New Year’s Resolution: One Smoothie a Day

New Year’s Resolution: One Smoothie a Day

Smoothies are great, easy and fast ways to get 2-3 servings of vegetables before you even get in the car in the morning. Below you will find the smoothie formula, tips, ideas, and recipes to get you started.

The Smoothie Formula

Base + Greens + Fat + Fruit + Flavor + Raw Honey Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy!

Base (12-16 oz.)

• nut milk

• water

• coconut water

• coconut milk

Greens (handful)

• kale or spinach for the least flavor • collard greens, romaine or swiss chard if you can handle more flavor

Fat • 1/2 - 1 avocado • 1 - 2 tablespoons nut butter • 1 tablespoon chia seed • 1 tablespoon flaxseed or flaxseed meal Fruit (1/4 cup) • blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lemon, lime, coconut, green apple, kiwi for low sugar options • banana, mango, pineapple if you can handle higher sugar content

Flavor • cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon) • nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon) • vanilla (1/2 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon) • fresh ginger (thin slice of unpeeled ginger Note: Ginger can save any smoothie!) • fresh mint (10 - 20 leaves)

Raw Honey to taste

Smoothie Tips

• For those allergic to nuts, please substitute sunflower butter and coconut milk or coconut water for nut butters and nut milks.

• All smoothie recipes are approximations. Experiment. It will take some time to figure out what you like best. Some prefer more cacao than others. Some prefer more almond milk or water. Some need to start with tiny amounts of the vegetables until their taste buds begin to change - and they will change! Even my 9 year old son said to me that M&M's were too sweet! Once this happens for you, you'll be able to add more of the healthy ingredients to your drinks. See "Step by Step Additions" below.

• There is no reason to not make a smoothie if you are missing an ingredient. If you don't have chia seed, it doesn't matter. Proceed.

• If your smoothie doesn't taste great, bananas or fresh, unpeeled ginger can fix most smoothies gone wrong. Fresh ginger is a great anti-inflammatory food anyway, so throw it in. • Thin your smoothie if you prefer by adding 1/8 cup of water to begin. Add a bit more if needed. • Add more nutrition by substituting the water with almond milk or coconut water.

• Remember to blend all ingredients well before adding the ice. A cold smoothie always tastes better than a warm one.

• The better the blender (Vitamix or Magic Bullet), the better the smoothie; however, that shouldn't stop you from trying it with the blender that is now in your kitchen. You may just have to do a bit more chopping and more blending.

• Buy fresh fruit when possible but keep supplies in the freezer so you don't find yourself empty handed. Peel bananas first and place them in a container in the freezer. (Note: Please check to make sure the organic frozen fruit is stored in a gluten free bag. Shockingly, many bags are now lined with gluten.)

• Taste more lemon or a lime flavor by including more of the peel instead of just squeezing the juice.

• Sweeten smoothies with raw honey and get the bonus of its healing properties (anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogen, anti-fungal and more).

• Invest in a smoothie to-go cup and stainless steel straws.

• As with all other foods, it's best to buy local, in season and organic when you can! Smoothie Ideas for Additions

• More of the same! Up the chia, flax and vegetables once your taste buds adjust to the greens.

• It is best to start with spinach and zucchini because they present very little flavor in the smoothie, but once you get started it's important to rotate your leafy greens.

• Broccoli

• Carrots - no need to peel

• Cucumbers - no need to peel

• Peppers

• Celery (Just be careful because celery has a very strong flavor in smoothies.)

• All fresh herbs - 1 at a time. You will be pleasantly surprised what basil does to fruit and green smoothies.

• Avocado or coconut milk for creaminess

• The kitchen sink The Smoothie Formula Base + Greens + Fat + Fruit + Flavor + Raw Honey Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy! Base (12-16 oz.)

• nut milk • water • coconut water • coconut milk Greens (handful) • kale or spinach for the least flavor • collard greens, romaine or swiss chard if you can handle more flavor

Fat • 1/2 - 1 avocado • 1 - 2 tablespoons nut butter • 1 tablespoon chia seed • 1 tablespoon flaxseed or flaxseed meal Fruit (1/4 cup) • blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lemon, lime, coconut, green apple, kiwi for low sugar options • banana, mango, pineapple if you can handle higher sugar content

Flavor • cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon) • nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon) • vanilla (1/2 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon) • fresh ginger (thin slice of unpeeled ginger

Note: Ginger can save any smoothie!) • fresh mint (10 - 20 leaves) Raw Honey to taste Good! 1 cup nut milk 2 cups greens 1 tablespoon flaxseed 1 tablespoon chia seed 2 cups berries (Blueberries are the best for you but raspberries and blackberries or a combination work well.) (If you opt for strawberries, throw in their greens as well.) Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy!

Going Green

1 cup water

1 cup greens

1 large cucumber, unpeeled

4 stalks celery

1 cup greens

1/2 cup parsley

1 green pepper

1 lime or lemon peeled

1 Tablespoon chia seed

1 Tablespoon flaxseed raw honey to taste (optional: pinch of sea salt)

Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy!

Green Goodness

1 cup water

2 cups greens

1 cucumber, unpeeled

1 celery stalk

1 tablespoon flaxseed

1 tablespoon chia seed

1 lemon, peeled

1/2" slice fresh ginger Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy!

Have a Great V8 1/2 cup water 2 cups greens 3 kale leaves 4 large tomatoes 2 stalks celery + stalks to pop in each glass when finished 6 medium carrots, unpeeled 1 small beet 1/4 head cabbage 2 bell peppers (preferably different colors) 1/4 sweet onion 1 garlic clove 3 radishes 1 cucumber 1 tablespoon flaxseed 1 tablespoon chia seed 1/4 sweet onion 1 garlic clove optional additions: sea salt to taste 1/8 teaspoon cayenne or chili pepper 2 lemons Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Pour, stick in celery stalks, garnish with a lime and Enjoy!

Just Beet It! 1/4 cup water handful greens 2 beets, peeled 3 whole carrots 1 tablespoon flaxseed 1 tablespoon chia seed 1 apple, unpeeled but cored 1 T fresh ginger peeled Blend well. Add 1/2 - 1 cup ice. Blend quickly. Enjoy! Kimberly Hasenberg, H.C., AADP Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. KimberlyHasenberg@icloud.com