Green Smoothies, Fun AND Nutritious

[Pam Genant]

I was just reading another blog about smoothies.  On this blog there were two categories of smoothies,  one was just for fun, and in that you couldn't taste the vegetables, the other was nutritious and wouldn't contain things like honey.  Of course there was more of a description, but those two things stuck out at me.  I don't believe that for something to be nutritious you have to taste the vegetables.  Or that not tasting the vegetables is somehow less nutritious.  Also I believe honey to be very health-FULL.  And I have, probably in the past 6 months or so, started including honey on purpose in our smoothies so that we reap the benefits of local, great, raw honey. 

In our smoothies, which I make almost daily, we each get probably 1 1/2-2 servings of vegetables.  Which is so important for me, that is one area that is probably most lacking in my diet.  I love vegetables, just don't eat enough.  We also get probably 1 1/2-2 servings of fruit as well.  Sometimes you can taste the delicious vegetables and sometimes you can't, but either way they are nutritious and fun!

Honey has so many health benefits.  I guess I have known that all along.  It's healing properties.  But this morning I just googled "health benefits of local honey" to see what came up.  It is amazing.  And as I said, I have started adding honey to our smoothies on purpose, probably about 1 Tbsp per person.  Our daily dose of great, local raw honey, nutritious and fun.  Here are a couple of links about honey if you are interested in reading more:

Local Honey and Allergies  The whole blog is amazing, Local Honey Blog
and
Raw Honey is Not Only Tasty

Of course there is more out there if you want to look for it :-)  I just really believe that smoothies can be "both in one", nutritious and fun!  And for my boys, I love that they don't see food as fun OR nutritious, but can see that food can be all in one, and that we have the ability to make it so. 

[Pat Robinson]

I love this!  The (raw, local) honey totally changes the flavor AND adds so many health benefits.  Thanks for posting.

Pat

[Jana Miranda]

I need some examples.  We need some new combinations to try.  We are stuck in a smoothie rut.

[Pam Genant]

Pat has a great post somewhere on here about smoothies.  For us I just go out to the garden when I can, for the veggies.  For greens right now I have some different lettuces, collard and spinach.  I usually add a couple big handfulls of greens to the blender, then some fruit I have frozen...blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, peaches, canteloupe, honey dew etc.  This year I am going to freeze so much more of my own fruit!  I sometimes will add a couple of carrots, nice flavor there.  My beets are ready to harvest so thought I would try that as well.  I add a banana or two if I have some.  I add a little juice, a green juice, or blueberry, cranberry, pineapple, or whatever I have on hand really.  And I add about 1 TBSP per person.  That is all I do.  I don't get too "fancy" with it.  I figure any vegetables I can get in there, the better.  You could use tea for the liquid part if you wanted to.  We all LOVE the smoothies.  And my husbands seasonal allergies have been "easier" this year, I am attributing that to the honey, :-) 

[Pam Genant]

OK I left out an important word.  And I add about 1 TBSP per person of HONEY.  LOL.  That word Honey is important. 

[Pat Robinson]

Here are 100+ ideas for smoothies!

Pat

[Jana Miranda]

Thanks for the link, Pat!