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Best Three-Ingredient Smoothie (and Green Smoothie)

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Aren’t smoothies beautiful? The vibrant greens, purples and pinks are amazing, and can mean that they are amazing for your body.

Most people eat about a third of the government recommendations of fruits and vegetables; most Americans are eating just over a cup of vegetables and half a cup of fruit every day. What we need is 2 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day and 2 cups of fruit. At least half of our plates at each meal should be fruits and vegetables. We should aim to eat 5 cups and five colors each day for a wide variety of the nutrients and phytochemicals we need. Phytochemicals are pigments that create the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables. They protect the plant itself and they protect our bodies too. The colors are: red, yellow/orange, white, green, blue/purple. Each have unique antioxidants, vitamins and minerals we need to fight the signs of aging and disease.

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Have your kids help you fill your shopping cart with all the colors and then to eat each color every day. Drinking a green smoothie is a great way to get many of your recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Your health is an investment: eat well now or repair it later… if you can.
We mainly make 2 smoothies around here: a green smoothie and a yogurt smoothie. The great thing about a green smoothie is that you can toss in (pretty much) whatever fruits or vegetables you have laying around that are on the brink of death, like bananas that won’t be good tomorrow, that half bag of kale that’s been in the crisper for a while but is still good… you get the idea. You can also buy up a bunch of berries when they are dirt cheap and freeze them for smoothies. The great thing about a yogurt smoothie is that… it’s SUPER delicious. Oh, and it’s three ingredients: plain yogurt, honey and whatever frozen berry you’d like to use. It is sweet but a great way to get some calcium into your diet… and maybe some raw local honey if you’re trying to lessen the misery of seasonal allergies, if you subscribe to that theory. Side note: frozen berries are every bit as good for you as fresh, as they are picked at the peak of freshness when their nutrient content is usually at their highest. We love Costco for their huge bags of berries and frozen mixed fruit, which are priced relatively well.
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 Very Basic Green Smoothie:
(Inspired by Green Smoothie Girl – makes 8 cups/2 quarts)
18 – 20 oz. water
***Optional if you are a beginner:
1 – 2 packets Emergen-C, Stevia, or other sweetener
4 c spinach and/or other greens
Blend until smooth.
1 gala apple cut into chunks
1 fresh/frozen banana cut into chunks
2 cups fresh/frozen purple grapes
Blend until smooth.
3 c Costco’s “Festival Blend” frozen fruit
Blend until smooth.

Yogurt & Berry Smoothie:

(As seen on the “Mountain High Yogurt container)
Pulse 2 c. plain yogurt with ¼ c. honey in a blender till smooth.
Add 4 c. frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or mixed berries, and mix with a spoon so they don’t form a big frozen clump.
Blend until smooth.
smoothie collage

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