Green Smoothies - Join the Revolution
Why Green Smoothies?
According to the Center for Disease Control, the vast majority of Americans aren't getting nearly enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. In fact, more than 75% of people eat fewer than three servings of vegetables a day--far below the recommended daily amount of 3-4 cups a day. For many people, finding out how to fit that many fruits and vegetables into their diet can be a daunting task. Green smoothies simplify healthy eating and are the antidote to the lack of disease-fighting nutrients and minerals in our diets. Here's why:
- They're fast. Green smoothies are the ultimate fast food. In less than 2 minutes, you can blend up a green smoothie that contains all the fruits and vegetables you need for the day.
- They're easy. Preparing a green smoothie is as easy as adding fruits and vegetables to your blender and pressing a button.
- They're delicious. While the thought of drinking spinach and avocado might make you cringe, believe it or not, green smoothies are a delicious treat. When combined with fruits and juice, you'll be amazed at how much they taste like any other great-tasting fruit smoothie.
Health Benefits of Green Smoothies
The health benefits of green smoothies are virtually unending, but here are some of the most compelling reasons to start incorporating them into your diet:- Boost your nutrition intake. Green smoothies provide large servings of leafy greens, including spinach, kale, chard, and lettuces. These are some of the most nutritionally dense foods you can consume. Adding 2 cups of leafy greens to your smoothies adds just 20 calories and a host of vitamins and minerals.
- Defend against cancer. Not too many things can make this claim, but the chlorophyll in leafy greens have been shown to help prevent a wide range of cancers.
- Stay fuller longer. Green smoothies are a great source of fiber, which keeps you feeling full for longer periods of time.
- Assist in weight loss. Approximately 45 million Americans diet each year in an attempt to lose weight. Green smoothies can help you lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight.
Getting Started
Making green smoothies is easy. Here are a few tips to help you get started:Use recipes.
One of the great things about green smoothies is the chance you have to experiment with different recipes and tastes—the possibilities are endless! In the beginning, however, it’s a good idea to stick to some tried and true popular green smoothie recipes for beginners.Always load your jar properly
You will get the best blends and avoid the dreaded cavitation (air bubbles that form around the blade) if you load your jar in this order:
Start with the basics.
For some people, green smoothies can take some getting used to. Don’t get too crazy by adding every green ingredient you can think of to your smoothies at once when you’re getting started. Instead, start with the basics. Spinach and kale are green smoothie staples. As you develop your palate, you can work your way up to more creative and adventurous green smoothie recipes. Try our week of green smoothie recipes. They start out with a slight taste of greens and work there way up to a stronger taste.
Love the flexibility of the chart. How many servings does each “recipe” make?
Could you use frozen fruits instead of ice? I always find ice dilutes my smoothies down – what would you recommended?
Thanks
L ;-)
Thanks for the recipes. It’s true that you can’t really taste the green stuff if you mix it with fruit and it’s so healthy for you.
Love my blendtec, use every day. Another reason to use this magic tool. so, I am doing this! While I write I have been trying the first smoothie, so far, just great! Thanks
The ice is just to help thicken it. You can just use frozen fruit, if you prefer.
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