidants. The fibre from the apple, cucumber and celery is also great for good colon health.
Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz on high until smooth.
Add almond milk to adjust the consistency.
Creamy Avocado Smoothie: Simone Thomas
Avocado is full of good fats and, when blended, gives a thick, milkshake-like texture to the smoothie. It’s the perfect base for the rest of the ingredients and works well with banana and peanut butter, too.
Put the avocados, frozen banana, spinach, peanut butter, milk and honey into a blender.
Empty 2 Simone Thomas capsules into the blender and blitz until creamy and smooth.
If the smoothie is too thick, add more milk.
Divide between two large glasses and enjoy.
Shop Our Favourite Smoothie Essentials...
more from
Life
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.