Age Recommendation: Any!
Length of Activity: 10-20min
Supplies Needed: Coffee, Pencil, Paintbrush, Water, and Stiff Paper (it needs to be able to hold the coffee, so watercolor paper is the most preferable, but any kind of stiffer paper would work)
Because every year, like clockwork, it’s the same dang thing. The weather warms up. The trees send out their leafy starts and flowering buds. We shed our coats too quickly because, hey! It’s sunny out. Summer is practically here (even if it is only 43 degrees).
And every year, as the seasons change, that’s when the whole family comes down with one ailment or another. Whhhhhyyy now? We made it through the whole winter with nary a chill.
Now we have sneezing. Aches. And pains. And heads that just might explode if one were to lift their gaze just a little too quickly. Just let me lay in bed and bring me another blanket please?
What’s in This Green Smoothie?
Let’s run down our smoothie benefits. This green smoothie is a far cry from tasting anything like the mega doses of greens and vitamins in it because of the natural sweetness of the fruit we’ve added to our blend.
I used both kale and spinach in this recipe for a mega doses of vitamin C. They provide a powerful antioxidant punch, plus calcium, folate and fiber to help boost immunity and sometimes even fight off infection.
Next up: the sweet stuff. Vitamin C-packed mango, pineapple and kiwigive this smoothie its sweet slurp. Mango has even been shown to protect against cancer and may help lower cholesterol. An extra squeeze of purifying lemon juice adds a fresh, bright squeeze, too.
To help ward against cold bugs even more, I added fresh ginger to the mix. Ginger has been proven to help with nausea, pain and inflammation. All the extras that come with a cold and general malaise.
Every smoothie needs a liquid and Almond Breeze Original Almondmilkdoes the best job here. I always have a box or two of the shelf stable Almondmilk in my pantry so that smoothie making is always an easy option.
How to Meal Prep Smoothies?
To make this smoothie extra easy to prepare on a day to day basis, a little meal prep goes a long way.
I chop up all of my fruit at one sitting then portion it out to small freezer bags. Before loading up the bags, I use a Sharpie to write the recipe directions out directly on the bag so there’s no questions of what or how much to add, so my daughter or husband can make this blend for themselves.
Can I Use Other Fruits in This Green Smoothie?
Of course! You’re welcome to mix and match your smoothie ingredients as you see fit. Just note that if you use berries or other dark colored fruits in this healthy green smoothie it may wind up being an unappetizing green-brown color. Still delish, but not as visually appealing.
Tips for Making the Best Green Smoothie
I used the unsweetened original Almond Breeze almondmilk flavor in this immune boosting smoothie recipe, but you could easily swap it with the coconut or vanilla flavor too.
The key to a well blended green smoothie is blending the liquid with the greens really well before adding the rest of the ingredients. It’s the best way to avoid green chunks in your slurping straw and later in your toothy smile.
A lot of smoothies add banana for creaminess, but here simply freezing the fruit before blending does the job. If you’re making this smoothie with fresh instead of frozen fruit, simply add 3-4 ice cubes when blending the liquid and greens and blend well.
