A spring full of smoothies

Sure, smoothies are awesome!  They are cool, fruity, delicious and pretty healthy!  And with spring produce stands and farmer's markets just around the corner, I think it's time to start thinking smoothies!  So I started to experiment with this idea for getting a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to adding a smoothie to your regular routine.

I started with wanting to add extra fruits and veggies into my diet and something my kiddos would love, also.  Using things like a handful of spinach, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, a dash of ground cinnamon and 100% orange juice works great to get some additional nutrients.  We do a lot of homemade popsicles with these ingredients.  From there, I decided to experiment with a wide variety of ingredients and came up with this mixture that is very tasty, packed with healthy and organic fruits and veggies....and the nutritional value is off the charts!

And as a side note, smoothies aren't just for Vitamix people :)  Though a Vitamix is at the top of my wishlist, I have a simple Cuisinart Blender that I picked up years ago from Target.  It does remarkably well with how often I use it (at least daily) and what I put it through :)  So for those of you that don't have a Vitamix, consider pouring in the juice (or green tea for this mixture) first.  Then add the greens and mix on the highest setting for about 1.5-2 minutes.  Then add the fruits and soft veggies and mix for another 2 minutes. Under 5 minutes for a super-healthy smoothie is pretty awesome.

Here is my mixture of choice:

2 handfuls of spinach*
1 large leaf of chard (any variety)*
1 roasted beet (optional...I love beets!)
1/2-3/4 c. frozen blueberries
1 c. fresh/frozen pineapple
2/3 c. grapes (any variety)
1 ripe banana
1 c. 100% orange or cranberry juice (both are great in this one)
1 c. cooled green tea
1 c. ice (if your blender can handle ice...if not, freeze your fruit)

*Other options for greens:  watercress, Italian parsley, kale, Romain or another lettuce variety, mustard greens, celery greens....most are pretty good (some stronger than others)

**Also, for a sweeter and more filling touch...add 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt, 1 tbsp honey and some cinnamon...this is my kids favorite variety of this one. 

Blend....and cheers!

HANDY TIP:  If you have leftovers...pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze.  Then add a cube or two to your future smoothies.