Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Green Monster Smoothie


Since completing the cleanse, life has been a balancing act between healthy eating and getting caught up in the rush of working late, outings with friends, and fun recipes.  Now, this isn't really so much a dilemma as a blessing, since it means pizza at the Mellow Mushroom, breakfast at Founding Farmers, nutella calzones at 7th Hill, and Choco-Lattes at Pitango.

To make up for these culinary treats, I've been whipping up my go-to Green Monster smoothie for breakfast a few times a week.  Since Angela created this concoction a few years back, it's gotten a lot of attention, but this smoothie is just so good it's worth showcasing here!
The Green Monster is a great way to start my day.  It's chock full of fruits, veggies, and nutrients, which gives me lots of energy.  No matter what else I eat throughout the day, I don't feel as guilty, because at least my breakfast was healthy!

One of my favorite ingredients is the flax seeds; they might be small, but they bring a huge nutritional kick. They're a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, have anti-inflammatory benefits, and are easily absorbed when ground.  You can either buy them already ground, or grind them yourself in a coffee grinder. Just two tablespoons contain:
  • 200% daily value omega 3 fatty acids
  • 23% daily value vitamin B1
  • 23% daily value dietary fiber
  • Only 112 calories!
The Green Monster is infinitely adaptable, but the basic smoothie usually includes dark leafy greens, like spinach, flax or chia seeds, banana, frozen fruit, and a liquid, like almond milk. Here's how I've been making mine lately:


Baby spinach, kale, banana, pineapple, mango, ground flax seeds, and almond milk. 

First, tear the spinach and kale into small pieces and add to the blender.  Next, add the banana, broken into pieces as well, and sprinkle with flax meal.


Toss in the pineapple and mango, and pour the almond milk over everything.


Blend for several minutes at high speed to make sure everything is blended. No one wants to be chewing kale with their morning smoothie!  Some blenders aren't strong enough to properly blend kale, so you may want to omit it if this is happening to you.  That being said, my blender is by no means top of the line and I haven't run into this problem, so maybe you won't either. 


Pour into a glass and enjoy! I sometimes pour mine into a water bottle and bring it to work to drink there if I don't have enough time at home in the morning. Alternatively, I've heard that you can make smoothies ahead of time, pour into a freezer bag, and freeze until you're ready for it.  Just pop it in the refrigerator the night before you want to drink it and it's ready for you in the morning! I can't vouch for this method because I've never been productive enough to make more than one smoothie, but it sounds like it would be a huge time saver.  Let me know if anyone tries it!


Green Monster Smoothie
Adapted from Oh She Glows

1/2 cup raw spinach
1 leaf kale
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
1 banana
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 cup frozen mango
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix well.  Blend on high speed for several minutes or until all ingredients have been processed.  Serve immediately.

1 comment:

ruthpclark said...

Love this. I love adding maca powder to mine too, which soothes the adrenals and adds a yummy vanilla taste! These just FEEL good to the body.

 
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