Romaine-Ginger Smoothie

What was your first reaction on seeing the featured photo? Did it leave you wondering why anyone would be excited to drink something as green as this? I hear you – I have been right where you are.

3 years back, I wanted to switch to green smoothies for breakfast. I took the plunge and bought a juicer. I tried out a few recipes and liked all of them. However, I discovered the hard way that several veggies and greens like kale, do not juice well. The worst was the HUGE wastage of pulp just left me flabbergasted. I tried using the pulp in soups but honestly, who wants to eat plant matter that has been sucked of all life??! Not me. I even tried composting the waste, but it kept me wondering if I was denying our bodies of the added fiber that I was throwing out. My compost worms are already well fed with other stuff. 🙂 Additionally, the washing up of the juicer parts was a total time-consuming mess!!

Attempt 2 followed. I bought a Vitamix amidst protests from my husband that it would be yet another wasted super-expensive investment that would occupy counter space in our small kitchen. Ah, I proved him so wrong! What a great buy it has been for my family; and I have my friend Meera Menon to thank for persuading me to ‘Just Buy It’. Since then, there has been no looking back. I made this beginner-friendly green smoothie recipe…and everything changed. It was love at first sip… and it will be for you too. We now have green smoothies 4 days of the week. The other 3 days are creative smoothies using nut milks or kefir. Check out my Banana Avocado smoothie here.

A simple combination of fresh leafy greens, flavorful fruit, and a liquid base is all it takes to create a great green smoothie. I no longer follow recipes for creating my daily green drinks. I throw in whatever is in the refrigerator or the freezer and whip up these green babies. Sometimes, my flippant adventures do land me in culinary trouble: for example, I’d NEVER EVER use dandelion greens or mustard greens in my green drink, unless I want to be around a very grumpy spouse for the rest of the day. 🙂 Over time, I have also phased out all fruit from my green drinks, except an occasional green (Granny Smith) apple.

Why Green Smoothies? 

1. Simple and Affordable:

With minimal ingredients that are easily available at any grocery store, this breakfast won’t cost much and is easy to put together. It literally takes 2-3 minutes to prepare. And they’re super easy to take on the go, especially when you prep ahead.

2. Natural Energy Booster:

I love that it sends me out the door with up to 3-5 full servings of veggies and fruits in the mornings, leaving me less pressure to consume two huge salads for lunch and dinner to get my veggie count in.

3. Natural Weight Loss:

Weight loss can be a happy side effect of gulping these in place of a typical breakfast, although I’ve never used it for that purpose. As you get used to the taste, remember to include some healthy fats like seeds, and avocados to make it a complete meal.

4. Packed with Disease Fighting Phytonutrients:

The phytonutrients in leafy greens boost your body’s immune system and keep it functioning properly. Since the veggies are raw, there is no loss of nutrition from steaming or cooking them.

5. Regularity:

Green smoothies have very high fiber content. You know where I am going with this…

Play around and make this smoothie your own. Substitute romaine with another beginner-friendly green like spinach. Use coconut water instead of filtered water. Perhaps you like pineapples over grapes. Try a bit of raw, local honey instead of fruits. If you are suffering from season allergies, substitute lemon juice with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). To reduce inflammation, perhaps try adding turmeric (root or powder). Have fun and let me know your successes and failures.

Ideally, it is good to drink your green smoothie right away. I usually prep my veggies for the week and make my smoothie in the morning. In a bind, I do make it a day ahead, if I know I will have a super busy morning.

Here’s to good health!

Try out a few other delicious recipes from our “Drinks” section:

• Refreshing Watermelon-Mint-Ginger Smoothie
• Banana Avocado Smoothie
• Easy Homemade Kefir
• DIY Almond Milk
• Probiotic Kombucha
• Kaanji – A Fermented Drink
• Spiced Mulled Wine

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