I have been an avid green smoothie drinker since I was a little sophomore in high school, and since then, I've learned some things along the way.
Now, smoothies can be delicious, but it's never fun getting surprised by a huge chunk of frozen fruit or a clump of protein powder. Or having most of the smoothie ingredients stuck to the sides of the blender. Or that horribly frustrating moment when it just refuses to blend at all. Lots can go wrong.
Here's a recipe for a huge green breakfast smoothie that combines three of my favorite things: banana, chocolate, and peanut butter.
I use a Black & Decker 12-speed blender. You might have to adjust the technique if you have a different model, but the method I use should work on any blender.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk/milk of choice (I use Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1-2 cups spinach, fresh or frozen
- 1 sliced banana, frozen
- 1/2 - 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use Vega all-in-one)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbsp peanut butter or PB2
- Stevia/sweetener to taste
- Probiotic, calcium, or other supplement capsules
Directions (important!)
- Before you start blending, put all of the powdered ingredients into a small dish. This will make it easier to add them at the end. If you're using vitamin capsules, empty the contents in there as well.
- Begin by putting the milk and spinach in the blender. Push the spinach as far down into the blender as it can go, and start to blend it on a low setting. Increase the strength until it makes a smooth, green juice. Everything should be smoothly rolling into the middle of the blender, not splashing around, so you can safely open the lid.
- With the blender still running, crack the top open a little bit and quickly add the frozen banana slices once at a time, then liquid peanut butter if you are using it. This is essential - this makes the best texture and makes sure everything is totally blended in. Again, everything should be rolling into the middle with no splashing.
- With the blender still running, add the contents of the dish until everything is combined. If you want to add crushed ice as well, you can. Stop the blender and serve!
I love the taste of this smoothie. Even though it's really healthy, it satisfies my sweet tooth early in the day. The spinach packs a powerful punch, with tons of calcium and iron, which can sometimes be lacking in a vegetarian or vegan diet (and you can't even taste it!). Another thing I put into all of my smoothies is a probiotic capsule. Being vegan and dairy intolerant, it's hard to get probiotics into my diet because I can't have yogurt. Probiotics are amazing - they help digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. And don't forget, the classic combination of banana, chocolate, and peanut butter is good for the soul. Enjoy!