Mmmhmmm! Did I ever think I would say that about a green smoothie? No! But green smoothies have been my obsession as of late. They are yummy, fresh, easy, and seriously packed with nutrients.
And this little ‘Lean Green Smoothie Machine’ has given my mornings a serious pick me up. I usually blend one of these up right before my morning workout. It gives me a little energy for my workout rather than hitting my workout on a completely empty stomach.
It’s not extremely filling, but it’s a nice light and satisfying way to start your day. What’s so awesome about it is it has 2 cups of greens! Which by the way guys, you aren’t even going to taste the greens. You’re also going to get some awesome anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, ginger, and lemon- which also make this smoothie taste nice and fresh.
I don’t just throw all of this in the blender at once, so I’ll just go through that real quick. Feel free to hop on down to the recipe if you don’t need the tips and tricks.
So start off with just 1 cup of romaine, 1 cup of spinach, 1/2 cup of coconut water, and 1/2 cup water. You can totally use 1 cup of regular water- I just really like the sweet splash of coconut, I think it’s refreshing. Also, estimate and approximate your water based off of the texture and consistency you like- I like my green smoothie closer to a juice, so it’s a little liquid-y which makes it easier to drink quick.
Blend these ingredients, until fully blended! We don’t want any chunks of leaves in there, that’s gross so make sure it’s fully blended, like a juice.
Now open up your blender and add the juice of 1 lemon. I like to do this in a separate bowl, because if you accidentally get the seeds in the smoothie, it will have a bitter taste that I just really hate, so watch for the seeds!
Okay, so add in the lemon, and a stalk of celery, 1 apple (chopped), 1/2 banana (if you want to chop up and freeze prior, it’s nice because this will make this smoothie cold), 1 Tbsp turmeric (minced), 1 Tbsp ginger (minced). Also, if you don’t have fresh turmeric or ginger which can be a pain to prepare, feel free to use the dried versions- I just use the fresh ones because they’re more flavorful, and you know you’re getting the benefits you’re looking for when it’s fresh and straight from the source.
Fully blend! And voila, yummy green smoothie! This will save for a day in an air tight container in the fridge. Or just drink it all at once 🙂 Which is what I do!
And no, this is not the only thing I eat for breakfast- like I said it’s just a light way to start the day, and I love it because I feel like I’m getting in good nutrients before I even start eating anything else. But I absolutely eat a second breakfast which I’ll do like a high protein oatmeal with some berries on top (antioxidants, yum), plain greek yogurt with honey, protein granola, and fruits, or some hard boiled eggs if I’m on the run…and of course, coffee!
Ingredients
1 cup Romaine
1 cup Spinach
1/2 cup Coconut water
1/2 cup Water
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1 Apple (of choice), chopped
1/2 Banana (can be frozen if you like)
1 Lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp Turmeric, minced
1 Tbsp Ginger, minced
Directions
Add romaine, spinach, coconut water, and water and blend well.
Add celery, apple, banana, lemon, turmeric, and ginger- blend and enjoy!