Green Monster Mojito Smoothie

I often switch off between smoothies and juices because I believe that both have amazing health benefits.  I particularly love to enjoy my smoothies and juices in the morning as an easily digestible nutrient source.  After a good morning workout nothing feels better than continuing that healthy habit with a refreshing smoothie.  I tend to find a smoothie recipe that I love and it is my go to for a long time.  But every once in awhile I decide it is time to experiment with some new ingredients.  I tweak the recipe until it is my new go to smoothie.  Today I am sharing that new winning recipe with you!

I say this all the time but when it comes to juicing or smoothies, vegetables should be the star.  Fruit should just add that touch of sweetness.  It is completely true that your taste buds have the ability to change.  Sugar addiction is a real thing.  Sugar is found is so many processed foods and quite possibly foods that you may never have even think of.  This constant exposure to sugar can make you crave more and more sweets.  Nothing is ever sweet enough.  If you absolutely need a ton of fruit in your smoothies to tolerate them then you it might be a sign that your sugar intake is to high.

Good news!  You can change all of that over time.  Start with adding more fruit or stevia to your smoothies and gradually over time work on reducing the fruit and sweetener.  Before you know it you will be drinking vegetable smoothies and juices like a boss!

5 tips for being a pro smoothie maker|

Change up your greens|  I get a variety of greens from not only smoothies but from the foods that I eat everyday.  I love them all and use them all frequently.  Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, dandelion, romaine, and collards.  Make sure you too get variety.

Drink them as soon as possible|  If you are in a time crunch it is possible to make a smoothie the night before so it is ready in the morning when you need it.  The sooner you drink your smoothie the better the nutritional benefits.  I will say that it is better to drink it the next day then not at all.  If you need to make your smoothie in advance, don’t leave a lot of room at the top for air to circulate.  You can even freeze smoothies and just thaw them as needed.

Plan ahead|  To save some time you can even prep all of the ingredients the night before.  Have all your produce washed and cut ahead of time.  Measure out all of your liquids and add ins so when you are ready for smoothie making all of the hard work is already done.  You can even add your smoothie ingredients to jars and freeze a couple weeks worth at a time.  The night before take a jar out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge.  In the morning you just need a couple minutes with your blender and you are good to go.

Make it a family and friend activity|  Find a friend or family member join the green smoothie movement with you.  Have you and your friend take turns creating delicious smoothies and bringing them to each other.  That way you only have to find time to make them every other day instead of everyday.  You can do this with spouses, roommates, neighbors, or children (if they are old enough).

Don’t wait for a pro blender|  Getting more vegetables and fiber into your diet is really one of the best things you can do for your health.  Don’t think you need to invest in a high speed blender to enjoy a delicious smoothie.  I don’t have a professional blender myself but I have discovered some tricks that have helped me out.  1. Blend your greens first with the liquid until smooth and then add in the rest of your ingredients.  2. Adding avocado can really help a smoothie achieve the creamy texture that makes drinking one so wonderful.  The bonus= healthy fats.  3. I also love to add fresh ginger and turmeric to my smoothies a lot.  Instead of adding them whole, I grate them into small pieces so the blender doesn’t have so much work to do.

Some of my other favorite smoothies recipes that you may enjoy as well are my Orange Vanilla Spinach Smoothie and my Strawberry Lemonade Green Smoothie.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!