Lemon Apple or Raspberry Banana Green Monster Smoothie (and 5 Reasons to Drink Green Smoothies)

These healing smoothies are stuffed full of greens, and antioxidant-rich berries and lemons. They are especially for those bringing healing foods into their diet. I love them! Full fat coconut milk makes it creamy and delicious, but it also helps aid in the absorption of nutrition (Read: Fat and the absorption of vitamins). I personally love the flavor of lemon in the Lemon Apple smoothie, and it helps balance any bitterness from the greens. Plus, read about all of the health benefits of lemons here. Healing smoothies like these have been an important part of my diet since I got sick months ago, and I definitely felt the lack when I tried cutting them out.

I find that green smoothie drinking is somewhat frowned upon in the real food, slow food, Nourishing Traditions crowd. It’s true that smoothies weren’t available to our ancestors, but I have no problem using a blender if it will help me heal and energize me!

Here are five reasons that you might want to consider including them into your routine. Just remember that we are all unique, and you should add in what works best for you.

Green smoothies up your vegetable intake

I have long known that I feel significantly better when eating a lot of vegetables. The Wahls protocol has also inspired me to get a lot of produce into my daily diet. But I’m not going to lie – It can be hard to consume the amount that makes me feel best. This is especially true when you are healing or deal with chronic health issues. But it’s also true for those of us with busy lifestyles, work schedules, or kids! Consuming lots of greens in your smoothies is an easy way to enjoy the benefits of a high vegetable diet. 

Help you consume antioxidant rich berries

Blueberries, wild blueberries, and raspberries are easily accessible and offer a lot of antioxidant support. This is so important for fighting inflammation and it’s best to get antioxidants from food not supplements (read more why here PDF). They also add fiber and nutrition and are wonderful foods to keep in your diet on a regular basis. The lemon apple smoothie offers support through the lemon and apple too.

Green smoothies are FAST

I love the slow food movement, and I have a chicken slowly roasting over a bed of vegetables in my oven right now, but I love foods that are fast too. I recognize that I need fast things at least sometimes, and you probably do too.

Green smoothies are easy to digest

As many have experienced with Lyme disease, or mold exposure, and many other gut disturbances, digestion can be easily upset. Some find that they have to only consume well cooked vegetables. In my case, I also find smoothies are especially easy on my stomach. It’s been a huge blessing for me during months when everything I ate felt heavy in my stomach – with the exception of smoothies.

Green smoothies can be enjoyed on the go

And by the go, I don’t just mean taking them in the car. I like that I can be sipping on my smoothie slowly while helping a child with homework, or doing housework. I think we overall do need to slow down and eat slowly. But for someone like me, I’m thankful I can sip my way through my smoothie in my own time.

Tips for these recipes:

• When you need a lot of extra nutrition, you can make a double portion, put most of it in a eight cup mason jar in the fridge, and enjoy it slowly throughout the day. Most days I fill my Vitamix container to the top with greens.
• This is a STRONG green drink at the full amount of greens. Play around with what you personally tolerate.
• Make it sweeter by using some apple juice, cut down on the greens if they are too strong for you, or try more mild greens like baby lettuce.
• I do use a high powered blender (I recently switched to the Vitamix and love it!). You can also use a regular heavy duty blender, but you will likely have to adjust the recipe a bit (more liquid, less to blend, etc).
• You can precook certain greens, as desired, and then freeze them in an ice cube tray instead of using raw. (You can read more about this issue here). I personally have decided not to worry about it too much and just rotate my greens.
• For best taste, or if you are using nonorganic lemons, you can peel the lemon before slicing. Also, do this if you aren’t using a high powered blender.

Ingredients:

• • I love using this coconut milk or coconut cream.
  • Organic vanilla extract
  • For added protein, you can add this gelatin.

Lemon-Apple Green Monster Smoothie

PDF for printing

• 2-4 cups of greens of choice (I rotate through baby spring mix, “power mixes” of greens, and spinach)
• 1 large apple, cored, and cut into pieces.
• 1 slice of lemon (seeded, and peeled, see notes above).
• 1 cup of liquid + more as needed (I usually mix coconut cream or full fat coconut milk with water for this, or have used coconut water and/or kombucha, which also adds sweetness. Apple juice or part apple juice would make this a lot sweeter, but use in moderation. You can also add a half or whole banana, which does change the taste.)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional
• 2 handfuls of ice

Add all of the ingredients to a high powered blender, and blend until frothy and smoothie. Scrape down the sides and add more liquid as needed. Make sure that the texture is smooth!

Enjoy

Raspberry-Banana Green Monster Smoothie

• 2-4 cups of greens of choice (I rotate through baby spring mix, “power mixes” of greens, and spinach).
• ½ cup of frozen raspberries
• ½ – 1 frozen banana (or fresh)
• 1 cup of liquid + more as needed (I usually mix coconut cream or full fat coconut milk with water for this, or have used coconut water, which also adds sweetness. Apple juice or part apple juice would make this a lot sweeter, but use in moderation.)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional
• Small handful of ice

Add all of the ingredients to a high powered blender, and blend until frothy and smoothie. Scrape down the sides and add more liquid as needed. Make sure that the texture is smooth!

Enjoy

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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