Green Smoothie
May 5, 2009 by Vidi
Filed under green smoothies, recipes
Green smoothies are yum!
The basic Meta recipe for a green smoothie is to take a couple of big handfuls of leafy green; kale, silverbeet, rocket, baby spinach… you get the picture. Think green, crisp leafy goodness and lots of it.
Put this goodness filled abundance of greens in a blender with some water and blend until it is drinkable. Easy but not all that yummy. The yummy bit comes next.
Add to the blender some sweet fruit, with or without skins as is your preference and blend. If you have a penchant for sweet things then add a little Stevia for calorie free sweetness or honey or agave for sweet and nutritious. You call the shots here but you should keep it simple, a couple of kinds of fruit is great and there are so many to choose from. Start with bananas, pears, apples, blueberries, mangos, papayas, and pineapples. Aim for 50/50 leaf and fruit.
Think of all that fragrant delightful fruit and leaf, bright green and full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and chlorophyll. You really couldnt get a better start to the day.
Smoothies can be part of detox diets and any healthy eating plan as well as a excellent indulgence to wake the senses and kick start your energy for the day
Apple-Kale-Lemon
4 apples
1/2 lemon juice
5 Kale leaves
2 cups water
Blend!
Strawberry-Banana-romaine
1 cup strawberries
2 bananas
1/2 bunch romaine
2 cups of water
you guessed it… Blend!
My smoothie fave goes like this
1/2 fresh pineapple
1 cup strawberries
150 gms (thats a biggish bag) mixed salad leaves/rocket/spinich
B-L-E-N-D
See ya
What are the best choices of green ingredients for a baby of 6 months – 1 year and from 1 year onwards. Are there fruits of vegetables which they should avoid in those early days?
ABS
Giving green smoothies to babies over 6 months is a lovely idea. It is fresh and nutritious and no cooking YAY!
Guidelines suggest when it comes to making food for babies keep it simple and add items into the diet slowly and one at a time to avoid allergies. Some food like berries and citrus fruit have a high incidence of allergic reactions or intolerence in under 1 year olds. Avoid them until they are over 1. Blueberries are ok after 8 months as are not related to the berry family and are one of the least allergenic foods and full of antioxidents.
Wash everything well, peel the fruit and buy organic if you can. They will be having very small amounts as unlike juice it has all of it’s fibre and is a whole food.
Food that babies love are sweet and soft so keep it in season so that the fruit is at it’s best.
Think peaches, apricots, pears, apples and bananas.
For veges stick with leafy greens like baby spinach, kale and endive and strip out the stalks of greens such as silverbeet.
Never sweeten with honey for babies as it is linked to serious food poisonings (infant botulism).
Choose fruit that is sweet and mix it at a 60% fruit 40%green to make it most appealing. If you are storing food or drink for babies you must be very careful to use clean containers and remember fresh is best.
Babies can often sip from a small cup rather than using bottles with enlarged holes which can deliver too much food too quickly. Sipping allows them to regulate their intake to suit their needs.
Try out your baby with the same flavour at least 7 times in a row before you decide they dont like it. They often just need to get used to it and dont require endless variations like we do
As with everything new you try with babies they take their cue from you- If you are drinking green smoothies and liking them they will probably give it a go, as long as you are relaxed and happy about it. Dont worry if they dont like them at first either, there is plenty of time for them to come around to the charms of green smoothies.