What I Put in My Green Smoothies

26th January 2015

Green smoothie before blendingGreen smoothie before blending

For about the past 8 months or so we have been making and enjoying regular green smoothies. I bought a Breville Blend-Active Blender, which is less than £25 and a total bargain in my opinion. I would love a Nutri-bullet but they are expensive so I was very happy to find the Breville which gets great reviews. We have found it really easy to use and the cups that come with it are great. I love that (as opposed to my juicer) there are only three parts to wash after use; the blade, the cup and the lid. It means that I use it way more than my juicer, which I do love, but it’s a lot more work making a juice rather than a smoothie.

Breville Blend-Active Blender

I try to have a smoothie at least a few times a week, and I usually have it for my breakfast. I was getting a bit slack with making them regularly, even though they are easy enough to make. So I have just started making two at a time so that I have one ready-made for the next day. It means they are not quite as good for you as you are not consuming them straight away, but I think better that than not having one at all.

I tend to stick with the same ingredients as they are what we have in the house and generally quite cheap but I do mix it up a little bit sometimes and I also really enjoy just a banana and almond milk smoothie for a quick snack.

Here is what I put in my green smoothies:

Frozen Spinach: I put a couple of chunks of spinach in. I sometimes use fresh if we have some in, but having frozen means that I don’t have to worry about it going off and wasting it.

Water: I put quite a bit of water in so that is not too thick.

Coconut Water: Sometimes I put a bit of coconut water in and a bit less water than usual.

Chia Seeds: I put a couple of teaspoons in to my smoothies. Chia seeds are full of nutrients and a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fibre. They can boost energy, aid digestion and lower cholesterol. (I have read something about needing to build up the amount you consume when you start eating chia seeds, so please check that out if you haven’t had them before.)

Coconut Oil: I put about a teaspoon or so in. If you put more in then I think you do notice the taste but it doesn’t bother me, the boy doesn’t really like being able to taste it though. Coconut oil has loads of benefits; it is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. It also has antioxidant properties and it helps in the absorption of other minerals. (I have a post coming soon about all the different ways I use coconut oil.)

Banana: I usually chop up one banana and add that.

BodyMe Super Energy Mix: I did a review on this here. It contains loads of superfoods such as acai, lucuma, baobab and guarana, and is a great source of vitamins and minerals, and a source of energy.

Wheatgrass Powder: Wheatgrass is a natural source of vitamins and antioxidants including vitamins A, C, E, and minerals manganese, zinc, magnesium and iron.

Flaxseed: I put a couple of tablespoons in. Flaxseed (also called linseed) is a rich source of nutrients, vitamins and a good source of omega-3.

Moringa Powder: I have about a teaspoon in my green smoothie. This is also full of good stuff and can boost energy and increase concentration, as well as loads of other benefits.

I don’t put an exact amount of any of these things I tend to just throw some of everything in. I sometimes put a small handful of raspberries or blueberries in if I have some, but I don’t feel like I need the sweetness. Occasionally I’ll put a bit of kale in if we have some in, and a bit less frozen spinach.

The great thing about smoothies is that you can just throw all sorts in depending on what you have in the house and get loads of health benefits. I’m not worried about the taste as long as it’s good for me and I think the banana stops it tasting too ‘green’ but if you need a bit more sweetness (I’m sweet enough! 😉 you can always add a bit more fruit or a bit less green stuff, at least until you get used to it.

I get most of my ingredients from Amazon as that is where I have found them to be cheapest. I get chia seeds, the powders, Flaxseed and coconut oil (I get Lucy Bee’s) all from there. Some of them seem quite expensive at first but I find that most of them last me ages and I think it is worth spending a bit more on your health.

Do you have smoothies or juices? What do you put in them if you do? I’d love to find more great things to add to mine.

