My last post on green drinks and smoothies did raise a few comments…namely ‘urgh, that sounds like veggie juice, why would I drink that?’
Admittedly, ingredients like spinach and kale do bring thoughts of Sunday roast, rather than pleasant smoothie to mind, but there are lots of benefits of adding in veggies and you can completely disguise the taste!
Depending on what you put in, it might not be green – too many carrots will turn it orange, and some of my tastiest ‘creations’ have been well…beige! As long as you alter the recipes frequently, so you don’t always have the same thing, you’ll have a huge variety of fruit and veg in your diet and really give your health a boost.
Firstly, you are getting the whole shebang! No ‘extracts’ – just a wholefood. You’re getting the sugars, the fibre, the phytonutrients, the lot… Drink juice, and you’ve taken away the fibre, so your blood sugar is going to quickly rise, followed by a crash and this is when you’ll want to snack.
Smoothies are easy to digest – all the big lumps have already been chopped up. This means they’re not going to aggravate mouth ulcers, sensitive teeth and are less likely to cause indigestion. Stick ‘em in a travel bottle and you can take your meal on the move.
Also, put in your fish oil (citrus ones are best!) or flaxseed oil, a little bit of lecithin so you can absorb the oil, and even sprinkle in the contents of a probiotic capsule. Voila! Get the benefits of your supplements at the same time.
If you’re a sugar addict, drinking green smoothies can really help, as you do get that ‘sugar’ feeling. It’s just a healthier way of getting the sugar though, and because you’ve got the fibre, it takes longer to digest, and makes you feel fuller for longer. Better than that choccy bar or crisp snack.
Green smoothies also help with weight control. When you give your body what it needs (nutrients and water), it no longer craves unsuitable foods. And by keeping your blood sugar levels steadier, you just won’t get the same snacking urges or want to eat as much.
Recipe
Buy fruit that is on offer at the supermarket (this week I got mango and pineapple) and you’ll vastly reduce the cost, and increase the variety of your green drinks.
Blend together:
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- 1 chopped apple
- Quarter cucumber roughly chopped
- Quarter mango roughly chopped
- Quarter pineapple roughly chopped
- Water to the desired consistency
I usually make about two pints-worth, and have one with breakfast and one with lunch. Yum.
