UNITED STATES—As of late I have been indulging in juicing and making smoothies quite a bit. Some would argue I’m in the middle of a health kick and trying to get my mind and body realigned. I love a good juice and when I say that I mean actual juicing fresh fruits and veggies. I get these amazing juice oranges from my local farmer’s market that deliver the best orange juice I’ve ever had. I used those juice oranges for a lot of the smoothies that I make.
Yes, you may be surprised, but when I make a smoothie its ALL NATURAL. I utilize the fruits and veggies that I have, and utilize water. I don’t add anything else to the drink because why would you or why do you need to do so. Lately, I have been all about green and when I say green I say green. I guess I got the idea for a lot of my juices and smoothies from a V8 Splash green juice that I stumbled upon. I since have not been able to find the item in stores which is a bummer so I got a bit creative.
Yeah, you can go to a lot of retailers and purchase those smoothie drinks that I am not a fan of. You want to know why? They are TOO SWEET! I don’t want to feel like I’m drinking a cup of sugar which a lot of those store bought smoothies taste like. There should be some sort of balance people. It should not be so sweet I want to dilute the drink with some water.
So I have two green smoothies/juices that have become a trend for me: kale, cucumber, celery, green apples, limes or lemons and pineapple. Yes, I interchange between pineapple and green apples, but I prefer the pineapple if I’m being honest because not only does it add a bit of sweetness, but it provides a bit of juice to the drink as well. I know what you’re thinking celery? Trust me you can taste the celery, but it’s not overpowering and celery is quite good for you as well. It’s like a nutrient packed veggie and on top of that, it’s fulfilling.
Do I interchange between the fruits and veggies throughout the week? Yeah, I try to do at least 2 a day. Once in the morning, and one late afternoon or a after dinner snack. I do vary my drinks based on color: red, purple, green, orange, yellow. Yellow might be the hardest of the bunch, but if you use lemons, pineapple and bananas that will do the trick. For orange you have carrots, oranges, and bananas. Red you can do strawberries, cherries, raspberries, beets and bananas. Now that purple, because I know people want to say blue, nope, it’s purple for the blueberries. You can do blackberries, blueberries and bananas to have a boost of antioxidants.
A great juice or smoothie helps you substitute a potential meal or snack for the day. The best thing I love about it is the fact that I’m getting my fruits and veggies in for the day. And let’s face it America: we’re not eating enough fruits and veggies and this is a way to get your daily consumption. You might not be implementing this into your daily eating routine, however, this is something you might want to consider because it beings health to your life and curbs cravings that may not be good for you.
