All the cool kids are drinking these green smoothies, so I wanted in. The problem is, everything about the green drinks gross me out. The thought of blending LEAVES into my shake makes me queasy. I posted a photo of a green smoothie on my Facebook wall (created by Beyond Diet) which employed spinach leaves with banana. I started thinking I could toss some frozen spinach (good chilling factor) into my banana shake before bootcamp. I wanted to try it. And I almost did.
At the last moment, I chickened out. I didn't want to blend up an entire drink, using our last banana, and then discover it was horrifically disgusting. So I made a switch.
I also had a ripe avocado in the fridge. I am a huge lover of avocado, and it IS green, so I figured I could fudge my green smoothie just enough to make it palatable. Green, but not TOO green. Also the avocado adds some healthy fat to the shake. Since my yogurt is non-fat, this is a necessary component.
The final product came out VERY smooth, a delightful mint-green color, with a pleasant, subtle flavor. Nothing dramatic, sort of similar to the McDonald's mint shake for St. Patty's Day. Well, not in flavor, I'm sure. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe tossing some fresh mint leaves from my garden into a shake could work?
Anywho, here is the recipe I made this morning:
Banana Avocado Smoothie
One ripe banana
One quarter of a ripe avocado
4 ounces (about a half cup) Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened)
About a half cup of whole milk or water (to help blend)
Place all ingredients in blender and pulse several times. Then blend slowly until smooth and thick. If too thick, add another dash of milk or water.
At the last moment, I chickened out. I didn't want to blend up an entire drink, using our last banana, and then discover it was horrifically disgusting. So I made a switch.
I also had a ripe avocado in the fridge. I am a huge lover of avocado, and it IS green, so I figured I could fudge my green smoothie just enough to make it palatable. Green, but not TOO green. Also the avocado adds some healthy fat to the shake. Since my yogurt is non-fat, this is a necessary component.
The final product came out VERY smooth, a delightful mint-green color, with a pleasant, subtle flavor. Nothing dramatic, sort of similar to the McDonald's mint shake for St. Patty's Day. Well, not in flavor, I'm sure. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe tossing some fresh mint leaves from my garden into a shake could work?
Anywho, here is the recipe I made this morning:
Banana Avocado Smoothie
One ripe banana
One quarter of a ripe avocado
4 ounces (about a half cup) Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened)
About a half cup of whole milk or water (to help blend)
Place all ingredients in blender and pulse several times. Then blend slowly until smooth and thick. If too thick, add another dash of milk or water.
I have a green smoothie every morning. I use spinach or kale, pineapple or whatever fresh fruit I have on hand, coconut water, and sometimes POM juice. It's surprisingly tasty and makes me feel like I have a healthy start to the day. The first taste is all about conquering fear. :)
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