Green smoothie
This is my go-to green smoothie recipe that I’ve been coming back to for years. Of course, it varies from time to time depending on what I have on hand. However, this a staple recipe that provides a blend of all key macronutrients: protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates and dietary fibre.
The foundations of a smoothie really depend on how you plan to incorporate it into your diet. If you’re looking for the smoothie to be a meal (i.e. breakfast or lunch), then it’s important to ensure all key macronutrients are covered. This is important for several reasons, however most notably, it will aim to stabilise your blood sugar levels for the remainder of the day. It will also act to ensure you are obtaining sufficient kilojoules and nutrients to meet your dietary requirements.
So that being said, let’s dive into my classic green smoothie recipe that you might like to enjoy for breakfast or lunch. Oh and one more thing! PLEASE remember to ‘chew’ your smoothie! This will allow your body time to produce the digestive enzymes it needs to break down specific nutrients. Nobody wants a bloated belly from whoofing down their smoothie.
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 small frozen banana
1 serve of vanilla protein powder
Approx 300ml of cold filtered water
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup of frozen zucchini slices
1 tbsp of nut butter or tahini
1 tsp of chia seeds
Method
Add half of the liquid and all remaining ingredients into the blender and blend on low.
Gradually add in more liquid as you increase speed.
You may need to pause and stir the mixture intermittently.
Blend until you have reached a thick and creamy consistency.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!
notes
The frozen banana provides a deliciously creamy texture; however, you can easily swap to your preferred fruit of choice.
I prefer to use a plant-based protein, however if you can tolerate dairy, whey protein is totally fine. Whichever you choose, aim to look for a few additives as possible.
You might like to swap out the filtered water for a plant-based milk or even coconut water. This will increase the kilojoule and potentially sugar content, which may be helpful for those with specific dietary goals.
I promise you won’t taste the frozen zucchini! It simply adds to the creaminess whilst also providing an additional serve of veg and dietary fibre.
Nut free? Replace with 1/4 of an avocado.
No spinach? Sub out for another other leafy green you have on hand.