You may have seen your colleague downing a glass of green liquid pulp and wondering why would any one drink that. Well, these green smoothies are a quick and easy way to get large amounts of fruits and leafy greens into your daily diet— and give your body the plant-based nutrients it craves, plus the benefit of getting the glow in your skin. And we promise you they are tasty and delicious! Instead of settling for your go-to strawberry-banana combo every time you need a cool and refreshing smoothie, try throwing some vegetables into your blender for a bigger beauty boost, inside and out.
Because of the bountiful amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in leafy greens help prevent inflammation, which can cause all sorts of skin issues from eczema to acne. Plus, vitamins such as C and E, carotenoids, lutein and other powerful phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables protect against cell damage that can cause wrinkles and even cancer.
1. Kiwi, Spinach & Avocado Smoothie
prevention.com
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups coconut water
1 cup spinach
2 kiwis, peeled
½ avocado, peeled
Directions:
Blend all ingredients well and add a scoop of plain or vanilla-flavored pea protein powder, for an even more filling and boosting drink.
2. Frozen Green Lemonade
eatingbirdfood.com
Ingredients:
½ cup chilled mint tea
½ cup spinach
½ cup or 2 leaves romaine lettuce
5 leaves mint
1 lemon, peeled
5 drops or 1 packet Stevia
1/2 cup ice
Directions:
Blend ingredients well. Then add additional half cup of ice and blend for a few more seconds, should you wish to modify consistency.
3. Green Swiss Chard Smoothie
johnstirton.com
Ingredients:
2 cups cleaned swiss chard, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped, firmly packed
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 Bartlett pear, core, stem and seeds removed
1 orange, peeled and quartered
2 bananas, peeled
1 teaspoon chia seed
¼ cup water
2 cups ice
Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender and process on low speed for 15 seconds, increase to medium speed, then high speed, and process for 45 more seconds or until well blended. The banana and pear must be ripe in any smoothie you make or it will not taste good. The orange needs to be completely peeled with the “pith” removed. The pith is very bitter and if you want small children to enjoy the smoothie, too, without added sugars, then this will make the end product sweeter along with the ripe fruit.
4. Immunity Green Smoothie
blendotherm.com
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut water
2 leaves romaine lettuce
½ green apple, such as Granny Smith
¼ cucumber
¼ avocado, peeled
½ lemon, peeled
½-inch slice fresh ginger
½ cup fresh parsley
1 serving probiotic powder or the contents of a probiotic capsule (follow instructions on the bottle)
3-4 ice cubes, optional
Directions:
Add all ingredients to the blender, except ice. If you have a high-speed blender you can leave the peel and core on the apple and cucumber. If not, you might want to remove them. Blend on high until all the ingredients have turned into a smooth liquid. Add ice cubes (if using) and blend for another 10 seconds. Serve and enjoy!
5. Kale, Pineapple and Coconut Milk Smoothie
1-ps.googleusercontent.com
Ingredients:
1 scoop Tera’s Whey Organic Bourbon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk or coconut water
2 cups baby kale or baby spinach
1½ cups chopped pineapple
1 ripe banana, frozen, broken into chunks
Ice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, making sure to put the liquids in first. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
Other than giving you the sexy skin you will love, other benefits include:
1. Natural energy booster to keep a little pep in your step in the morning.
2. Natural weight loss can be a happy side effect of gulping these in place of a typical breakfast
3. Packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. The phytonutrients in leafy greens boost your body’s immune system and keep it functioning properly.
