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!