In an effort to simplify and demystify the ever-popular Green Smoothie, today I am sharing my simple formula to The Perfect Green Smoothie! This simple approach works every time. I promise. The nice thing about this formula is the long list of possible flavor combinations and the ability to completely customize your green smoothie to what you have on hand and what you like best.

I like to think of my green smoothies as a chance to add some extra nourishing goodies into my day. Nutrients, vitamins and minerals, fiber, healthy fats or protein – the Green Smoothie is a great vehicle. The wonderful thing about any smoothie is, depending on the ingredients you choose, you can create a quick and simple on-the-go snack or if you choose to add more protein and healthy fats, you can create a more complete meal.

The Perfect Green Smoothie Formula

Greens:

Go Green Gradually: If adding greens to your smoothies is a new thing for you, start with fresh baby spinach or other baby greens and work your way up to heartier, more intense flavored greens. You might also considering starting with 1/2 to 1 cup and working your way up to larger amounts. I would say I generally use 2-3 loosely packed cups of greens per smoothie. I usually don’t measure, I just grab two massive handfuls and throw them in the blender.

On the rare occasion when I really want to give my digestion a break and I am looking for a milder flavor, I will opt for steaming my greens first, this is especially wonderful for more intense and hearty flavored greens, like kale or chard.

Go with whatever greens you like best and you can totally mix and match, blending multiple greens in your smoothie.

If you don’t have a high speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, I suggest adding the greens and liquid to your blender first and blending until the leafy chunks are gone. Next add the fruit and any other add-ins.

Liquid:

The sky is the limit when it comes to choosing your liquid in a smoothie. I find non-dairy milks provide a nice creamy and rich texture and often times extra protein and other valuable nutrients. Fruit juice is great with or in place of fruit, as a sweetness to offset the greens. Finally, if you add a lot of greens, fruits and other stuff to your smoothies, you can even simply opt for water.

As you guys already know, I prefer to make my own homemade nut milks whenever possible, almond or cashew milk being my favorites. Unfortunately, I know this isn’t always an option for some of you. I also personally don’t always have this luxury when I am traveling or when I am having an exceptionally busy week.

Silk brand non-dairy milks are my go-to option for non-dairy milks when I cannot make my own, their unsweetened Almondmilk and unsweetened Cashewmilk being my favorites. They are a wonderful choice for smoothies vs the alternatives. Dairy milk has more calories and does not add flavor. Juice can add sugar and calories without protein. Water/Ice does not enhance flavor, texture, or protein of your smoothies.

I like that I can trust Silk’s products to be plant-based, certified non-gmo, they are free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives and responsibly produced.

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Fruit:

Green smoothies are great on their own, but depending on the greens you choose, it may taste a bit harsh without some sweet stuff. I find adding a little fruit brings a nice sweetness and it’s great for texture, too. Berries are a really nice option, as they are low in sugar.

Any blend of fruits will be great. Have fun creating.

I personally always recommend adding a small amount of “creamy fruit” regardless of your blend, banana, 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado, mango, peach or pear. These fruits create that nice creamy, smooth texture we love providing that signature rich texture of a smoothie. I also find a handful of soaked cashews to create a nice creamy texture and it provides extra protein and healthy fat.

Skip the Ice:
Frozen fruit is a great way to chill the smoothie. I always keep unpeeled bananas in the freezer for smoothies. Mango, berries, grapes and pineapple are also great options for keeping your smoothies chilly. You can also fill an ice cube tray with your liquid options, non-dairy milk, juice, etc. Many times after I use the cream from a can of coconut cream for my whipped coconut cream topping, so I will take the remaining coconut water and pour it into an ice cube tray and use this later for smoothies.

Bonus Boosters:

When I am making my smoothie a complete meal rather than a snack, I opt for a healthy fat, to keep me full longer.

Superfoods and additional flavors are optional, but they are a tasty and nourishing way to offer a nutritional boost. The measurements depend on the ingredient and your personal preferences.

Take It Easy:
You don’t want to over blend your smoothie. Don’t walk away and let your blender go for several minutes, over blending can cause oxidation and nutrient loss.

Below is one of my favorite, simple go-to green smoothies. I make this when I am looking for a more complete meal, something that will keep me full and satiated, while still getting adding some healthy green stuff to my day and the tummy soothing ginger. It’s sweet, but not too sweet and it’s got the nicest hint of spicy goodness from the ginger.

[print_this]Creamy Ginger Green Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small servings

• 2 cups Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk or other non-dairy milk of your choice
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium-sized frozen banana
• 1/2 small avocodo, pit removed
• 2-3 Medjool dates, pits removed
• 2 scoops hemp protein powder or other protein powder of your choice (optional)

Add all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until thick and creamy. Add ice if you’d like to chill more.

Enjoy!

NOTES:

You can skip altogether or add more or less dates to your desired level of sweetness or opt for your favorite sweetener.

Hemp protein is optional, I like this when I am making my smoothie a meal. You can opt for your own choice or protein of leave it out

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This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.