Viva La Green Revolution!
If you’ve been following my blogs, you will know about my obsession with green smoothies and how I consume one daily. I can still remember the day I had my very first smoothie (about a year ago). It tasted refreshing, and was incredibly invigorating! I wish I had discovered this a lot sooner. From then till now, I have made huge changes to how I make and consume smoothies. I would like to share with you 3 of my favorite recipes that have had a huge impact on my health.
Why Go Green?
Before I share with you 3 of my favorite low carb green smoothies, I would like to touch on why green smoothies are the best smoothies!
- Greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and watercress are rich in nutrients such as Vitamin A, C, E, K, B5, Iron, Calcium, and even dietary Fiber (according to SELFNutritionData). I am not going to go into the details of how important it is to obtain these essential vitamins and minerals (that could be an entire blog post on its own!).
- Preparing a green smoothie is almost as easy as making microwave popcorn! Give your greens a quick rinse, toss them in a blender with some water and off you go.
- They have low carbohydrate content. This is great because you get all the nutrition with very little carbs as a result.
What You Need To Make A Killer Green Smoothie
It’s quite simple to make a potent, nutritious green smoothie. All you require is a blender that’s able to extract all the goodness from the greens. Now, there are tons of choices here so I won’t bother going into much detail about what you should get. However, I’ll tell you what I use on a daily basis to achieve the same consistent smoothie time and again: The Magic Bullet Nutribullet. If smoothies are all you desire, then this Is all you should ever require. There are high end blenders (Vitamix is one example) that do butters and soups that cost a fortune! Personally speaking, I don’t care for them and you shouldn’t either if all you’re looking to make are smoothies!
***CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON***
2 really cool things I love about the Nutribullet:
- Maintenance – It’s actually easy to wash and maintain! I can’t overstate this. Cleaning the blade, and cup takes about one minute. This is perfect for when you’re in a rush.
- Storage – Easy to store and not at all bulky. It’s not heavy and doesn’t take a ton of space like some other blenders. And it looks kind of cool too!
My 3 Favorite Low Carb Green Smoothies
The recipes below are measured for the tall cup that comes standard with the Nutribullet. If you are using a different blender or require a different quantity, simply adjust the recipes accordingly to match your needs. Add water as required.
Recipe #1:
Spinach: 100 grams of freshly rinsed spinach. Make sure you add a hearty serving!
Kale: 2 full branches of leafy kale should be enough. I also add the remaining stems in the mix.
Blackberries: 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of blackberries will help mask the flavor of kale and spinach. Since blackberries are low carb, you can indulge a little to suit your needs.
Chia Seeds: 1 tablespoonful of chia seeds to ensure you stay full for longer. The health benefits of chia seeds could be described in an entire post (or two!). Here’s a cool post I found that talks about the benefits of chia seeds.
Recipe #2:
Watercress: 100 grams of freshly rinsed watercress. This is another leafy green that is jam packed with nutrients and vitamins. Its low caloric value makes it a favorite ingredient for my low carb green smoothies.
Collard Greens: 2 stalks of collard greens including the stems should suffice.
Raspberries: 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of raspberries for taste.
Flax Seeds: 1 tablespoonful of flax seeds to top it all off. Flax seeds are low in carbs. Read more about the nutritional benefits of flax seeds here.
Recipe #3:
Spinach: 100 grams of freshly rinsed spinach.
Kale: 2 full branches of leafy kale including stems.
Broccoli: 1/4 to 1/2 a cup full of broccoli.
This last recipe is for those who are little more experienced with juicing and smoothies. Warning: This recipe may not please your taste buds! When I make this recipe, I chug it down as quickly as possible. I recommend you do the same!
I hope you enjoy the above mentioned recipes. Finally, I do encourage you to speak with your physician prior to consuming smoothies regularly. I can’t overstate the benefits of consuming a smoothie at least once a day. I have seen firsthand the improvements in various areas of my life: improved sleep, better digestion, and an overall feeling of being more active throughout the day. The best part about being part of the smoothie revolution is that you can tailor your smoothies according to your needs and desires. I find it’s always fun to experiment and add different ingredients (turmeric, ginger, cinnamon maybe?). If you do low carb green smoothies differently, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts and maybe try out some of your recipes!
