I am totally showing my age when I say that juicing used to totally be associated with taking steroids, but I am glad to say that these days it has a much healthier connotation. All over the net, the TV and magazines, ads for juice drinks and recipes for make your own, abound, so I won’t give you more. (Well, maybe I will link some recipes at the bottom of this page) What I will say is that juicing or making smoothies is much easier and probably much tastier than you might think! In my house, I have been using whatever I bought at the market that is seasonal. Berries, bananas, mangoes, kale, chia and/or flax seeds and just enough water and some crushed ice to the blender or magic bullet has been how I have been making my morning drinks. Though it sounds strange I have also been adding the parts of asparagus that I generally break off and discard, as their is a lot of nutrition in those stems and they are also a great diuretic. I like to keep my morning shakes low in calories, so I don’t add soy or almond milk, but you certainly can. You can also add some agave or honey for added sweetness. Freezing bananas or berries will make the drink more of a frozen shake. Rita sent me her recipe for the shake she had the other morning and it was simply almond milk, a few stalks of kale torn into pieces, a banana and some honey. Since the combination possibilities are endless, use your imagination and have some fun creating your own blends.
So it’s not at all necessary to have a big expensive juicing machine, though those are nice, too. While I have one, I hate cleaning it so I never use it! I warn you that depending on what you choose to put in, the color might turn out unappealing, but I urge you to look past that. Many of my shakes come out looking like I am going to dump them, until I take a sip. If you are in the mood for something more along the lines of an afternoon smoothie, just mix up the fruits and ice with a little almond milk and a frozen banana and you will have something that looks and tastes like something much more decadent that it is!
Green drinks, juice blends and smoothies are a great addition to any diet. The amount of vitamins and nutrients you can this way is over the top. They are also a great way to include a meatless meal on this vegan feast Thursday. Look around your fridge and fruit bowl and let me know what YOUR imagination comes up with!
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I must be honest………at first the “green” shake did not appeal to me at all. Well………after I tasted it, I am totally addicted. Toss in the crushed ice to thicken and cool it down. I even tossed in some whey protein. It is a super snack and so easy to create. I love it, especially on a hot, sticky day. Kale, banana, (1/2 cup) almond milk, ice, and a squirt of honey…….blend…….OMG!!!