My Favorite Green Smoothie

Green smoothies seem to be the "it" thing right now- especially with the new year and everyone trying their best to eat a little healthier.

I admit, I jumped on the green smoothie train after I received a Ninja blender for Christmas. I had tried to use my "cocktail" blender to make green smoothies before being gifted this new blender, and it wasn't good. Chunks of spinach dispersed within my smoothie was definitely not appetizing- so I gave up on them until this shiny new blender entered my life.

My secret to getting my greens completely blended and smooth is to always blend the liquid and greens first. It's an extra step, but an important one!

I'm also a little obsessed with the single serve cups that come with this blender. I can blend, pop on a travel lid, and I'm on way way out the door!

I'm pretty good about eating my veggies, but not nearly enough on a daily basis. Drinking a green smoothie in the afternoon instead of reaching for leftover Christmas candy (come on now, I know you have some, too!) has made me feel better and actually gives me much more energy to push through the afternoon.

Pureeing spinach or other greens into a smoothie turns a lot of people off, but I promise you that if you have the right blender (a high-powered one like the Ninja, Vitamix, Blendtec, etc.) and ingredients, you'll be drinking them every day, too! The best thing about making a smoothie at home is that you can control the ingredients- adding more fruit and/or honey to make it sweeter. Substituting the coconut milk for a splash of orange juice or regular milk. Edit my recipe any way you'd like- it's just a great starting off point!

My Favorite Green Smoothie
Serves one

Ingredients
1/2 C. filtered water
1/2 C. unsweetened coconut milk
2-3 generous handfuls of spinach
1/3-1/2 banana
Handful (or 2) frozen mixed fruit (my go-to is pineapple, strawberry, mango, and peaches)
Drizzle of raw honey (optional)

Directions
Add the water, coconut milk, and spinach into your blender. Pulse and blend well.
Then, add the remaining ingredients. Pulse a few times and blend on high speed until smooth and combined.
Taste and add more honey or banana to add more sweetness.
Enjoy!

Add ins: If you want to get really crazy, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed. If you've never used flaxseed, I suggest starting with a teaspoon or so and working your way up to a tablespoon. That way you'll get used to the flavor and subtle texture slowly. You could try the tablespoon, too. Just a suggestion!

Flaxseed is high in fiber and contains omega-3 fatty acids- yay! That means just a tablespoon in your smoothie will help aid your digestion, lower your total and "bad" cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of heart disease. Crazy how just a tablespoon of this can help with all of that and it's such an easy addition to your day!

Have you tried a green smoothie? What's your favorite recipe?

This is not a sponsored post.