Our Daily Green Smoothie

We make daily green smoothies at our house, around lunch time (in addition to green juice 4-6 mornings a week) using our Vita Mix. We first started doing this for our extremely picky 3 year old, so he would get some good nutrition, without having to force him to eat the slimy & wet textures of fruits/veggies that he would burst into tears just looking at. So if we miss a day, it means that he isn't getting a really big part of his diet. Hence, we are committed to making this everyday, whenever possible. It also has been great for my husband and I- a sure way to get our daily nuts/seeds, omega 3s, probiotics, vitamin C, and of course all the fruits and veggies and protein.

Here is what our juice usually consists of (the measurements are approximate since we are always changing the kind of fruits & veggies we put in and we sometimes add the juice from our greens instead of the whole greens):

Our Green Smoothie:

(REVISED April 2014)

GREENS:

2-3 cups (tightly packed) leafy greens: spinach, kale, or collards (spinach blends a lot easier and is almost tasteless, so great for those not accustomed to green smoothies)

FRUIT:

2 cups frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)- we love mango & strawberries

1-2 bananas (for sweetness)

1/4 lemon (peeled & seeded)- lemons have so many health benefits!

OTHER VEGGIES:

2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)

or

a small wedge red cabbage

or 

1/4 cup chopped cucumber, zucchini, or asparagus or broccoli

NUTS/SEEDS:

1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons source of Omega 3s (ground flaxseed, chia seed, or hempseed)

LIQUID:

2 cups water, almond milk, or coconut milk

EXTRAS:

- Protein powder: 1 scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand) (my husband likes extra protein, but I don't add to mine or my kids) 

- Probiotics: 2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)

- Extra Vitamin C: 3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg) (I try to add more Vitamin C to our diet after reading Dr. Andrew Saul's book "Doctor Yourself" and learning about the research showing diseases being cured with high levels of Vitamin C.)

ORIGINAL POST (Nov. 2013):
Our Green Smoothie:
1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower/pumpkin/sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 big handfuls greens (spinach, collards, or broccoli usually)
2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)
1/2 cup frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)
1-2 bananas
scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand)- added to adults' smoothies
2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)
3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg)
water- enough to get desired consistency

** This smoothie is guzzled by 2 adults and an almost 4 year old (our 14 month old gets a slightly different smoothie you can see here).

Yummy Salad Ideas

I just wanted to share something I've been doing recently that is working out pretty well. Every day in the morning, I make a different type of main-course salad for my husband to bring to work and for me to eat while he's gone. This helps me because it's hard to make my own food when I have 2 hungry kids wanting me to make theirs. And it helps my husband have something healthy to eat at work instead of grabbing the easiest thing possible. It also ensures that the salad he eats is healthy and not drenched in creamy caesar dressing. :)

I put them in a Ziploc container, and keep in the fridge until it's time to eat. Then when it's meal time, I simply grab it out of the fridge, and then and I can focus on my kids' meals.

Here are our current 5 favorite salads:

BBQ Chicken-less Salad
(I mix together all ingredients except for lettuce, and coat with BBQ sauce, then place BBQ mixture on top of the lettuce, so we can mix together when ready to eat)

Zesty Avocado Salad 
(I add beans to this too, and then place the avocado salad on top of a big bed of greens)

Taco Salad: Rice & beans seasoned with taco seasonings (mostly cumin, and a little garlic and cayenne pepper), lettuce, tomatoes, and lots of freshly made guacamole (avocado, tomato, lime juice, salt, cilantro...or for easy guacamole, just mashed avocados mixed with salsa) and/or salsa, topped with organic corn chips (I put the rice and beans in a separate container, so we can add to our salads when ready)

Spinach- Strawberry Salad: Spinach, sliced strawberries, craisins, topped with chopped raw almonds, with a dressing of red wine vinegar, agave, olive oil, and lemon juice
(Note: Since this isn't the most filling salad, we will usually have a side of whole grain pasta with marinara sauce, or quinoa)

Garden Salad: lettuce, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, and a creamy non-dairy dressing such as Annie's organic Goddess dressing (soy based)
(Note: Since this isn't the most filling salad, we will usually have a side of whole grain pasta with marinara sauce, or quinoa)