I’m a big fan of starting the day with a tall glass of something green. A “meal in a cup,” as I prefer to call it. Blending a handful of greens in your morning smoothie is the easiest way to turn a liquid breakfast into a well-rounded meal by sneaking a little more green into your diet.
Perhaps the best thing about green smoothies is their versatility. While it may look like you're drinking blended grass, these green creations can actually taste delicious (honestly -- you don't even have to talk yourself into believing that through gritted teeth).
Here are a few ingredients to add for your green smoothie to make it taste -- well -- not so green.
1. Spinach
Using spinach as a base in your smoothie is ideal if you’re fairly new to the world of drinking your greens. Spinach is a softer, less dense green that blends well and doesn’t leave little leafy chunks in your smoothie (gross). You can add a full cup of spinach to some frozen fruit and watch as it easily blends down to nothing.
2. Orange juice
Orange juice is a great liquid base for any smoothie and as long as you use a brand that is unsweetened, it is still a great healthy choice. Not to mention, its natural sweetness will undoubtedly mask the taste of your greens.
3. Mango
One of my personal favorites to make my green smoothie taste a little more tropical. Mangoes have a great texture to make your smoothie creamier and less coarse with the shredded greens.
4. Pineapple
Pineapple is another one of those fruits that can mask the flavor of anything. Pair it with mangoes or bananas for a perfectly tropical green smoothie.
5. Banana
Also one of my personal favorites. I almost always freeze my overripe bananas to throw in my green smoothie later. Bananas add a great, creamy texture and they also have a strong flavor that can essentially mask the taste of anything green.
6. Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
If you’re a nut butter addict like me, this can be a fantastic addition to your green smoothie. If you’re worried about the flavor getting lost in the smoothie, you can opt to add a dollop on top of the smoothie and eat it with a spoon.
7. Dates
Many people are unfamiliar with this fruit, but dates are a great addition to any green smoothie as a natural sweetener. If you’re looking for them in a grocery store, they look like giant raisins (but taste so much better in my opinion!). Make sure you take out the pits before adding them to the blender.
8. Avocado
This may sound weird, but don’t judge it until you’ve tried it. Avocado is a great source of healthy fat to add into your smoothie. It’ll make your smoothie extra green, but also extra creamy!
9. Berries
If you’re too uneasy about the green color of your smoothie, add berries! Blueberries and blackberries in particular always win the color battle, so you’ll be left with a blue-purple smoothie that still has some sneaky greens hiding in there.
10. Toppings
Not loving the taste or texture of your green smoothie? Add some crunch. I love pouring my smoothie into a bowl and adding hemp seeds, almonds, coconut, and chia seeds. These tasty little crunchy toppings almost completely distract from the greenness below and if you really use your imagination, you can almost trick yourself into thinking you’re eating a bowl of ice cream.
