Clean GREEN SMOOTHIES. How to, what to, and why to.

So I made my first green smoothie a few weeks ago and failed miserably. It tasted...green. Really really green. I put out a cry for help via Instagram and got SO many tips, lots of helpful and some not so helpful (love you guys anyway):

SO here is what I learned:

You can break it down like this:

Pick what you want to use, blend the liquid and greens together first. Then add in the fruit and powerfood toppings and blend well. Pour into a tupperware, chug as you sprint to catch the bus.

My favorite combos:

Apple Lemonade

• 1 cup kale
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 apples
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

Tropical Vacay Smoothie

• 1 cup kale
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 1/2 cup mango (I picked up the "tropical fruit blend" at Trader Joe's for $3, it has the pineapple, mango and guava)
• 1/2 cup guava
• 2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
• Juice of 1 lemon

Classic Strawberry Banana

• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1 cup fozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of Greek Yogurt
• 2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

Some tips:

• If using kale, you HAVE to include an acidic fruit to cut the bitterness. Lemon works great and so does pineapple. Or both. People on Insta also suggested ginger.
• My friend Lizzie swears by these. She throws in peeled beets, brussel sprouts (no joke), broccoli, and anything else nutritious in her fridge. She swears the lemon covers the taste of everything.
• These are great for "clearing out the system" if you know what I mean. It's amazing. I had a legit food hangover after a cheat night, drank one of these puppies and cleared the cheats right out. Felt 100 x better. Sorry for the overshare.
• I found whole flaxseed for way cheaper than the ground. I just put 1/2 cup of seed in my blender at a time, put it on "grind", and stored it in the freezer. PS: don't forget the lid on the blender. This is an easy thing to forget before coffee.
• You can use whole chia seeds, but whole flaxseeds pass right through your system. You can buy flaxseed ground, or grind it yourself in a coffee bean grinder or a blender.
• My friend Jeffrey turned me onto simplegreensmoothies.com- it has tons of recipes and challenges.
• Cleaning a blender can be a b*tch. Especially before coffee (hey bloody hands!). Fill the blender about halfway with water and a squirt of dish soap, put the lid on, and put it on blend for about 20 seconds. Now you have clean blades and cut-less hands!
• Frozen fruit can be a lot cheaper than fresh fruit during off season. Plus it makes the smoothie more frozen-y. Go for it, just NO canned fruits! Fruits and veggies lose lots of nutrients in the canning process!

Now for WHY green smoothies. I think the nutrition facts speak for themselves.

Apple Lemonade:

Tropical Vacay:

Classic Strawberry Banana:

What is your favorite green smoothie recipe? I want to try new ones!

PS: Need a blender? I ordered mine on Amazon 2 years ago and it's still goin strong after 2 years of frozen drinks and smoothies. 

Hope this helps everyone, so unlike me when you try you're first green smoothie you're not like:

 Or

But more like:

Linking up today at Tough it Out Tuesday, Turn It Up Tuesdays, Delicious Dish Tuesday, Mamade