With spring being widely regarded as the natural detox season Valerie McKen shares her favourite green smoothies recipes to cleanse and refresh our bodies from the inside out.
With warmer weather comes the urge to switch from a hot beverage to a summer-inspired drink that’s cool, refreshing and nourishing. Smoothies are not only delicious but full of nutrients that gently cleanse the body whilst leaving you feeling energised all day.
The best smoothies are green, packed full of natural, leafy, fresh vegetables and fruits, it’s the best way to give yourself a regular, gentle detox. Smoothies provide an excellent way to eat your daily quota of veggies all in one go. Raw vegetables are also a higher source of proteins than when they’re cooked. All you need is a blender to enjoy home-made smoothies anytime cheaply.
Read on for my favourite green smoothies.
All The Greens
Ingredients
Spinach 2 cups
Kale 3-4 whole leaves
Swiss chard 2 cups
Dairy free milk 2 cups
Avocado ½ cup
Medjool dates 1-2
Method
Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. If you do not have a high-powered blender, you might want to strain before drinking to filter out any bits (unless you like the bits!).
Spice It Up Green Smoothie
Ingredients
Dairy free milk 1 1/2 cups
Ginger powder/ fresh ginger quarter teaspoon
Turmeric (powder/fresh) quarter teaspoon
Spinach 1 handful
Green apple (peeled) 1
Kale leaves 3
Lemon 1
Ice as required
Method:
Add the spinach, apple and kale leaves in the blender along with the dairy free milk and blend. Add the lemon, ginger, turmeric, ice, and blend again.
Tip: You might want to try making your own dairy free milks by blending nuts of your choice with water, then straining it. The pulp can be used in a raw dessert. Raw homemade milks are high in protein and are packed with vitamins and minerals especially when they are pre-soaked. Soaking makes them easier to digests and removes digestive inhibitors that can cause digestive upset.
Green Nana
Ingredients
Banana 1, chopped
Organic spinach 2-3 handfuls
Coconut water or home-made plant based milk (hemp, almond etc) 2 cups
Medjool date 1
Method
Add all ingredients to your blender and pulverise until smooth. Leave in the fridge to cool or drink straight away.
Tip: freeze the chopped banana overnight. This saves you having to use ice cubes to cool your smoothie. To make a thicker smoothie, reduce the amount of liquid used. Add in sprouted brown rice or hemp protein powder to make this even more filling (omit the date if the powder has added sweetener e.g. stevia). This smoothie will keep you satisfied for hours.
Green Ginger Spice
Ingredients
Organic spinach 1-2 handfuls
Parsley quarter bunch
Celery 2 stalks
Cucumber 1
Apple 1
Ginger ½ inch
Lime ½
Lemon ½
Method
Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until ultra smooth. Strain to get rid of stringy bits of ginger if your blender does not break them down.
Tip: leave out the ingredients that do not appeal to you. Experiment with different fruits and vegetables but remember to keep it simple so you don’t end up with a concoction that makes you gag!
