Green Smoothie Recipe. A wholesome smoothie that acts as a breakfast and also detoxes and add to your immunity at the same time. Also learn how to do your weekly smoothie prep to save time during the busy mornings.
I never thought I would love a smoothie that is made using spinach. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love spinach. I eat it twice or thrice a week in the form of kootu, poriyal, masiyal, thogayal etc. Why would I torture myself with a smoothie and that is made using raw spinach.
But curiosity got the better of me and I finally decided to give it a try as part of my post workout smoothie. Mother of surprises that I loved the first sip of it. Before I was making my elder one was smirking all the way confident that it would end up in the sink.
But guess what, after I promised him that he can spit if off if he doesn’t like it, he too loved it very much. The combination of ginger and vanilla was absolutely tasty.
After making it for a week, I was finding it difficult to buy a fresh bunch after 2 to 3 days and cleaning it. Also I have to keep in mind buying fruits. So decided to give a spin on prepping it ahead for a week.
Whether you are a working professional or stay at home sort of person, mornings are really busy in every household and I finally decided on what to do and how to make it ahead after tweaking it to suit my tastebuds.
Ever since I got this Wonderchef “Nutri Blend”, making smoothies has become a breeze and using the prepped up ingredients, my children can make it by themselves too. Cleaning up and storing becomes easier as well.
Fruits to use:
Any fleshy fruits can be used to make this green smoothie. Fruits like Avocado, Bananas, Papaya, Apples, Pear, Mangoes that are seasonal can be used.
You can also use figs, berries (fresh or frozen). Watermelon can also be added which liquidizes the smoothie if you do not want to add dairy for the liquid base of your smoothie.
How to prep smoothie for a week:
Frozen fruits make a thick and creamy smoothie that also acts as a natural sweetener. While you can freeze any fruits, I mostly prefer to freeze Bananas and Papaya. Why?
- Both are available through out the year and not seasonal.
- Cost wise both the fruits are affordable and economical.
- Both the fruits freezes well for a continued period of time without getting discolored due to oxidisation process that happens with avocado and apples.
How to freeze fruits:
Buy half a dozen very ripe bananas and a big papaya. To freeze bananas, peel the skin away, cut into half or 3 pieces, place them in ziploc cover or freezer proof container like Tupperware container.
Repeat the same for Papaya as well. As both fruits are soft and creamy enough, they can easily be cut through and scooped out using a fork or knife.
How to Freeze Spinach with add-ons (optional):
Buy 3 to 4 bunch of Spinach. They are easy to clean. In India though, spinach bunch comes as a family, from baby to mature leaves. So it could hardly be taken as a bunch of baby spinach.
So, remove the stem if they are very thick and remove very large leaves also. Though they won’t make the smoothie taste bitter, it is better to remove if you are a beginner till you get used to the taste of a green smoothie. Rinse and let the water drain.
Add spinach in a blender. Add any add-ons if using. I add 100 gms fresh ginger, 4 tbsp turmeric powder, 4 tbsp wheat grass powder, 6 tbsp Moringa powder, 4 tbsp Arugampul powder (bermuda grass powder). Add little water and blend well to a juice consistency.
If you can get hold of fresh turmeric, use that instead of powder. If you can get hold of fresh arugampul juice, use that along with water instead of the powder while grinding.
Tip the contents into a tray and keep it in the freezer. It takes 3 to 4 hours to freeze completely. Once done, break into chunks using a sharp knife. Place the chunks into a freezer proof container or ziplock and store it in freezer. You can also use ice trays or popsicle moulds for freezing but I find them tedious, time consuming to wash them off.
Dry Fruits:
You can use dry fruits also but keep in mind that they are high in calories and sugar content. If you are going to drink this green smoothie for over all health, it is better to keep away dry fruits as it defeats the purpose. You can use pitted dates which also acts a natural sweetener.
Liquid Base:
I personally use milk and yogurt as I need the calcium they both provide and at times avoid dairy totally and use coconut water. You can also use non dairy milk like coconut milk, almond mylk etc., I tried soy milk and hated the taste of the smoothie. Also it did not sit well with my stomach as I felt queasy the whole day. So its your choice what to use based on the availability and affordability.
Sweetener:
You can avoid adding any sweetener if you counting calories. The fruits itself will provide the sweetness. As my children also drink the smoothie, I add 2 tbsp of cane sugar to make it palatable to them. You can also add regular sugar, honey or agave syrup.
Add-Ons:
I add the following, try to use only organic products to get their full health benefits. :
- Wheat grass powder – Detoxes and regulates blood sugar level
- Turmeric – Anti inflammatory & Anti oxidant
- Ginger – Anti Inflammatory & helps with digestion
- Arugampul (bermuda grass) powder – Natural body coolant & cleanser
- Moringa powder – rich in vitamins, iron and promotes hair growth
- Flax Seeds & Chia Seeds – provides much needed omega 3 fatty acids
You can also add Oats which not only thickens the smoothie well and also converts the smoothie into a sumptuous breakfast like this Mango Oatmeal smoothie and Breakfast banana oatmeal smoothie.
How to make green smoothie using the frozen ingredients for single use:
In a blender, add 4 to 5 chunks of frozen spinach cubes, 2 halved frozen banana, 2 large chunks of papaya, seasonal fresh fruits (if using), sweetener, liquids, flax, chia, vanilla. Blend and drink. You can also store the individual portion to be blitzed in the fridge overnight to save time in the morning.
How long can you store:
I make 2 large glasses for myself and 1 for my children in the morning. I drink half of my portion immediately as soon as I make and place the rest in the refrigerator to drink little by little throughout the day whenever I feel like snacking. I finish it off before night and don’t store it overnight even in the fridge.
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Green Smoothie Recipe details as follows:
- Spinach, packed - 2 cups
- Banana, frozen - 1
- Papaya, frozen - 1/2 cup
- Mango - 1/2 cup
- Pomegranate pearls - 1/4 cup
- Flax seeds - 1 tbsp
- Chia seeds - 1 tbsp
- Milk - 1/2 cup
- Yogurt - 1/4 cup
- Cane sugar or honey - 2 tbsp
- Wheat grass powder - 1 tbsp
- Moringa powder - 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
- Fresh ginger - 1 inch piece
- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
- Place all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into tall glasses and drink immediately.
- You can also store in the refrigerator and drink it throughout the day.
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