This month we're kicking off a Smoothie Challenge to help you get more leafy greens into your diet. We will feature a new smoothie everyday during the challenge (January 23-29) and will walk you through the ingredients for the day and to provide helpful tips.
SPACE
Day 1: Banana Bonanza
1 banana
½ c yogurt
1 c milk
1 T vanilla
1 scoop chocho
1 T chia seed
1 T honey (optional) or Dates
Day 2: Very Merry Berry
1 cup mixed berries
1 tsp vanilla
dash cinnamon
1 TB honey (optional) or Dates
Day 3: Green Machine
½ cup spinach
½ cup kale
½ avocado
Day 4: Tropical Immunity
½ cup mango
fresh ginger to taste
a few leaves of spinach
Day 5: Nut Butter
½ cup peanut butter or any nut or seed butter
+ add banana or any other favorites
+ yogurt, coconut water, almond milk, water, other
Day 6: Cocoa Mint Chip
Mint leaves to taste (3-4 is a good start)
½ cup cocoa nibs
peppermint cookies or peppermint flavoring
Day 7: Mocha
1 TB instant coffee
¼ cup cocoa nibs
Coconut Whipped Cream!
#Getyourgreens! You can add any leafy greens to a smoothie. Add spinach, kale, or parsley for a nutrient packed meal!
Experiment! You can use dairy or non-dairy milks, coconut water or yogurt as a base, add ginger, dates, mint, cocao, chia, flax, avocado, or banana. The possibilities are endless!
Day 1 - Banana Bonanza!
Prep Time: 1 min
- 1 banana
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 TB vanilla
- 1 scoop chocho
- 1 TB chia seed
- 1 TB honey (optional) or Dates
Mary Sheila - Smoothie Intro
1 min
Listen to our introduction to smoothies with Mary Sheila, a Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Educator. Did you know that chewing smoothies is essential for proper digestion? When making smoothies, it’s best to start off with gentle greens and low sugar fruits such as romaine lettuce and berries, as well as nutrient-rich vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard.
Tip of the Day
To help avoid too much sugar in your smoothie, try adding additional yogurt in place of an additional banana if you are looking to extend your smoothie further!
Day 2 - Very Merry Berry!
Prep Time: 5 mins
- 1 cup mixed berries
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 TB honey (optional) or Dates
Balancing Sugars in Smoothies
2 mins
Listen to our talk with Mary Sheila, a Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Educator, as she explains the importance of maintaining a healthy blood sugar balance and kick starting your day off right.
Tip of the Day
It's important not to drink our smoothies too quickly, as eating slower and chewing (try adding dates to your smoothie!) are important parts of the digestive process. Try to make your drink last 30 minutes!
Day 3 - Green Machine!
Prep Time: 3 mins
- ½ cup spinach
- ½ cup kale
- ½ avocado
- Dates (optional for sweetness)
Greens in Smoothies
6 mins
In this 6 minute video, Mary Shiela discusses the importance of adding leafy greens and herbs to smoothies for a variety of nutritional benefits. She also highlights steps to take to ensure maximum nutrient intake from leafy greens, such as blanching. Listen in to the details!
The Happy Food Chef Robin Joy’s Basic Green Smoothie
- 7 mint leaves
- 3 large leaves romaine lettuce or other lettuce
- 1 cup of cilantro, parsley, spinach, or a little of each
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 to 3 stalks celery
- 1 red or green apple
- 1 lime peeled with pith
- 1/2 squeezed lemon
- 1 cup filtered water or more if needed
Blend together and enjoy!
Tip of the Day
Bok Choy will make a great addition to your Green Smoothie by adding in nutrients such as Antioxidants, Vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin C and Calcium!
Day 4 - Tropical Immunity!
Prep Time: 5 mins
- ½ cup mango
- ½ cup pineapple
- Fresh ginger to taste
- Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, or Bok Choy
Juice in a Smoothie
2 mins
Mary Sheila discusses the potential health hazards of drinking juice and outlines healthier alternatives. She shares a Gatorade-like drink with chia, salt, and juice. Citrus fruits are recommended as they are warming during winter.
Tip of the Day
Instead of adding juice to your smoothie try adding in oranges, grapefruits, watermelon, grapes or any other juicy fruit! This will help keep the sugar content down while adding tons of flavor and nutrients.