Green Smoothie Basics

I have to be honest, I am a terrible eater, I am addicted to sugar and I don't love my veggies.  Yikes, can't believe I just admitted that.  However, I have to find ways around my bad habits and cravings to trick my tongue into believing we are having a treat.  So one of my go to "treats" is a green smoothie, and me the veggie hater loves them!  I get asked a lot what I put in them, or how to make them so I thought I would give you all the run down and basics of how I make a green smoothie.

First off you want to have a liquid so everything will blend, I usually choose from the following and use about a cup: (I will also add in the juice of about 1/2 a lemon)

• Water
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Berry flavored aloe vera juice
• Coconut water
• Almond Milk (usually this is rare for me)

Then you want to choose your greens and/or veggies, I usually choose from the following, and use 2-5 fist fulls:

• Baby Spinach (this is my favorite, and usual go to green, because it has a more mild taste)
• Kale (this is a strong taste and one I have to build up to)
• Mixed greens
• Beet Greens
• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Celery
• Beets

If I haven't pre-made and frozen a bunch in advance I will usually mix these together to get my greens/veggies a really good blending.

I then add my fruits to sweeten things up and cover the veggie taste, I usually use about a cup of frozen fruit of any variety, my favorite is the tropical blend, but I have used all kinds of frozen fruits, and I sometimes will throw in an apple, pear, banana or anything else that I might need to get used up before it goes bad.

I then add in some healthy fats from the following, just a bit here, I usually do a TBSP of most of these, think thumb sized portion, but I will do a bit more avacado:

• Chia seeds
• Ground flax seeds
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Coconut oil
• Avacado (this makes it really creamy and delish!)

I then mix it all together, and believe it or not my youngest is always fighting me for some!  This is perfect for me in the mornings, or if I get a sweet craving during the day.  Be careful and measure as you can add up quick calories with smoothies. 

If I am doing strength workouts or following The Zone, trying to keep my blood sugar level, or playing game on diet I will add in a bit of protein as well, I have done greek yogurt or protein powders, I really like the one from DoTERRA, and the one from www.tryabouttime.com, or I will pair my smoothie with a boiled egg or something so I am giving myself a well rounded meal.

My go to favorite is
1 cup Berry flavored aloe vera
3-4 fist fulls of spinach
2 tsp Chia Seeds
1 cup Frozen tropical fruit mix
1 scoop Vanilla DoTERRA Trim shake.

What smoothies have you put together that you really enjoy?

Here are a few items I like