This cool and refreshing smoothie is a great treat on a sunny spring day!
Step 1: Liquid
1 cup unsweetened soy/almond milk or coconut water
Step 2: Greens
1 – 2 handfuls baby kale, spinach, bok choy, Swiss chard
Step 3: Frozen fruit
1/2 cup
Step 4: Creamy fruit
1 banana or avocado
Step 5: Healthy fat
2 tablespoons nuts or nut butters, seeds, flax oil
Serves 2, 1 serving using 1/2 cup fruit, banana, almond milk: 150 calories, 25 grams carbs, 6 grams fat, 5 grams protein (nutrition content will vary based on ingredients)
Tips:
Spinach and Swiss chard are the most mild tasting greens. Baby kale is more mild than mature kale.
Frozen fruit will make smoothie thicker and replace need for ice.
This recipe is part of a collection assembled by Valley’s Diabetes Education & Nutrition Clinic. The recipes were gathered and inspired from a variety of healthy eating websites. See cookbook for a list of website resources.
Pictured: Stock image of a green smoothie
I appreciate how the recipe is broken into five simple steps — liquid, greens, frozen fruit, creamy fruit, and healthy fat — rather than a long ingredient list, which makes it easy to remember and adapt. The tip about spinach and Swiss chard being the mildest greens is genuinely useful for anyone who finds kale too assertive. One question: is there a reason frozen fruit is preferred over fresh beyond thickness, or does it also help keep the smoothie cold without diluting it with ice?