Green smoothie by Christine Tizzard

As parents, we tend to take care of everyone else first. That means we get the leftovers. Making a green smoothie on a regular basis is my way of being good to myself. This way I get what I need while also using up healthy food items that have been left behind. A knob of ginger. One bruised banana. Or perhaps that lemon rolling around in the fruit bowl, or that leftover spinach that needs using up today.

If I am carrying a heavy workload, I will make a green smoothie before bed and grab it as I head out the door. They are cleansing, energizing, and healing. Green smoothies have honestly changed my life.

Greens that are high in iron, like spinach, are absorbed more easily by your stomach when eaten with an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

Photograph by Reena Newman

My Green Smoothie

As parents, we tend to take care of everyone else first. We get what’s left over. Making these smoothies on a regular basis is my way of being good to myself. Making sure I get what I need. If I am carrying a heavy workload, I will make one before bed and grab it as I head out the door. They are cleansing, energizing and healing. Green smoothies have honestly changed my life.
Total Time 5 mins
Course Breakfast, Drinks, Snack
Servings 3 cups

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1-inch knob ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 small apple, skin on roughly chopped
  • 4-inch piece piece cucumber, chopped about 1/3 cucumber
  • 1/2 banana
  • 2 cups packed spinach and/or kale or beet greens
  • 1/2 cups parsley stems ok too
  • 1 scoop favourite protein powder optional
  • 1-2 Tbsp ground flax optional

Instructions
 

  • Fill a blender with the water and lemon juice.
  • Add in remaining ingredients starting with the denser ones, like the ginger and apple. Blend until you have a smoothie-like consistency, 1–3 minutes depending on the brand of blender.

Notes

SMOOTHIE TIPS
• Greens that are high in iron, like spinach, are absorbed more easily by your stomach when eaten with an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
• I went without a quality blender for a very long time. Everyone I knew had one, but I always came up with some excuse not to splurge. Then I got a good one and it changed my life. This is not some plug to go out and spend a fortune on a blender, but I am saying I use my blender everyday—it has made my life easier and I am healthier for it.
Keyword drinks, greensmoothie, smoothie

This healthy, green smoothie is a fast and easy way to get your daily nutrients! If you liked this, you can see my other drink recipes here, and check out more ways to use up leftover produce and fruits . Be sure to check out my Instagram and Facebook page for more up-to-date tips, tricks and recipes.

Leave a Reply