It’s official! I know, I know – I am weird. But, I can’t help it, I love green smoothies! After talking to countless friends who say they can’t stand them, I have been feeling a bit like the odd one out.
Why I love Green
Smoothies
They are simple, easy to make and offer an excellent opportunity
to get in those all-important greens.
According to Best Health Mag, leafy greens can help keep you young,
lower cholesterol, protect your vision, provide energy, support bone health and
prevent cancer. This is only the tip of
the iceberg. Leafy greens are packed
with vitamins and antioxidants making them the most important thing we should
consistently put into our body.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to habitually get the
amount of greens we should. I am constantly
trying to find creative ways to sneak in some more vegetables for my
family. Personally, I have found green smoothies
to be a great way to ensure my family gets two solid servings of vegetables added
into our diet each day.
Secret Ingredient
I have tried various combinations and have come to realize
that one ingredient always makes my smoothies palatable and even, dare I say
it, enjoyable!
What is that secret ingredient you ask? Cinnamon.
I load my smoothie up with cinnamon and no matter what, I always find
myself enjoying the end result. On top
of the delicious taste, cinnamon has a host of health benefits. Cinnamon is touted for its ability to help
regulate blood sugar and is also known for its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory
properties and potential to cut the risk of heart disease.
The Greens
Those of us who are smoothie fans, often get stuck in the
trap of using the same greens in our smoothie day in and day out. The two most popular at the moment: spinach
and kale. I will say if you are just
starting out in the green smoothie game, spinach is your best bet. It blends nicely and the taste is mild, allowing
the sweeter flavors of the other ingredients to come through. That being said, green smoothies offer an
excellent opportunity to experiment with new and in-season vegetables. One of my favorite books, The Green SmoothieBible by Kristine Miles offers a huge selection of possible seasonal greens to
try. Her suggestions range from swiss chard and strawberry leaves in the summer to radish and carrot tops in the
autumn, cabbage and beet greens in the winter and watercress and cilantro in
the spring. The truth is we are only
limited by our own creativity and willingness to try something new!
While I do try to experiment with new smoothie ingredients
as often as possible, I do have a staple recipe I return to often. This is a quick and easy green smoothie using
ingredients I almost always have on hand!
Check it out here.
Do you love green smoothies?
What is your beloved secret ingredient? Share your favorite smoothie recipes below!
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