It might be obvious where the term green smoothie comes from. It is simply a smoothie that includes lots of greens! So, the smoothie often turns out green in color. This may seem a little strange, as most of us think of yogurt, juice, and fruit when we think of a smoothie. The beauty of a green smoothie is that when you mix that yogurt, fruit, and juice with something green, such as fresh kale, you end up with a creamy and sweet smoothie where you barley even notice the greens. By making sure that you really blend your smoothie until all ingredients are well blended, you end up with a smoothie that is not at all chunky or gritty as you might expect when you throw in some fibrous plant material.
Popular leafy greens that are used in green smoothies include spinach, kale, parsley, lettuce, and chard. The fruit combinations you could use are nearly endless. Popular fruits (both frozen and unfrozen) include bananas (both for sweetness and creaminess), berries, apples, pears, melons, grapes, mangoes, pineapple, and oranges. Use a combination of 1 cup of greens to every 2 cups of fruit to start out. Add in some plain, low-fat yogurt and vanilla extract for extra creaminess and flavor, blend together and enjoy!
