I don't know about you, but I can't count how many times I've seen a post about the almighty green smoothie pop up in my reader lately. Joy has a pear flavored one with kale, Emily concocted one with oatmeal for breakfast, Gina has a skinny version. Green smoothies are taking over the interweb.
It's not hard to see why -- one large smoothie contains two servings of veggies and a serving of fruit. It's packed with fiber, vitamins, calcium, and tons of other good-for-you stuff. Couple that with how "delicious and life changing" everyone says it is... and, well, drinking one is pretty much a no brainer.
Since this was my first attempt at green smoothie making, I decided to keep things simple. One cup of skim milk, two cups of spinach, one ripe banana that had seen better days, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a handful of ice. I had everything in the kitchen, and this was a perfect way to use up the leftover spinach from last week's dinner menu.
The verdict? Meh. We both thought the smoothie tasted better than expected, but overall it wasn't very impressive. The consistency was surprisingly creamy (although I'm not sure how... the banana? peanut butter? spinach??) but it lacked that special something to keep me wanting more and had a slightly leafy aftertaste. If I ever make it again, I'll probably throw in berries or citrus fruit for a little more zing. This recipe wasn't very sweet, either, since the only sugar in it came from the banana... I would recommend adding a little honey to the mix if you have a sweet tooth like me.
Well, internets... for now I disagree with your green smoothie love. It's really not that tasty and definitely not life changing. And I can taste the spinach, you're not tricking me. Admittedly, it's a great way to knock out half of your fruits and veggies for the day (especially if you make this for breakfast) but I think I'll stick with spinach salads and smoothies of the strawberry-banana variety, thank you. Has anyone else attempted the green smoothie? I'd love to know your thoughts/recipes!
Next up on the blogging trends list: kale chips. I feel like I have to.
Or possibly no-heat curls...
