GO GREEN, GO GREEN, SMOOTHIE STYLESMOOTHIE STYLE

Getting all those greens in your daily diet can be a real challenge, especially if you are on the go from morning till night and don’t often sit down for a meal consisting of kale and spinach.

But the good news is that there is another way to get a power pack of these veggies with all the great taste that you’d expect from a treat. Welcome to green smoothies!

With a green smoothie, you take all the veggies you can’t eat right then and blend them with delicious fruits and yogurts and the result is a green smoothie so good you’d never guess it was super healthy. They are one of the tastiest ways to get your greens and the best part is, your kids just might love them too.

Here are 5 recipes to give you a nutrient rich, energy packed boost.

Tropical Green By Chelsea ClarkThis is described as, “The sweet-tart flavors of pineapple and mango brighten kale for a tasty, vitamin-rich green smoothie.”

•1 c water

•1 kale leaf

•1 c baby spinach

•2 round slices pineapple (about 2 inches thick)

•1/4 c mango

•1/3 c ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy.

Super Powered Breakfast SmoothieBy Meghan Telpner

• 2 Tbsp. raw almonds (soaked if possible)

• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

• 1 Tbsp. goji berries

• 1 Tbsp. raw cacao beans or nibs

• 1/2 Tbsp. spirulina powder

• 1 Tbsp. coconut (or 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil)

• 1/4 – 1/3 cup sprouts

• 1-2 stalks of celery

• 1 banana

• pinch of cayenne

• 3 cups water

• Stevia (optional)

• 1 Tbsp. flaxseeds (optional and may need to pre-grind depending on the power of your blender)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately. The fiber will absorb the liquid if you leave it sit for too long.

Spinach and Strawberry SmoothieThe sweetness of strawberries combined with the powerful superfood spinach create a delightful blend of goodness in this smoothie. The added banana disguises the spinach so it tastes more like a treat than a load of veggies.

•1/2 cup (125 mL) low-fat vanilla yogurt•2 cups (500 mL) water•1 medium banana•1 cup (250 mL) sliced strawberries•2 cups (500 mL) chopped fresh spinach, lightly packed•Honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)

Blend the yogurt, water, banana, strawberries, spinach and honey on high until smooth. Divide into glasses and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Each serving: about 120 cal, 5g pro, 2 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 25 g carb, 4 g fibre, 5 mg chol, 75 mg sodium. %RDI: 15% calcium, 8% iron, 60% vit A, 100% vit C.

Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie with KaleTasty as a breakfast or delicious as a snack, you can’t beat the combination of chocolate and blueberry in a smoothie.

•2 leaves black kale

•1/4 cup frozen blueberries, unthawed

•2 tbsp. cacao powder

•1 banana

•1 to 2 pitted medjool dates

•8 oz. hemp or almond milk

Combine kale, frozen blueberries, cacao powder, banana, medjool dates and almond milk in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

La Belle Verte From Montreal Based Restaurant Crudessence.

• 3/4 banana, frozen (or fresh banana + 2-3 ice cubes)• 4 chunks pineapple• 2 large leaves fresh kale• 1/4 cup parsley (firmly packed)• 1 or 2 dates• 2 tbsp. shelled hemp seeds• 1 pinch sea salt• 1 1/2 cups water

Place the ingredients in the blender. Add water to the 16 oz. mark. Blend until the texture is smooth. Serve immediately or it can be kept for up to 2 days in refrigerator.

Note: For best results, use fresh pineapple and soft dates such as Medjool (or soak harder dates in warm water before blending).

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