Green Smoothie HealthTips for getting into the green smoothie habit
Drinking a green smoothie a day is one of the best healthy food habits you can make for yourself. Green smoothies are convenient, delicious and full of raw nutrition. Learn how to make the healthiest smoothies and get that green smoothie skin glow! Don’t worry, you won’t actually turn green, but if you’re attempting a raw food diet or simply trying to build up some healthy eating habits, give green smoothies a try. Healthy food habitsMaking a habit of drinking a green smoothie each day is one of the easiest healthy food habits to establish. Green smoothies taste good and make you feel good. There’s no pain in adding something healthy into your diet rather than feeling you have to deprive yourself by cutting something unhealthy out.Actually one of the greatest things about the green smoothie habit is that not only is it easy to establish, it naturally and gradually helps you change bad eating habits. The green smoothie habit is an excellent first step towards a healthier you. A healthy breakfastLooking for healthy breakfast ideas? Starting your day with a green smoothie gets you going on the best fuel you can give your body. Drinking a green smoothie starts you with your best foot forward and helps you maintain your energy and focus throughout the day.A large green smoothie is surprisingly filling, and will keep you satisfied until a late morning tea or lunchtime. People might look at you as if you're crazy when you talk about drinking spinach for breakfast, but there are compelling health reasons for choosing greens first. Health benefits of green smoothiesIn a green smoothie you get all the nutrition of organic raw fruits and vegetables blended down into tiny pieces that are easy for the body to digest. The fruits and vegetables in green smoothies also still have their fibre, because they’re blended rather than juiced.The typical base ingredients of green smoothies are green vegetables such as spinach, kale, bok choy, parsley, sprouts. Usually the greens comprise about 40-50% of a green smoothie, but you can start with less and build the ratio up slowly. Drinking 2-3 cups of healthy organic green vegetables gives you an easy way to nourish your body without adding the dressings or oils you would add to those same green vegetables in a salad. Green vegetables are high in vitamin C, chlorophyll and fibre and contain vitamin A, calcium, iron and antioxidants. Regularly drinking green smoothies builds a healthy habit of eating greens, and don’t be surprised when you start craving more and more greens in your diet. Easy to prepareWhen you have a decent blender green smoothies are a snap to prepare. Simply wash your greens, chop your fruit, add water and superfoods and blend for 30-60 seconds. Make enough extra to drink throughout the morning and you won’t have to stop for a snack later, you can just get on with what you want to do.To save yourself time in the morning you can wash your greens and chop your fruit the night before and keep it all together in the fridge. Then all you have to do is empty your ingredients into the blender for a convenient and portable nutrition source. Healthy habits for kidsBy the way, kids will love sharing your green smoothies. Give them a straw and their own small cup of green smoothie and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get their daily greens into them. The sweetness of the fruity ingredients gives green smoothies a flavour that’s appealing to children, and the fact they can drink it instead of chewing it is a huge bonus. Green smoothies give parents seeking healthy eating for kids a huge advantage.Favourite green smoothie recipesWe are huge fans of bok choy as a smoothie base in our house. Not only is it easy to grow ourselves so that we know our supply is fresh, organic and cheap, but it gives a light fresh flavour that we all love, including the kids. Here are some of our favourite bok choy combinations:
For extra calcium, bok choy bases blend well with chia seeds soaked overnight into a jelly. Chia seed is a reasonably priced superfood that has 5 times the calcium content of milk. Combinations that seem to give a huge boost in vitality and endurance (and are favoured by my long-distance cyclist partner) tend to be an impressively dark green. They’re the kind of green that people really stare at when they see you drinking them... here’s a sample:
Even though you’re sure to find your own favourites, remember it’s a good idea to vary your green smoothie ingredients so that you get a diverse range of nutrients. We grow most of our own green vegetables and make up mixes of greens by picking a few leaves off each plant. That is, unless we’re on a bok choy binge...
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