It’s that time of year when everyone starts to break out their blenders and bullet blenders! Or at least the weather here had it feeling like Spring, so here we are! When I find myself slacking off on my vegetable consumption, I use a simple green smoothie recipe to get back on track.
Prep:
- Wash fruits and vegetables, then break them down into smaller portions so you can grab the amount you need when you’re ready to make your smoothie for the day. It may seem like a lot of work at first, but it will save you time when it’s time to make your smoothies fresh each day.
- Place everything in individual freezer bags. This keeps everything fresh so your produce doesn’t go bad. Super important! I used to keep my produce in the refrigerator, and some items would go bad before I could use them. This method also allows you to use the frozen items without having to add ice, which can water down your smoothie.
Ingredient Suggestions:
There are many things you can put in your smoothie, but here are my favorites:
- Apples (adds sweetness without added sugar)
- Bananas (adds sweetness without added sugar)
- Blueberries (Great for fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. But be careful—your smoothie will turn more brown than green. Still delicious, though!)
- Blackberries (Packed with antioxidants, but they’ll also turn your smoothie brown instead of green. See where I’m going with this? Lol)
- Raspberries (Low in calories, but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants)
- Spinach (An excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. It’s also a good source of magnesium, iron, and vitamin B2)
- Celery (Great for antioxidants and adds a refreshing, clean taste. Sounds weird, but it works!)
- Carrots (A good source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, and potassium)
- Zucchini (I know, it’s not something you usually hear about in smoothies, but I like to pair it with spinach. It’s packed with beneficial nutrients and is heart-healthy!)
- Cucumbers (Low in calories and high in water and soluble fiber, which makes them great for promoting hydration! Plus, they give your smoothie a crisp, refreshing taste. If you love cucumber water, you know what I mean.)
Important note: Raspberries and blackberries have seeds, so if you use them, keep that in mind. This doesn’t bother me because my Ninja Bullet crushes them for the most part.
The Making of a Great Smoothie
You can use your regular blender or a Ninja Bullet (or NutriBullet if you have one).
Prepping your frozen produce comes in handy because it allows you to add a little or a lot of whatever you want in your smoothie. You can change it up from one day to the next—sometimes I throw a little bit of everything in there!
Smoothies are perfect for people like me who don’t eat heavy in the morning or need a lunch that’s travel-friendly while running errands.
Just add your fruit and/or vegetables, then pour in oat milk or cashew yogurt for thickness, blend well, and enjoy! Let me know what you think!
Recipe for those who’ve asked:
- 1 cup of spinach
- 3 slices of cucumber
- 1/2 a carrot
- 1/3 zucchini
- 1 small handful of blueberries
- 2 slices of apple
- 1/4 banana (or more, if you love bananas)
- Specialty fruit (2 slices of peaches, 3 strawberries, or 3 slices of pear—pear has surprisingly become my favorite!)
- 1 cup of oat milk (optional: soak chia seeds in oat milk overnight and add them to the smoothie)
- 1/2 cup of water
Finally Loving Life 
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