With this heat wave hitting us, the only thing we want to do is drink refreshing beverages. But the problem with that is that a lot of these items are loaded with empty calories which only promote weight gain and even can lead to diabetes. But you don't have to give up your sweet tooth if you opt for something better.
In fact, the summer time is when you should be taking advantage of eating all the different types of fruit and veggies that nature has to offer us. Sometimes we may not have a chance to make a meal specifically for those foods in mind, but there is always the option of having it as a smoothie …
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One of my favorite shortcuts to getting my fruit and veggie intake is by making green smoothies and combining fruits and veggies at once. It's a good way to start off the morning and believe it or not, a lot of these green smoothies give you energy to kickstart your day–sometimes better than your cafecito.
Instead of feeding your body fruit juices and energy drinks that have no nutritional value, take advantage of the fresh produce in your fridge and make yourself a yummy and healthy smoothie. There are many different ways to prepare them and you can include different ingredients to suit your taste. If you have no idea where to even begin allow us to be of some inspiration to you!
Check our favorite green smoothie recipes to quench your heat wave thirst!
Image via floridecires/Flickr
Green Morning Smoothie
You will love the refreshing and sweet taste of this smoothie in the morning. Not only is it chock-full of vitamins, but the combo of the peaches and mangos tastes like you're in paradise.
Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla almond, coconut or soy milk
1/2 cup whole oats
1 1/4 cups fresh, frozen or canned peaches, or mango cubes
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup baby spinach, loosely packed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas
Kale and Pear Green Smoothie
If you're willing to experiment with a green that isn't spinach, kale is another great option for the base of your smoothie. Combine it with a pear to naturally sweeten up the bitterness of the veggie and–voila!–you have a delicious summer treat!
__Ingredients:
__1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 cup green grapes
1 orange, peeled, halved
1/2 ripe Bartlett pear, seeded, halved
1 small to medium size banana, peeled
1 cup (70 g) kale
2 cups (480 ml) ice cubes
For the full recipe directions go to Vitamix.com
Double Green Smoothie
The best thing you can do when making a green smoothie is blending more than one green veggie together. You'll meet your daily vitamin quota easily and blended with the right fruits, it makes for a refreshing and nutritious beverage.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy beverage, such as almond, rice or soy
2 dried apricots or 4 pitted dates
1 banana
1 cup chopped kale leaves
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries
Get the full recipe directions at Wholefoodsmarket.com
Spinach Grape Coconut Smoothie
The taste of coconut in a smoothie makes the healthy drink taste almost sinful. Adding coconut milk to your green drink is a great way to get your healthy fats in, plus the added sweetness of the grapes and gives it a more tropical taste.
__Ingredients:
__1 cup seedless green grapes
1 cup packed baby spinach
1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup coconut milk
Green Julius
Remember how an Orange Julius tastes like a creamsicle? As delicious as it may be, it's full of sugar and not-so-good-for your ingredients. However, we found a way around it and surprise we found the Green Julius. It's full of veggies and a citrus flavor that you won't miss the original!
__Ingredients:
__2 cups of raw spinach
3 small ripe clementines
1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of skim milk
About 6 ice cubes
Get the full recipe directions at Greenlitebites.com
