Smoothies are a source of joy in our home… a creative work that I lovingly mix up every day. Let me tell you how I do it…
- I have an awesome blender. It’s a VitaMix Turbo Blend 4500 Vita-Mix TurboBlend Home Blender
- Bananas are essential – but you are a looser if you make a smoothie without FROZEN bananas. Here’s the play-by-play: (1) Wait until your bananas are really ripe (best if they’re soft – even a little more ripe than you prefer to eat them). That’s when they’re the sweetest; (2) PEEL THEM, silly; (3) break them into two or three pieces before putting them in a plastic, ziploc freezer bag (these can be washed and re-used); (4) freeze them for at least a day before you make your smoothie. You’ll be rewarded with a thick, spoon-worthy, ice cream-like smoothie like no other.
- Get your Dino Greens in without even noticing you’re eating super healthy stuff: Add kale. “What?” you ask, “are you insane? That’s nasty!” No it’s amazing, kale. Your body wants it and you are keeping kale from your body. That’s what I think is insane. But, please please please FREEZE THE KALE before you put it in your glorious smoothie. (1) Wash the locally grown, organic kale that you bought from your local hero, the farmer, or that you grew yourself; (2) wash it; (3) strip the thin leafy parts away from the leaf’s spine (you don’t want the spine in your smoothie); (4) put the yummy, dark green kale into a plastic ziploc freezer bag and wait about a day before you use it in your smoothie; (5) add 1/4 cup the first time and see how you like it. You will not even taste the kale, but your drink will be green. Tell your kids it’ll make them as strong as Popeye – and watch them lift your car.
- Don’t keep your smoothie to one or two ingredients. Add frozen organic strawberries, blueberries, frozen concentrated orange juice, soy milk – abundance is key!
My smoothie ingredients:
1. water (I used to use rice milk or soy milk – I still use soy for the kids)
2. silken tofu (1/2 a box) – only after a workout
3. frozen strawberries
4. frozen blueberries
5. concentrated orange juice (sometimes)
6. flax seed oil (about 2 Tbs) – believe me, you won’t taste it
7. frozen kale
8. frozen bananas (about 3 or 4 bananas)
9. Vega protein powder
10. Agave nectar (sometimes)
You want healthy calories? You got it. You want food your body says, “oh, Honey, I love you” when you let it slide down your throat? This is the recipe. You want food kids will love that’s actually good for them? Want to be a kid again? Drop that burger and start peeling bananas.
Love your body.