Glimpse into the green smoothie!

I am an absolute green smoothie convert. They are delicious and pack so many nutrients into a quick drink. With my food intolerances, I find that they are awesome for breakfast or for afternoon tea (or both!). They give me something fresh and tasty, that isn't processed and full of sugar but is easy to prepare, and it can also be made to be a dairy free, egg free, wheat free, nut free and low in fructose meal!
My favourite fructose friendly smoothies so far are:


GREEN GOODNESS

Handful of spinach
3-4 big leaves of kale (choose the softer leaf; I find the curly kale doesn't blend too well)
1/4 big cucumber
A few sprigs of mints
A handful of blueberries or 4-5 strawberries
Juice of half a lime or lemon
Water
Ice


TROPICAL ZING

1-2 handfuls of spinach
1/4 big cucumber
A few sprigs of mint
A small handful of raspberries
A few chunks of fresh pineapple
Juice of half a lime
A tablespoon of melted coconut oil
A tablespoon of white chia seeds
Water (If you add rice milk -or whichever milk or milk alternative you prefer, instead of water, it makes this smoothie into a fresh sorbet style drink!)
Ice


BASIC BERRY

2 handfuls of spinach
2 handfuls of blueberries
Juice of half a lime or lemon
A tablespoon of melted coconut oil
A tablespoon of white chia seeds
Water
Ice

Throw all your ingredients into a blender, add more or less water depending on how thick you like it, and voila! A delicious hit of energy-giving nutrition! Since adding the chia seeds and coconut oil, I find that I am full for hours, and it really gives me extra bounce.
Remember to not drink it too quickly, as your body won't digest it as well because it doesn't involve the chewing process. :-)

You can place all your dry ingredients in a single serve in a zip lock bag or sealed container and put them in the freezer, then all you have to do is grab the bag, add your liquids and blend! 

If you blend up your drink for on the go, you can put it in the freezer for a little while, and by the time you're ready to drink, it will be cold and fresh (and won't have splashed and spilled its ways round your car!).

Also, once you blend the beautiful, fresh vegetables and fruit, they begin to lose their nutrients, so if avoidable, don't blend them up hours and hours in advance. But that being said, they do keep, and if the alternative is grabbing a quick processed vending machine snack, then of course a green smoothie blended before work is a much better alternative for when 3 o'clock-itis sets in!



Happy blending! x