Ode to the Green Drank

I never thought I would be one of those disgustingly healthy people who started their day with a salad in a beverage. Those people were too extreme, too dedicated. They also believed in colonics and loathed cupcakes.

Well, I’ve turned into one of those people. Granted I don’t want my insides purged with a hose and I still adore fluffy sugary things, but I’ve had a smoothie for breakfast almost every day since I’ve been on the farm.

It started with my housemates, who showed me that the taste of leafy greens can magically be disguised with enough fruit and other tasty things. Then I read Kris Carr’s book, Crazy Sexy Diet and decided to give it a shot. If a weird concoction can give me ridiculous amounts of energy, prevent cancer, and make me look fabulous, I might as well try it. When in Rome, right?

I’ve been hooked ever since. There’s something about starting your day with a good serving or three of vegetables. You feel empowered. You want to wear a gold star on your shirt like “look at me! I ate veggies for breakfast and liked it!” Plus it’s perfect for summer. On a bright sunny day you don’t want to be bogged down first thing by white floury things and too much sugar. You want to feel light and airy and drink something icy cold.

If you want more scientific reasons to try green dranks, here ya go: leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine, swiss chard, mixed salad greens) are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. They are a great source of non-dairy calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C.  And they contain carotenoids that may help protect against macular degeneration and folate to guard against heart disease and cancer. Popeye was onto something.

But if you just skipped the nutritional jargon, just know that these shakes just make you feel awesome. It’s as simple as that.

So…how do you make a green smoothie without grimacing with every sip?

Start with something green. I like spinach best because it has a really mild taste. But if you want to be adventurous, kale is an even healthier choice.

Next I like cucumber, about ½ . Peel it, it’ll taste better. Maybe throw in some celery or romaine.

Next for the fun part. Fruit! Bananas are really sweet so they’re great if you’re just starting out with this whole green drank thing. Berries are great too. Go with the frozen kind.

Want to stay full until lunch? Make sure to add protein. Nut butters are great, so are non-dairy milks, especially soy milk.

Finally, make it sweet! I love adding raw cacao powder, cinnamon, and agave or stevia. It tastes much more like a milkshake this way.

My go-to recipe for delicious green gooddness:

- 2 handfuls of kale or spinach

- ½ peeled cucumber

- Non-dairy milk

- Almond butter

- Agave

- Cinnamon

- Ice

- Banana

- Raw cacao powder

Give it a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.