Green Smoothie ? Success At Last!

After MANY attempts at this whole “green smoothie” business, I have finally found the way! Kale. Yes, Kale. The cousin to cabbage. Who would have thought that this leafy thing would work so well? After green smoothie attempts with baby spinach {so many websites seem to suggest this as a good starting point, though it didn’t work well for me}, and iceberg lettuce {which does NOT work… *sigh*}, I turned to the massive amount of kale I had sitting in my fridge. {I had purchased a bunch at the advice of my boss to add to some tomato sauce, which turned out tastier than I had imagined! } I had read suggestions saying that kale would be a little bitter for a smoothie, but I actually couldn’t taste the kale at all. I used quite a bit in each smoothie, too… So here it is, a recipe for a fresh and amazing green smoothie! It looks VERY green and questionable, but believe me when I say that your taste buds and insides will be happy to have this! I even got my husband to drink this, and he’s a little reluctant to have things this healthy. He actually drank his faster than I drank mine, which is always a good sign. Enjoy! This recipe makes 2 regular sized smoothies at just over 100 calories each, or 1 large one if you’re feeling really hungry/thirsty.

Green Smoothie With Kale

Ingredients:

About 1 cup finely chopped fresh kale {rinse the leaves before chopping. Remove the leafy parts from the stems, then discard the stems. You want the leaves without stems. Also, try to go for the smaller leaves as they are less bitter.}
1 banana, cut into pieces {I always buy bananas in large quantities, and then freeze them just before they start to turn brown. That way I can use frozen bananas in my smoothies. They make such a nice cool and creamy texture when frozen.}
1/4 cup crushed pineapple {you can use canned, or fresh. If using canned, toss in a bit of the juice too!}
Juice of 1 medium-large orange
About 1 cup crushed ice
About 1/2 cup of water {you may need a little more.}
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon {you can also add a dash of nutmeg if you like.}

Method:

Just toss everything into a blender, and blend until smooth!
Serve and drink immediately.

Note: With a green smoothie, the green taste may be a bit too much for some people. The banana in this smoothie helps to tone down the bitterness of the greens, while the pineapple provides enough sweetness. Cinnamon and vanilla are also a great additions to any green smoothie. Green smoothies are great to cleanse the system, so when having one, be sure to avoid dairy or and fatty oils that would be found in nuts and seeds. {So don’t add yogurt, milk, or any almond/rice/soy milk to this.} Try to drink this on an empty stomach, and don’t eat for about 30 minutes after.

Filed under: beverages, breakfast, Recipes Tagged: Banana, beverage, breakfast, cinnamon, culinary, dessert, energy, fruit, greens, healthy, kale, raw, recipe, smoothie, Sweet, vanilla, vegetables, vegetarian