11 Tips for Making (better) Green Smoothies

We were always told to eat our greens and whether you love it or hate it, drinking our greens is definitely the hype now. Unless you're Popeye the sailor man, the sound of drinking liquefied spinach probably sounds appalling. Well, it's because it can be terrible without the correct combination of sweet fruits, liquid, and blending method. If you've made something that taste like half-blended chunks of spinach water then get your blender out and pay attention.

I can genuinely say I love drinking green smoothies. But I've definitely made my share of grotesque ones. Even the garbage disposable threw it back up (urrr maybe it was just jammed). Through research, everyday blending, and errors I've learned to make smooth, equally proportion, extra nutritious green smoothies that...well, I can actually drink. My roommate Anthony and Leif can confirm that. That's right, my smoothie brings all the boys to the yard.

To save you some smoothie-fails, I've put together a list of tips I've accumulated over the 3 years of green smoothie-ing. Hope it helps! Feel free to share with me your ideas as I am still learning.

[1] RATIO Start with a 70 green to 30 fruit ratio . Then slowly increase to a 50-50 ratio. For instance for 1 serving I use: 1 cup fruit + 1 cup greens . But you can start with 1 1/2 cups fruit + 1/2 cup greens.

[2] CHOOSE YOUR GREENS

Start with spinach or romaine for a mild flavor. After awhile you can start to use kale, collard greens (stemmed), butter lettuce, cucumber, fennel, celery, and beautiful herbs in small amount: mint, parsley, cilantro, basil...

[3] CHOOSE YOUR LIQUIDS

Use non-diary milk like unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk with fat skimmed (not the canned kind), hemp milk, cashew milk, etc. Or coconut water, pre-brewed tea, or just good ol' water. Try to avoid juices since you'll be consuming a lot of fruits already. But if you want to use juice once in a while, use fresh squeezed juices to avoid store-bought juices like OJ & apple juice (most have added sugar and unwanted ingredients).

[4] BLENDING METHOD

To avoid chunky greens! First Blend Your Greens + Liquid. Then add fruits and blend again.

[5] CHOOSE YOUR FRUIT

Use mostly low to medium glycemic fruit: not all fruits are made equal. If you're trying to loose weight try to avoid all of the high glycemic fruits. The glycemic index is a helpful tool that allows you to see how the fruits, vegetables and other carbohydrates you eat affect your blood sugar levels. You don't want your green smoothie filled with sugars (even if its natural, too much is not good). But the Good news is that the fruits lowest in sugar are some of the highest in nutritional value, including antioxidants and other phytonutrients.

LOW SUGAR: rhubard, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, melon, lime, lemon,
LOW-MEDIUM: apples, papaya, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, grapefruit, guava, apricots,
FAIRLY HIGH: plums, oranges, kiwifruit, pears, pineapple

VERY HIGH SUGAR: bananas, figs, tangerines, cherries, bananas, grapes, pomegranate, raisins, dried figs, prunes, dried apricot

[6] USE SUPER FOODS

Chia seeds, flex seeds (must be ground first), flex oil, hemp seeds, goji berries, acai berries.. are some of my favorites. Cocoa powder: 1-2 teaspoon gives smoothies a rich flavor and it is high in iron and heart healthy

Just 1-2 teaspoons will give your green smoothie a rich flavoring. High in iron and heart healthy - See more at: http://www.smoothiesuperfoods.com/smoothie-superfood-list/#sthash.dsXJFULK.dpuf

[7] CREAMY TEXTURE

Use something to make it creamy. It's essential for the 'smooth' in the smoothie.

*Bananas are used in a lot of recipes because they provide the perfect creaminess, texture and natural sweetener. But if you don't like bananas because of it’s the flavor or the high glycemic index you can use other fruits that aren't water-rich such as mangoes, apples, papaya, pears, peaches to make the smoothie creamy.

*Also a qrt to half an avocado can also be used to thicken up a smoothie

*1-2 Tbsp of any nut butter: almond butter, peanut butter, tahini. etc. I only use these items if I am drinking my green smoothies as a meal replacement as it will add a lot more (but healthy) calories.

*Cooked oatmeal & Greek Yogurt: 2-3 tablespoons adds texture and an extra oomph as a breakfast meal replacement. Favorite trick by far!

[8] DON'T BE AFRAID OF SWEETENERS

Of course I'm not talking about processed or artificial sugar (the devil!). I am a big-fan of stevia (I actually keep one in my purse). You can also use raw honey, pure maple syrup, medjool dates, cinnamon..

[9] FREEZE, FREEZE, FREEZE
The freezer is your best friend! The best smoothies comes from using two-thirds frozen ingredients.
*Freeze your ripped Banana! No more brown bananas sitting on your counter! 1) peel 2) cut into 3rds 3) Put in zip-lock safe bags 4) freeze!
*Yes even freeze your greens I can never consume a whole bag of spinach or kale before it starts to rot, so I put it in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Make sure you take it out right before use so it doesn't defrost and get soggy.

[10] PROTEIN
Use Whey-base protein. Choosing the right protein depends on what you want to accomplish with your body. I did a lot of research and found one with little sugar and calories.

Also some say that protein powder are very delicate so instead of blendingg it, I add a scoop after I blend the smoothie and just stir with a spoon or shake it.

[11] BROWN vs GREEN
You probably have seen pictures of gorgeous green smoothies. But don't be afraid (or disgusted) if you your green smoothie turns brown. Some fruits such as blueberries mixed with greens will turn into a weird brown-ish color. Stay away from dark fruits if you want a 'pretty' smoothie.

GOOD LUCK WITH ALL YOUR GREEN-ENDEAVORS!
Be sure to leave comments with your tips and tricks!

Sabrina xo.