The Clean Eating Mama

Drinking your greens has to be the most popular way to incorporate green, leafy goodness. Nicknamed the Green Monster, I jumped on the blending bandwagon quite some time ago. I continue to receive great questions about my concoctions and decided to dedicate a post to these wonderful inventions.

Why do you drink them?

I drink them because they taste AMAZING! They are very soothing on my tummy and are easily digestible. I usually have mine for breakfast as I make them very thick and filling. But I will also make them for an afternoon pick-me-up OR a post workout snack. It’s a wonderful drink to make if you know you are hungry but just aren’t hungry for anything.

But they are also contain amazing nutrients. Most of us do not take in the recommended amount of veggies or fruit per day and this “treat” is a a sure fire way to get in AT LEAST 3 servings, if not more. It calms cravings, energizes you and makes you feel wonderful, inside and out!

What do you add to them?

The reason they are called Green Monsters is because they are green. But in order for them to become green you need to add some green, leafy goodness. My all time favorite is organic baby spinach. I use kale if I need to use it up and you can use any other kind of greens – chard, collard greens, wheat grass or lettuce.

I use 2-3 HUGE handfuls of spinach per drink. The reason I love adding spinach above the rest is because you cannot taste it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the taste of spinach, kale and other greens… but just not in my smoothie. And for those of you that do not like the taste of spinach, try a GM! I PROMISE you will not taste the spinach!

I also always use almond milk as my base, usually 8 oz. A nice amount of flax meal goes into it, along with a banana.

Then I go from there! I have experimented and have come up with some real winners… AND some real losers!

I have noticed a huge amount of powder’s and filling’s that other bloggers use: maca powder, xanthium gum, guar gum, protein powder’s… I have yet to try any of these so I cannot give any feed back.

I guess I like mine simple and “clean”.

Here is my favorite go-to recipe:

• 8oz almond milk
• 2-3 huge tablespoons flax meal
• 1 banana, half if it is huge
• 1-1 1/2 cups of assorted frozen fruit – peaches, strawberries, mango and grapes (I buy a big bag of this at the store in the winter time, and I use fresh in the summer time)
• 3 big handfuls of baby spinach, washed

BLEND and DRINK!

I also love making a berry drink with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, along with vanilla almond milk.

I am fan of my GM’s being thick and COLD. If I am using fresh fruit I will add ice to chill it down and thicken it up.

It is also a great way for your kids to get their greens in! Jordan LOVES GM’s and drinks them daily with me.

Do you blend or juice? I have seen you do both.

I always blend my GM’s. If I am making a juice drink it will always come out red as I love adding beets. I do use greens when I juice, though. But for some reason I feel that I am wasting spinach when I do this. Maybe it’s my juicer but big chunks of leaves are always in the waste bucket. So I typically save them for my GM’s.

Other bits of info

– Someone had asked me why I add flax meal and if it sank to the bottom. I ad flax meal because I am a huge fan of flax and its health benefits. Flax contains a huge amount of Omega-3 fats that are heart healthy and helps the digestive system. I like to use flax meal instead of whole flax seeds as the seeds never seem to properly grind, and stay whole. While there is nothing wrong with this, I just didn’t care for whole seeds in my smoothies. I have never had a problem with the flax meal settling to the bottom, but like I mentioned above, I drink mine thick.

– PLEASE prewash your fresh produce, including pre-washed spinach. Do not trust the packaging! I have found bits of things in my spinach and the package clearly stated it was Pre Washed.

– No, I did not come up with the name Green Monster. I have seen it used over and over other blogs and it fit so well! =)

I hope this helps anyone that was curious about my Green Monsters! If I have missed anything or if anyone else has any more questions, please ask! I never get tired of questions! =)