green smoothies

Have you tried them?  Do you know what they are?  The drink that mixes fresh greens with water and fruit to create an entirely healthy yummy fuel for your body?  I first heard about green smoothies a couple years ago through Happy Foody.  I was a little scared to try them.  I love fruit smoothies, but something about putting spinach or kale in it, and replacing my beloved orange juice with water, seemed like it was a bad idea to me.  Who would have known that I would grow to love them and crave them on a daily basis?

My very basic recipe is pretty easy, and short on the measurements.

Pack your blender with fresh baby spinach.  Add one glass of water and blend the spinach.  Add one fresh or frozen banana and blend.  Add about a cup of frozen berries – i use blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.  Blend it all together, add a little more water if you need to, drink up!

My family actually loves these, and we have grown to crave them daily.  Funny, considering it is freezing out right now!    It is the same basic recipe over and over though.  Sometimes we use kale when we have that available, but mostly we use spinach.  Other people add sweeter fruits like pineapple, or they put in apples.  I don’t think my blender could handle raw apples, but maybe 🙂  And our “green” smoothie is more of a brownish purple color because of the berries.  My kids love these as well, and anything that makes my kids eat the dark leafy greens makes me a happy mama.

Have you ever tried a green smoothie?  Do you have a favorite recipe?  When it gets cold out do you still want them, or do you move on to warmer breakfasts?