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, please let me know. Here’s to your health and mine! Cheers!
I am not a fan of kale, spinach, and broccoli, but I imagine it would be easier to tolerate in the form of a beverage which you could chug down. Could I add a couple more fruits (and even yogurt) into the mix? I want to mask the flavor of the greens as much as possible. Interesting read…..
Albert,
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my post. You could definitely add more fruits if you please, but I’d be sure to check the carb content on anything you add. Tracking this information will help you in the long run. The same applies for yogurt (check the calories and carb content). I hope this answers your question. Cheers!
This sparked my interest as I have been seriously thinking about adding green smoothies to my daily diet for a while now. The taste is what really puts me off though. What’s your trick to getting so used to it?
I also think your point about the Nutribullet being easy to clean and maintain is super important. I have been put off blenders in the past by them having so many fiddly bits to clean and put back together. Finally, thanks for sharing your recipes and what works for you.
Tara
Thanks for reading Tara. My trick to not being put off by the taste is by consuming the smoothies every single day without exception. My taste buds are now used to how it tastes and so it doesn’t bother me all that much. If you drink it really quickly, it will be a lot easier also. I’d suggest you follow recipes 1 & 2 (with fruits) before jumping in to recipe 3 right away. I hope this answers your question. Cheers!
I am currently eating low carb foods but I haven’t started the smoothies just yet. I especially like your suggestion of including Chia seeds as they have a tendency of making you feel “more fuller”. Great post and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading and dropping a comment, Wendy. I am glad you enjoyed the post. If you have any questions, please let me know. Cheers!
I am more concern on how these recipes would taste. Out of the three, which one do you like the best? And for that Nutribullet, is that dishwasher safe? I could use that for making other smoothies.
Hi Von,
Thanks for reading. My favorite recipe is probably number 3 because it really is just a green smoothie and nothing more! It tastes the worst though which is why I recommend you start off with fruit recipes if you are only just beginning. The manufacturer recommends to NOT place the blades in the dishwasher as it could potentially damage the gaskets. I hope this answers your questions. Thanks again for reading Von! Cheers!
I’ve made smoothies using lemongrass and watercress and the taste wasn’t too bad. I actually kind of liked it. I guess your point about trying recipes 1 & 2 first before jumping straight to 3 is probably not such a bad idea especially if you are fussy about the taste. How long have you had your Nutribullet for and does it still work just as good from when you bought it?
Thanks for reading Rosa. I recommend that you start with something that is more manageable and not difficult. If you start with just greens, it’s easy to see how you would quit altogether. Better to start somewhere, even if that means adding a little more fruit than you should be. I’ve had my Nutribullet for just about a year now, and no issues thus far (touch wood!). Cheers!
You mention that you have been having green smoothies for about a year almost….what are some of the major differences you have noticed in your life after adding green smoothies to your diet? How do you feel now compared to back when you were not having smoothies?
Hi Tony,
That’s a great question and thanks for reading. I know this may sound a little clichéd, but some of the benefits I’ve experienced as a result of having a smoothie daily include better sleep (and as a result I feel more energetic), better awareness (I’ve especially noticed this at work), reduced acid reflux (this is almost completely gone!), and just an overall sense of feeling great and alive. When I never used to have smoothies, I had lots of acid reflux (almost every day), and got colds more often. I hope this answers your question. Let me know if you have more questions. Cheers!
I’m always looking to try new smoothie recipes and in particular low carb content is a must for me. Interesting suggestion about potentially using turmeric, ginger and the rest. I wonder how good or bad a smoothie would taste with these extra additions!
Danelle, thanks for visiting, reading and dropping a comment. To be honest, I don’t think the smoothie would taste any better by adding turmeric, or ginger even. I’d still want to try it out though, especially knowing all the health benefits that come from turmeric! Cheers!