So first off, I find it funny that I’m over here writing about how much we love this green smoothie. Well, how much we love a green smoothie at all!? So please don’t read this and feel like it’s a pretentious ‘i drink green smoothies everyday’ kind of post when in reality what I do drink everyday, almost without fail, is hot chocolate. Oops. BUT. What I’ve been trying to tackle lately is being more on top of my energy, and I hope to talk a lot more about that in posts to come. I read recently that it’s easier to add in a good habit than take out a bad one, and about how when you start adding good ones and reaping the benefits of them, the bad ones start to look less appealing, and it naturally calibrates. I can get on board with that theory!
Callum and I are both working on this, and on working better habits and practices into our lives – and let me just say – that’s not easy. Not complaining over here, but my usual workday without any added extras is over 9 hours, and typically I have other work-related tasks that come at the end of the day and it very often stretches to the 10-11 hour range. It’s a given that busy schedules do drain us! I take comfort in knowing that this schedule won’t last forever, but for now, one of the things I’ve found to make a big difference is fuelling my body well for the day ahead. The increased energy that I feel throughout the day when starting with a good breakfast rather than just a quick bowl of cereal with a sprinkle of sugar… has been pretty astounding.
So about this smoothie. When I said to Callum, ‘let’s get ingredients for a really good, green smoothie’, he responded ‘nah, I don’t like the taste of grass’. Ha!! So let me tell you right now, this smoothie does not taste like grass (or spinach)! I actually like this recipe because you can tailor it to whatever tastes you like best. It’s become our go-to lately because it tastes GOOD! Also, I’m one of those ‘little bit of this, just enough of that’ kind of cooks, so I’ll do my best to approximate some measurements here for you.
OUR FAVOURITE GREEN SMOOTHIE:
1 c. fresh spinach
1/2 c. almond milk (or a dairy/non-dairy substitute)
1-2 bananas
1 tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/2 tbsp honey (or other sweetener. I often leave this out.)
1 serving protein powder (vanilla)
5-6 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients but the ice, blend until smooth. Remove lid and add ice cubes, then blend.
A few of our tips: adapt this to your taste preferences! I like the taste of peanut butter, but I’ve also tried it with almond butter for a more mild taste. If you like a thicker or thinner consistency, adjust the amount of liquid. You get the point – basically, make it yours! ALSO. If you are like us, and don’t have an automatic ice-maker, silicone ice cube trays like these are so much better than the hard plastic ones! Say goodbye to your ice cubes skidding across the kitchen floor when you pop them out!
The take-away – don’t be afraid of a green smoothie. I’m sure there are many other recipes out there that may incorporate even healthier ingredients, but this is a good place to start! Let me know what you think!