I have a household of picky “particular” eaters– the youngest and oldest being my most “challenging” to please at times. The distance we have come has been exceptional, but my goodness, not liking sweet and rich ripe, frozen bananas?
Fruit smoothies?
Come on now kids. That’s absurd.
The other day, however, (after a pricy trip to the orthodontist), soft foods were the only thing on the table for one, and no one was “too hungry”. Ahem… and sorry– no ice cream, or Sonic smoothies for lunch– not for my exceptional gymnast, rock star basketball player, and star quarterback.
So… I suggested a smoothie?
Why not?
Strike while the iron is hot… right?
3 smoothies coming up!
My six year old does not like bananas, so for the longest time I have struggled to find a Green Smoothie recipe that she would actually enjoy. Upon opening the freezer I struck a million dollar idea! Frozen grapes! Why has no one informed me of this banana substitute sooner?
Banana Free Green Smoothie
- 1/2 Cup Organic Spinach (CALCIUM!) (PROTEIN!)
- 1/2 cup halved strawberries, greens removed (preferably organic)
- 1 cup spring water
- 1 cup frozen grapes (preferably organic)
- 1/2 organic apple– I used Pink Lady
- 2 drops Vanilla NuSteiva by NuNaturals
Next!
Luckily for me, my almost 10 year old loves bananas! His smoothie was simple!
Basic Green Smoothie
- 1 Cup Organic Spinach (CALCIUM!) (PROTEIN!)
- 3 organic romaine leaves
- 1 large ripe banana, peeled and previously frozen
- 1 cup spring water
- 1/2 organic apple– I used Pink Lady
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Another hater… my almost 13 year old detests bananas, and most things vegetable and fruit themed (unless it is fruit flavored, of course). He does the idea of being the best athlete however, and because he is an aspiring super star quarterback this year, I have been able to upsell him on Vega plant-based protein shakes. Thank goodness, because you will never see me purchasing your typical whey, soy, or egg-white protein mixes. I make an extra chocolatey shake. It is delicious.
Chocolatey Vega Protein Shake
- 1 scoop Vega Protein Shake– Chocolate Flavor
- 1 tbsp raw cocoa powder
- 6 drops Vanilla NuStevia by NuNaturals
- 1/2 cup spring water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup ice
Blend. Blend. Blend.
Serve it up cold.
Go. Go. Go!
What are your favorite fruit and green-based Green Smoothie ideas?
Yum! I’m trying these today.
Do you ever use oat flour or brown rice flour or even oatmeal in your smoothies?
Yay!
No, I do not. Those would slow digestion. The benefits of these Green Smoothies is that they are relatively quick to nourish on an empty stomach.
Thanks Lauren!
Made the spinach smoothie this morning and was surprised how much better it tastes then it looks. I did add a. Teaspoon of honey thou.
Thanks for all your inspirational ideas.
Michelle…… Australia
Yay!
Hi Lauren. Awesome blog. I am a bit confused about one thing: the smoothie recipe above includes spinach AND fruit. On another page, you write to eat fruit by itself for optimal digestion, which made me think I shouldn’t put fruit in my smoothies. Are greens okay to pair with fruit? What is your take on it?
For those that are new to food combining, there will not be a noticeable difference. For those that have been combining fruit alone, they will notice.
Because the foods are blended, they are predigested and thus eliminate a lot of the digestive discomfort and fermentation. If you are not juicing, green smoothies are the way to go. I would NOT add a “nut” milk or something of the sort to the mix. I would stick with fruit and greens and H20. Hope this helps!
Just to clarify: When juicing or blending, mixing fruit and veggies are okay? But not when eating? Also, I love my banana, spinach, chocolate almond milk smoothies…not a good idea? LOL
Here is the thing… we want food to digest quickly. TO begin with, we don’t do a grand job of chewing. Blending predigests foods. Technically, combining anything “heavier” than a fruit, with a fruit, will slow it down… but if we are predigesting it via blending… and we are consuming it on an empty stomach, it is OKAY.
Juicing is an entire different story in general. With juice, “combining” does not matter. Juice is a liquid WITHOUT fiber. THere is virtually NO digestion to begin with. So we can easily combine these two.
Eating, no… while you could technically combine some leafy greens with some apples, fruit, etc. it is not recommended. We are not living in a perfect world here. If we were, none of these rules would really apply.
Hope this helps!!!
P.S. Your smoothie is fine. It sounds tasty. For best benefits, go for water, and get in some detoxifying greens like cilantro or parsley.
XO
Got it. Very helpful. Thanks Lauren!
I get about 32oz of “Green Lemonade” every am after having warm water w/ lemon upon waking. Usually I have fruit the rest of the morning up until 1/2 hr b4 lunch (45 min if I had a banana). Question about the fruits #1: I know melons are on their own, but for how long before/after other fruit? And can bananas be eaten with other fruits but just wait longer b4 other meals? Question#2 about smoothies: I know they have to have greens (stemmed) foremost. So I usually start with spinach or parsley;etc. then add more veggies like celery or romaine, fruit like apple, berries or banana and water. Can I ever add nuts or seeds if I only use banana as the fruit (or unsulfured dried fruit like dates or prunes) and/or almond milk instead of water occasionally? I thought nut milks were neutral? Thanks! I took your advice and now use the NutriBullet at work for lunch. So I’m pretty much raw until dinner now!
Fruit Questions…
‘Melons– wait at least ten minutes before other fruits.
Bananas– save those for last. 15-30 (they are denser and carry much less water). Wait at least 45 minutes before enjoying another meal– like an avocado salad, or anything different than fruit. Once you have a banana I would not go back to lighter fruits.
I would not add any nuts to your smoothies. You can add nuts milks if you really need to, but they do not contribute to health. For taste they can be fun.
So excited to hear!!! Sounds like you are doing fabulous.