Smoothies: Making green smoothies without fresh greens?

Well, maybe not...but when I don't have them on hand, I use dried "greens" powder instead.

I have learned about green smoothies just recently and see the wisdom of making them for my family. We already love fruit smoothies, why not make them healthier still? I don't always have fresh greens available, so I use my "greens" powder (mine has spirulina, barley green juice powder, chorella, and bee pollen) to stand in.

So roughly, here is how to make...

Smoothies - "Loretta style"...

Put in blender*:

bananas (enough for 1 per person - although if you are a non-banana person, there are options to this too)

Then other fruit as desired, for example:

pineapple chunks (can include the core, if you have a powerful blender)
papaya, peeled and seeded
mango chunks
avacado pieces (can add this if low on bananas for creaminess)
oranges (pare off orange peel thinly with a paring knife, leaving the white)
lemon (just a small portion, ditto on the orange prep)
watermelon chunks, in season (for liquid, you won't taste it much)

If I were in the states, I might use the following:

berries, any and every kind you can think of (yummy!)
kiwifruit
apples
grapes (seeds and all if you have a powerful blender)
other (in season) melon chunks

Just about any fruit you can think of can be put into the smoothie.

Blend with enough water and/or use enough very juicy fruit (even cucumbers work here) to get the blades to turn ok.

I like to add the following for added health benefits: whole flax seed (has thickening power too) and "greens" powder (this will make it a green smoothie). You do not need to add these everytime though. Add a few mint leaves for another "flavor" option.

If needing extra sweetening, instead of turning to sugar, try adding a small amount of dried fruit like pitted dates, raisins or you can add dab of honey or tiny amount of stevia. Adjust as needed.

Pour into glasses and serve with a straw or serve with a spoon if extra thick! Reap many smiles from your family. =)

*To make thick smoothies: use frozen bananas and some frozen other fruit, although no need to have all frozen ingredients to make it this way. Ice cubes can stand in for part of the water. As long as the blades can turn without laboring, you should be OK.

^If you do have fresh greens...you can add any of the following: kale, collards, spinach, leafy lettuce (not iceberg), alfalfa sprouts, etc...add as much as you can tolerate, adding more as you get to like them better. There are so many benefits to adding them in your diet. For vegans, this is a neccessary thing to get your plant calcium and so much more. It's great for everyone, no matter what diet you eat! =)


...So, yes, you can make green smoothies without fresh greens. Incidentally, you have just found a recipe for smoothies that does not call for dairy or fruit juice. Some people might call this a sorbet (and you can freeze for sorbet later). I call it - yummy! My just turned 2 year old daughter, Francesca, drinks hers with a straw in no time flat!

Got greens?