I honestly never thought I’d say this, but here it is: I dig green smoothies.
The thought of having a thick milkshake-like-but-not-quite-milkshake-like tasting liquid in the morning substituting as ‘breakfast’ simply seemed absurd to me.
I, the müsli-eating, cheese and liverwurst-loving, bread-devouring breakfast-enthusiast, really had a hard time with the idea of only having a ‘drink’ instead.
I know. I know! I take it all back! I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. So wrong!
Since the sugar detox, I’ve basically had a smoothie at least every other day. First I did it because it was ‘suggested’ through the class and hey, who am I to dismiss good, well-intended suggestions? You can’t learn anything new if you don’t try. Well, I tried and I am really starting to like green smoothies in the morning. It’s fast and easy and I am having my breakfast on the lightrail (another healthy habit I am trying to get back into) on my way to work. It really works out all around!
I’ve been using Nicole‘s ultimate green smoothie formula. It’s printed out, laminated and pinned to my kitchen wall, so I always have it handy when I need it even though my current favorite I can already make without glancing at the list! I have been playing around with different ingredients (many more combinations to try though!) and this here my current favorite:
1 cup strawberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 handful spinach
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
I added a half banana the other day, but I decided to not do this again. Bananas are smell and taste suckers, you guys! All I could taste was banana (and I am not really that big of a fan of bananas!). Maybe I’ll try it in combination with some other ingredients again in the future, but with this one, I want to taste the strawberries!
So, here is where you come in now (fellow detoxers or not): are you into smoothies? What ingredients do you like? What combination is your current favorite? I’d love to exchange different recipes with you guys so I can find smoothies that have been pre-approved, so to speak.
PS. I am not commenting on the smug faces and inappropriate yummy noises that Nicole mentioned in her blog post. You see for yourself.
PPS. I still like a solid-food based breakfast on the weekends though. Don’t take that away from me!
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
July 11, 2013 at 3:37 pmI have only made 1 green smoothie and i wasn’t a fan because the peanut butter I put it in seemed to overwhelm eveything. I think I would like green smoothies that are solely fruit based! My blender is not working right now, and I can’t find the blade attachment for my magic bullet so no smoothies are happening in my kitchen these days. :(
katelin
July 11, 2013 at 5:13 pmmmm this one sounds yummy. i definitely feel like there are some tasty combinations in a green smoothie however it can easily not be good too, i’ve learned that the hard way, ha. but hurray for smoothies!
Gina
July 11, 2013 at 7:50 pmI’m loving green smoothies, too! I just started drinking them on Monday and I’ve had one every day since then. That’s a good idea to print out Nicole’s how-to and post it in your kitchen. I’m going to do that too, and also try out your favorite recipe mentioned here. :)
Tina
July 13, 2013 at 10:30 amYour post inspired me to try my first green smoothie. I actually only used the first 3 ingredients but I really loved it! Will try to make one a few times per week!
Cait
July 13, 2013 at 9:37 pmI LOVE green smoothies. I’ve been having them for dessert because having breakfast makes my stomach angry most days and I’m always looking for something sweet after dinner. I also love bananas so I don’t mind having it override the flavor – I usually make a simple, four-ingredient smoothie: a big handful of spinach, one banana, coconut water, and ice. Sometimes I add strawberries and I really should start experimenting with additions (like other veggies/fruits or chia seeds).
Stephany
July 14, 2013 at 5:21 pmI’ve started drinking a green smoothie every morning, too! I tried one a few years ago but it included banana and I just cannot get behind the taste of banana! So I found a recipe that doesn’t include banana and I now puree it then blend it so it’s this real smooth milkshake-like consistency. (I can be real particular about my consistency!)
In my smoothie, I put: spinach leaves, avocado, protein powder, water, ice, blueberries, and strawberries. I do want to start playing around with other stuff like chia seeds and almond butter. I might try the cinnamon in my smoothie tomorrow! That sounds like a fun addition. :)
terra
July 15, 2013 at 7:58 amI love a smoothie. I’m okay with the bananas in mine and since I’ve started added cinnamon, I feel like I’m eating dessert for breakfast except for that I’m mostly just eating spinach and almond milk and bananas and blueberries and chia seeds and cinnamon, which is far better, I think.
Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks
July 16, 2013 at 11:25 amI like the taste of smoothies. I like the idea of meal replacement smoothies (assuming they’re full of nutrients). I have even tried to jump on the smoothie bandwagon. But, I just cannot do it. A drink, no matter how thin or thick or perfectly balanced, does not constitute a meal (to me). It’s great to see that you’ve taken to smoothies for breakfast and that you’re at a point where you’re ready to shake up your recipes!
Carolina
July 19, 2013 at 1:58 pmI love, love green smoothies! I have one every morning for breakfast. Welcome to the club!