Green smoothies can be a healthy addition to your diet and may even help you jumpstart your weight loss program this season. Starting your day with a green smoothie can give you a boost of nutrients you wouldn’t otherwise get from food you are eating throughout the day, and adding certain ingredients to the mix can give you more energy and rev up your metabolism. Drinking a green smoothie every day might not sound too appealing if you haven’t developed a taste for spinach and kale in a drink, but there are some things you can do to mask the taste of those greens.
Here are six tips for making healthy and tasty green smoothies:
1. Choose a good base ingredient. Even though some people swear by watery green drinks made solely out of spinach and kale, berries, or fruit juice, you might prefer something that has a slightly thicker consistency. Bananas, mangoes, and peaches can help create a more smoothie-like texture.
2. Add protein powder. This is one of the easiest ways to create a shake-like beverage. Just half a scoop or an entire scoop of vanilla protein powder is enough to fortify your smoothie with protein and mask the flavor of those greens. Adding protein powder to a smoothie recipe can also turn it into a healthy morning meal, so consider trading breakfast for this type of smoothie once in a while.
3. Use almond or coconut milk. Almond milk and coconut milk can also create a thicker consistency and you can choose from a variety of flavors and unsweetened varieties to create a more nutrient-rich smoothie. Try unsweetened vanilla almond milk or even a flavored coconut milk to change the texture of your drink.
4. Blend in stages. It’s generally a good idea to blend the leafy greens with liquids and ice before you add other ingredients. This will help to create a much smoother consistency so you aren’t left ‘chewing’ your smoothie.
5. Use frozen fruit instead of ice. You won’t be missing out on any nutrients with frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit, and making smoothies with frozen fruit might even give you more options for flavors and different recipes. Frozen berries and tropical fruit can be tasty and nutritious additions to any smoothie. Skip the ice and use frozen fruit for a thicker consistency and as a natural sweetener.
6. Try a greens powder. You can buy greens powder in a canister and just add a scoop or two to any smoothie or protein shake. Some brands are labeled as a green superfood or a whole foods blend. Read the nutrition labels closely to determine what types of greens are in the mix and add them to a smoothie for even more nutrients.
