Green Monster Smoothies

Mr. Bear and I have been trying to lose some weight.  After analyzing what we were eating, I realized I hadn't really been reaching my veggie and fruit goals.  Additionally, I realized that I was eating lunch at about 11am because I was STARVING.  This led me to eat large lunches and then snack later in the afternoon.

To help with this, I have been reading about Green Monster Smoothies for a while now and decided it would be good to try.  I've been making smoothies for breakfast for about two weeks now, and I can say that it really does help curb my hunger.  It takes about an hour for me to finish, keeping my hunger levels in check for a while.  Hopefully curbed hunger = weight loss down the road.  For now, I can say that it at least is helping me achieve my goal of more fruit/veggie consumption.

I've included directions for my favorite fruit combination below.  I really like the combination because it masks the spinach flavor.  Since it has cherries, it turns a reddish brown (not so appetizing), instead of green.  I put it in a stainless steel travel mug so I can't see the color. :)

1. Add 1-2 cups of spinach to your blender with 1/2 cup of water and puree.  

I have a KitchenAid blender that has a puree setting.  If your blender doesn't have a puree setting, set to blend until it almost looks like spinach juice with small flecks of spinach leaves.

The more spinach you add, the more you can taste.  If this is your first time doing green smoothies, I suggest erring on the side of caution with the spinach, increasing the amount after you have gotten used to the taste.

2. Add 1/2-1 banana and puree.  

The banana is key.  It masks the flavor of the spinach and provides a creaminess to the smoothie.  I've seen other blogs indicating that you can substitute avocado for banana if you don't like bananas.  The banana sounded more appetizing.  I usually use 1/2 a banana, unless my bananas are getting too ripe and I need to eat them quickly.  If I buy a large bundle of bananas at the store, I'll split the bundle in half, leave 1/2 out on the counter to eat and use while freezing the second half.  The frozen banana is just as good in the smoothie, and then it doesn't go bad before you can use it!

3. Add 1 cup FROZEN peaches and 1/2-3/4 cup FROZEN dark cherries, puree.

I like frozen fruit so that I don't have to add ice to my smoothie.  It prevents it from becoming watered down and keeps ice chunks from scratching up your throat.

4. Slowly pour smoothie into container of choice, and Enjoy!  

Again, I like to put it into a travel mug with a straw.  This makes about 1.5 smoothies.  I pour the smoothie into the travel mug and then pour the remaining into a glass that I can seal with a lid.  The extra smoothie becomes a starter for my next smoothie.

Your smoothie will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge.  The fruit will defrost and the smoothie will become more "juice-like" the next day, but like I said, it provides a great smoothie starter.

I was apprehensive of the taste on my first try.  Mr. Bear didn't seem too enthused about the first two I made. I think I have it down to a science now, and it takes about as much time to make as any other quick breakfast.

Feel free to substitute spinach for any other green, leafy veggie!

Other fruits I've tried that weren't as successful:

1. Mango--The frozen mango wasn't as sweet as fresh which resulted in a bit of a tart smoothie.  It didn't hide the spinach well.
2. Strawberry-- The strawberry seeds made it hard to drink.

-Danielle