What should put in a green smoothie? Learn the answers to many questions, based upon your dietary needs. Fiber, carbs, and more play a roll in making a healthy protein shake. Which fruits contain the least amount of carbs? Which nuts are the best for you? What else besides fruit can you use to increase fiber? Get the answer to these questions and more, plus a great smoothie recipe to start your day off right!
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This morning when I opened up the frig to make my morning shake I saw some left over spinach and I though of her story. I decided to add some left over spinach to my shake. However, fresh is best, and if I would have some, I would have definitely used it over cooked spinach. Spinach is not the only green you may use in a green shake, though.
Why spinach? Spinach is the softest out of the greens. Other choices would be: kale, swiss chard, collard greens, or you may even add a little flat leaf (Italian) parsley with other greens. For additional nutrients, increase the amount of greens as your taste buds get used to the flavor.
Does the green need to be raw? Perhaps you have some left over cooked spinach in the frig as I did. Use may use it instead of raw, however, there will be less nutrients to absorb, as cooked most cooked vegetables lose some or half of their nutrients.
How do I get control of the fiber in my shake? If you desire less fiber, use flax oil, versus flax seed meal. Fruit is full of fiber. The higher fiber fruits include: apples, avocado, bananas, berries (blueberies, blackberries, raspberries, etc.), dried fruits: figs, raisins, apricots, dates, etc.), guava, kiwi, oranges, pears, and prunes.
Which fruits have the least amount of carbs? Berries are considered low carb fruit, and they’re full of antioxidants. See the chart** below for fruit carbohydrate counts.
| Passion Fruit (purple) 1 | 4 |
| Apricot (1 medium) | 4 |
| Lime juice (2 fl. oz.) | 5 |
| Strawberries, whole (½ cup) | 6 |
| Cranberries, raw (½ cup) | 7 |
| Papaya, cubed (½ cup) | 8 |
| Raspberries, raw (½ cup) | 7 |
| Plum (2 1/8”) | 7 |
| Honeydew Melon, cubed (½ cup) | 7 |
| Currants – red and white (½ cup) | 7 |
| Canteloupe, cubed (½ cup) | 7 |
| Blackberries (½ cup) | 7 |
| Currants, red or white, (½ cup) | 8 |
| Gooseberries, raw (½ cup) | 8 |
| Grapes, whole (½ cup) | 8 |
| Grapefruit, white (3-3/4” diameter) | 10 |
| Fig (medium) | 10 |
| Pineapple, fresh, cubed (½ cup) | 11 |
| Blueberries (½ cup) | 12 |
| Guava (½ cup) | 12 |
| Cherries, sweet, pitted (½ cup) | 12 |
| Tangerine (½ cup) | 13 |
| Kiwi (medium) | 13 |
| Peach (medium) | 14 |
| Date (1 medjool date) | 18 |
| Banana (1 medium) | 27 |
| Prunes, dehydrated & uncooked (¼ cup) | 30 |
What can I add that is good for water retention? Those who experience water retention, may benefit from adding a little lemon juice to their green smoothie. The next best thing to lemon juice is watermelon, when in season.
Why soak nuts? See my article on Why Soak Nuts, Grains, Beans, Peas, Before Eating? I like to use almonds, as they are lower in calories and contain less tannins* than higher antioxidant nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans.
Whether used as a breakfast shake or in smaller portions to get your kids to eat their veggies, this green shake is truly delicious and nutritious!
Ingredients:
- 1 whole organic fruit: banana, pear, berries, etc.
- 1 cup raw organic spinach (and/or kale)
- Nuts, soaked overnight (I used about 8-10 almonds.)
- 2 Tablespoons flax seed meal
- Turmeric, a few dashes
- Vanilla bean, just a tad (slit and scraped) (optional)
- Filtered water
- 8 ice cubes
Instructions:
- Add the first five ingredients to a blender. Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients, about 3/4 way. Blend until smooth.
- Add ice and blend again until smooth.
Tips
You may need less water when using pears, watermelon, or other fruit that has contains a higher amount of water/juice.
*Tannins are a yellow or brown bitter-tasting organic substance found in some plants and trees which some people are sensitive to. Besides nuts, tannins are found in bananas, beans, caffeine, chocolate, some cheeses, cinnamon, some ice creams, nuts, red wine, some sour creams, smoked foods, cigarette smoke, and fermented foods. Some of these items are known to trigger migraines.
**Statistics obtained from the USDA’s online National Agricultural Library.
This looks and sounds delicious. I once tried a really nice green smoothie that my mother-in-law had bought only to find out that it had some gluten plant in it (barley or wheat grass). It’s good to know that there is a gluten free alternative that should be just as healthy and yummy.