Wow, that didn’t last long. I started this blog a year and a half ago, and wrote one entry. Oops. A lot has happened since then–I grew a garden, got very sick and was diagnosed with CFS, found the love of my life (who I am marrying in 10 days!!!), got a new job that I adore, bought a house, and learned how to make healthy smoothies. All of these things will probably be mentioned at various times in my blog (I’m determined to make it more than a one-shot deal this time), but guess which one is going to be today’s topic? You’re right–the smoothies. 🙂
When I started getting really sick last year, it took a long time for the doctor to figure out what was going on, so there was a lot of testing and experimentation. One thing I tried was increasing my veggie and fruit intake, in the hopes that my illness was simply a vitamin deficiency (it’s not, but, hey, you can never have too many veggies and fruits in your diet). To that end, I started making fruit/veggie smoothies, usually with a kale base, because kale is an amazing vegetable with so many excellent properties, and it’s also gross. At least in my opinion. However, I found that, by adding a bunch of yummy stuff to it (my cure for every food I don’t like), you can have your kale and eat it too (or, in this case, drink it)! I really like smoothies for the kale, because you can drink them on the go (good for busy mornings).
I’ve been making various concoctions with kale for over a year now, and everyone who has seen them has been very curious. So, in the spirit of starting things at the new year, I’ve decided to do a year of smoothies and share them with you! Each recipe usually makes enough for 3-4 days, so I generally end up making a smoothie once a week (I drink them every day for however many days it lasts, then I take a break and have egg white french toast–I’ll post that recipe later–or some other breakfast option the other days of the week). So, without further ado, here is the recipe for Week One:
Kale Smoothie, Week One –
“Broccoli Citrus Delight” – makes four 20 oz servings
- 2 cups chopped raw kale
- 2.5 cups broccoli spears
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 cups orange juice
Notes on this smoothie: I mostly just taste the citrus, with a slight hint of broccoli. This one is thin enough to drink easily (some of my smoothies are pretty thick, and are more like milkshake consistency). The color is a blueish red (from all the berries). If you’re a blender and not a puree person (see below), be prepared that it’s very particle heavy (almost crunchy!). Finally, according to Weight Loss Matters exchanges, one 20-oz serving counts for 1.5 veggies, 1.5 fruit, and .5 milk.
General Smoothie Notes:
I have a Ninja blender I use that is pretty good at chopping up anything, so I just throw everything in the blender without worrying about chopping it up (the kale was only chopped because I can get a giant bag of chopped frozen organic kale for super cheap at Costco). However, if your blender is not super powerful, you may want to use a food processor on the veggies and fruits before throwing everything in the blender.
My veggies and fruits are a mix of frozen and fresh–it really depends on what I happen to have handy. I usually have frozen kale and berries, because I can buy them in bulk. I like using some frozen stuff, because it makes the smoothie nice and cold, but it isn’t required.
Depending on your blender, you can choose to puree the smoothie or just blend it. I like it blended–it freaks some people out because you can see flecks of all the different foods in the smoothie, plus the texture is rougher, but I like getting the fiber from the veggie roughage, so I blend. Use a puree setting if that kind of stuff grosses you out.
Okay, one post down for the year! Hopefully I can keep it up, and keep the smoothies rolling! Happy New Year, everyone!