5 green smoothie recipes the whole family will love
Green smoothies—that's smoothies with green ingredients like kale or spinach—are an easy and tasty way to get more greens into your diet. Here are five recipes to try at home
By Kat Tancock
It's not news that we all should be eating more green vegetables. They're high in fibre, low in calories and rich in nutrients such as vitamins K and A and folate—all things our bodies need. But that's no reason to eat the same old salad day in and day out. Along with trying different ways to prepare greens, consider making green smoothies part of your regular repertoire. "Green smoothies are a great way to get in more greens than you might be able to eat in a day and they are very alkalizing for your body," says Chelsea Clark, co-owner of Toronto-based raw-food restaurant Rawlicious.
The real beauty of green smoothies? They're quick to make and quick to drink—unlike salads, which, as much as we love them, are definitely slow food. Greens are also more kid-friendly when they're blended with sweet, flavourful ingredients like dates, bananas and pineapple. Plus, getting green vegetables into your breakfast means a head start on your vegetable tally for the day.
To get started, try the recipes below, then branch out and get creative with your own blends. "The best greens are the mild-tasting ones, so spinach, kale and dark romaines," says Clark. "And sweet fruit is the key to a delicious smoothie, either orange, pineapple or mango—or all three."
La Belle Verte
Bring kale to breakfast with this healthy green smoothie from Montreal raw-food restaurant Crudessence. Ingredients include pineapple, kale, parsley and dates.
Tropical Green
The sweet-tart flavours of pineapple and mango brighten kale for a tasty, vitamin-rich green smoothie recipe from Rawlicious.
Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie with Kale
Toronto-based raw-food chef Doug McNish shared this recipe favourite, packed with superfoods sweetened with dates and made creamy with hemp or almond milk.
Super Powered Breakfast Smoothie
This tasty blend of nutritious raw ingredients from nutritionist Meghan Telpner will bring energy to your mornings.
Spinach and Strawberry Smoothie
Shake up the classic strawberry-banana smoothie by throwing in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach.
Image courtesy Meghan Telpner
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They are fabulous! Our whole family has them everyday. Our kids (who are under 7 yoa) LOVE them! They are very delicious and you can't even taste the greens (obviously depending how much fruit you add). We encourage everyone we know to try them because it is a great way to include a higher amount of the recommended daily intake of greens in your diet. It also fills you up for a longer period of time so you eat less (junk) inbetween meals. The nutrients also absorb a lot faster because it is a liquid form. Can't rave enough about them!
Umm kids will eat what you give them on a consistant basis. My kids are teenagers now but when they were little they ate ALL veggies just like the adults. Offer...offer.. offer If it's a common place in the home they will eat it
Have you ever met kids? Kale? are you kidding? Spinach,,,, really?