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23 responses to “What I Put in My Green Smoothies”

  1. Spidermummy says:

    Wow that couldn’t sound any healthier! I’ve never heard of chia seeds though, I’ll have to look into that one! x

    • Chia seeds are really good for you and you can throw them in to loads of different things like porridge too. I love healthy things that are really easy to do so these smoothies are perfect for me 🙂 Thanks for commenting x

  2. I have a green smoothie every day too- love them! I must get some chia seeds 🙂 x

  3. Tried juicing using the processor. Its nice but its amazing how much you need to make a glass! My fave is always young coconut and celery and lots of spinach =)

    #sharewithme

    • Yes, you do need a lot for juicing. In smoothies though I add quite a lot of water and I find that you don’t need loads of other stuff to make it a good size. That sounds good, I love fresh coconuts x

  4. jenny says:

    This is fantastic as I am big on juicing not so big on cleaning the big juicing machine. I love that you can blend and have it in the drinking cup at the same time. Some of my juicing recipes wants me to juice some fruit blend the rest all together and it dirtiest a lot of things just for a healthy breakfast or afternoon drink. You have so many great recommends to put in my juicing/smoothies I will have to make a list of them and check them out on amazon. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme

    • Thank you for having me! I’m exactly the same; I wasn’t using the juicer enough because it is a bit of a pain to wash so the blender means that I have them a lot more regularly. I do want to have more juices though because I do love them x

  5. Love the look of this juicer!
    I oughta drink more juices and smoothies!!

  6. Emma T says:

    I have a nutribullet and love it. However because I’m on warfarin I struggle with the green side of things because I can’t have too much of that (plus kale is revolting when in a drink – although I like it cooked as a veg – odd), plus I can’t have much mango, blueberries or grapefruit. So it limits what I can have.

    I must get a lid for my cups though – for some reason they weren’t included in the pack I bought – then I can take them to work for my breakfast.

    I sometimes put in nuts and avocado’s good as a banana alternative. I do have some chia seeds, but haven’t used them yet. And have just ordered some sunflower and hemp seeds to start using as well.

  7. HonestMum says:

    Now need to buy this-I need healthy smoothies in my life. Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts x

  8. I utterly love my smoothies. I make green ones from cucumber, celery, spinach, apples and blend with avocado. That Breville looks great! I have a similar one with my Kenwood – although it is getting a bit battered and bruised now so I will keep my eye out for this. Thank you for linking to #PoCoLo x

  9. This is the perfect post for me to read today! I am trying to sort my diet out as I’ve been eating far too much rubbish this month. I’ve been thinking about getting a nutri bullet too and have already got some chia seeds to put on my porridge! Love your recipe ideas, thank you x. #sundaystars

  10. Richard says:

    This is a great posts, I’d drink most things but the sound of this smoothie may push me to my limit, only joking it sounds fab and really healthy. I’d much rather drink something healthy than eat it. I found you through #BrilliantBlogPosts

  11. Karen says:

    Love the idea of spinach in a smoothie. My hubby makes a nice one with lots of fruit – the thing that gives it a real lift is lemon and lime juice!
    Thanks for joining in with #SundayStars

  12. I love smoothies, but I prefer fruit ones! Green is not my colour 🙂 Thanks for linking up to #TheList x

  13. I love a good smoothie. I also have the breville active, wouldn’t be without it now!! #bloggingtojogging

  14. O blimey, that looks o so very healthy! Nice one! #bloggingtojogging

  15. MummaG says:

    Might have try this one but substitute the banana as unfortunately they give me belly ache 🙁

  16. Gabby says:

    I have a Breville Blender also and I love it! I have been having a smoothie or shake everday so good to read about the things you put in yours for some inspiration. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  17. I do love Spinach – adding it in a smoothie would be perfect. Need to look into the Breville Blender – seems a few people have them and it would certainly help with my health kick! #WeightLossWednesday x

  18. Great post! I have some maca powder that I put in my smoothies, and also pea protein. Maca is one of those magical superfoods that does all sorts of fab stuff. Also sometimes cucumber.
    Also have you tried spirulina? It’s an acquired taste, but it’s really great for you!

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