Green smoothies, or at least the ones that include kale. I don’t like the taste of them. I don’t like the feeling of ‘suffering’ to be healthy because in all honesty, I just don’t find them delicious and I don’t see the point in yucky food because that’s where guilts, deprivation and binging will often come in. I also don’t feel like it sits well with me. It feels hard on my digestion and while experts are polarised on whether raw kale is a good thing or not, I believe it’s up to the individual to be empowered with their own decision making when it comes to how different foods make you feel. Give me kale in a soup, cracker, chip or stew and I am in love! This is definitely not a kale bashing, just a raw kale one. This is also not me telling you, you shouldn’t like it. I like this easy explanation about various ‘greens’ to add to green smoothies with weigh ups on benefits, from my friend Kate Johnston, nutritionist and naturopath.
This is such a perfect example of not obeying every piece of advice or health craze as if it were taking us to the promised land. This is YOUR health and wellbeing journey, not mine or any other health writer, Dr or practitioner’s. Your body always tells you the truth and it can take a long time to realise that you are your best guide as to ultimately whether something is working for you or not.
So, do I drink green smoothies at all? Yes! Here’s my favourite, gentle and delicious take on a green smoothie doing the rounds at my house at the moment.
Do you enjoy green smoothies? What are your favourite ingredients?
Read my post on what to watch out for when ‘drinking’ a meal or snack here.
Real Food. Happy Bodies.
Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 fresh coconut, flesh and water
- 1 big handful each of fresh mint, coriander and parsley
Instructions
- Place all in high powdered blend for at least 30 seconds, until very smooth and no chunks. (Thermomix Speed 9 30 seconds)
- Optional add ins are a tsp of a green super blend, linseeds and / or chia seeds or a tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll.
- Voila. Done.
Comments 17
Thank you for this – I completely agree with you. I hate the feeling of suffering to be healthy when there are so many really tasty healthy foods. I love adding fresh herbs to smoothies and think your idea with coconut sounds great. Will give it a go!
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health and suffering should never be in the same sentence. Makes no sense does it? You’re welcome Elizabeth 🙂
I’m hearing you Alexx!!! I love kale chips in the oven but raw kale just doesn’t gel with me at all…and coincidentally …I have thyroid issues too! I prefer baby spinach; parsley; mint and Microorganics green superfood. Great post 😉
My current favourite is baby spinach, ginger, mint, pineapple, orange, cucumber (and whatever else I may have that needs to be used so sometimes pear, sometimes celery) – tastes delicious, very tropical and kids also like it so win/win!
Totally true. Don’t follow the crowd. Do your own thing! I am not a fan of quitting sugar. I think some sugar is okay, just not that white stuff!
Yes, I love a green smoothie but with spinach and mint and banana and or mango. It tastes divine as all food should 🙂 I am a big kale fan – but in a lamb saag, where it belongs.
I love kale in smoothies!
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Carly we can totally still be friends 🙂
My favourite is 1C spinach, 1C coconut water (or water), bit of coconut oil, 1 banana, some frozen mango….think that is it (sometimes add chia seeds) – super yum!
I’ve put kale in a smoothie with cacao and coconut but much prefer it as chips (your recipe Alexx!) or in a stirfry with homemade satay sauce. I’ll be giving your green herby recipe a go for sure!
Totally agree Alexx. Raw kale in a smoothie is just plain revolting in my mind (& mouth)…:) Your recipe looks great. I’ll be adding it to my list.
I think Kale chips are REVOLTING … It’s like eating air! I have lightly steamed, pureed and frozen kale and pop an ice-cube size into mine and babas smoothies and its ok! Will definitely do baby spinach next time!
Great point and so true! It appears that there’s a bunch of new health crazes every year and people follow it blindly. You nailed it by saying it’s ‘…YOUR health and wellbeing journey, not mine…’.
I love green smoothies! But, only ones made using spinach or silverbeet and I can’t do kale in them either! While raw greens are fine with me I do know that not everyone can cope with them, some people I know lightly steam their greens and chill them before adding them to smoothies, but like you said it’s such an individual thing and not something everyone should do just because (insert popular ‘health gurus’ name here) says it is. We do drink them occasionally, but more than that we just eat real, wholesome food. Full stop. 🙂
I use frozen spinach or frozen peas in my smoothies with some sweet fruit and water and limes cucumber mint avocados. Mmm now I feel like one. My baby and big kids love them too. Kids don’t do yuck, so it’s gotta be yummy AND healthy.
My latest trick is a bunch of Kale in the thermomix, add enough filtered water to half cover….brrrr then pour into ice cube trays and shove in the freezer. Then when it comes to smoothie time, I just grab a few cubes and add it to my other ingredients. I do the same thing to celery, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple……and so on and so on. All stored in their own labelled zip lock bags.
SOOO EASY! and yesterday I added a splash of stevia. (yum!)
Well, I like no smoothie — fruit, green, or any other kind. I love fruits and vegies, but don’t give me goopy, running colored glop in a glass and call it YUM. Its YUK. but then I like no food the consistency of smoothies. No milkshake, no dips, no gravy, no greasy, milky or creamy sauces and dressings and other forms of yuk. Smoothies are just more yuk, like yogurt. I don’t even like ice cream that much unless it is very frozen and hard.