The perfect green smoothie recipe for green smoothie newbies plus a quick summary of the benefits of green smoothies

I was always nauseated by the thought of a green smoothie, they looked gross and I figured they tasted as bad as they looked.  I had my first one with trepidation but now I am hooked.  Green smoothies also have a myriad of benefits.

The 10 benefits I see are:

1. A huge boost to your fruit and vegetable intake all in one glass
2. Increased nutrient, vitamin, mineral and antioxidant intake from the all-natural ingredients
3. Increased sustainable energy
4. Easy to digest, so great before you work out
5. Reduces cravings because you have kick-started your day with a healthy breakfast
6. Super easy and fast to make (and to clean up)
7. Are portable so you can drink on the go
8. Inexpensive to make
9. The greens help you alkalize and remove the acidity in your body
10. They taste amazing!

Here is my secret smoothie recipe that I love and everyone else who has tried it loves too:

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach (about 60% of the Nutribullet cup)
  I have tried with other greens like kale and it also tastes good, but spinach is my favourite.

• 1 banana

• 1/4 avocado (optional)
  If I don’t have any I just leave out, it is a bit thicker and creamier with and keeps you fuller for longer.

• 1 dessert spoon of soaked chia seeds (optional)
  Makes no difference to the taste if you leave them out, but they have great health benefits (check out this article for details on the health benefits).  I soak them before in coconut water because apparently if you have them I soaked they expand in your stomach which can feel unpleasant.  I just put a few tablespoons in a container and add coconut water and then leave in the fridge and take from the container each morning, usually lasts about a week and then I wash the container and repeat.

• Small squirt of honey (optional)
  I’ve had without and it’s fine, just a bit sweeter with so if you’re new to green smoothies you may want it to help you transition.  Use organic honey if you can, some honey has a lot of added sugar.

• Scoop of pea protein (optional)
  I don’t always have this but protein is important at breakfast time and, it’s more filling if I add it.  Make sure you pick a protein that has no taste and is all natural.

• A dash of coconut water
  The size of the dash depends on how thick you want it, if you add protein powder add more liquid.  Also, make sure you use 100% coconut water, some coconut water has a lot of sugar and additives.

• Any other fruit or vegetables you want (optional)
  I occasionally add frozen berries or apple, ginger and mint or pineapple really whatever you feel like (or can find in the fridge).

I believe there are two keys to a great green smoothie:

1. Making sure you have a good blender that breaks down all of the ingredients well.
   The worst thing is lumpy stringy greens that still have an overpowering taste. I invested in a Nutribullet 900 Pro wondering if it was going to be another one of those kitchen gadgets that you use with excitement for a week and then it goes to the back of the cupboard and gathers dust.  It hasn’t been.  It is compact so can sit on my countertop and I literally use it every day.  Not just for smoothies, but for blending just about anything (now my expensive blender is gathering dust!).  I am so in love with the Nutribullet that I actually bought a second one to use when I am in the US (couldn’t use my regular one because of the lower voltage in the US) and travel with it for longer trips when I take checked luggage.  They are inexpensive, so when I did a return on investment calculation the money I saved on buying a Nutribullet for my wife and I to use in hotels when we travel to the US vs. buying breakfast every day we only needed to use it 20 times to get our money back (which we did in the space of a month).  You can make one anywhere you have power, I take a sponge, tea towel and a mini bottle of detergent and can quickly wash anywhere.

2. The banana!
   May sound strange, but the banana adds sweetness and makes you full, smoothies without a banana can be a bit harsh in taste and doesn’t keep you full for as long.

What is your favourite green smoothie recipe?