With the combination of greens, lemon, pineapple, flax, and ginger, this smoothie is an anti-inflammatory win! Don’t worry, the flavors are balanced, so it also tastes really good!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup filtered water (adjust as needed)
- 2 ½–3 cups (packed) organic spinach leaves (see note for substitutions)
- ½ cup fresh parsley (see note)
- 1/2 small organic lemon
- 1 cup frozen underripe banana (rich in resistant starch)
- 1 cup frozen pineapple or choose a low glycemic fruit (see note)
- ½ cup cucumber, rough cut in large chunks (unpeeled with seeds)
- 1–1 ½ Tbsp flax meal or 2–3 Tbsp hemp seeds
- small piece of fresh ginger (peeling optional); about 1 tsp
Directions
- Add all ingredients (starting with 1 cup water) to a blender.
- Blend on high for a minute or more, to desired consistency, and adding extra water if needed to blend or for thinner smoothies; blending time will depend on the type of blender used.
Spinach subs:
Other greens can be substituted here. Chard is the most similar to spinach, but you might want to use slightly less, perhaps 2 cups (and strip the leaves from the stems). Kale or collard leaves can also be used, though the flavor of kale and collards is stronger because they belong to the cruciferous family. If using these greens, start with 1 ½ cups, and then adjust with more if you are okay with the flavor. Before adding the kale, strip the leaves from the tough stems. Also, pineapple really helps mask the flavor of kale and collards, so you could try more pineapple instead of the mango.
Greens:
I make my smoothies quite "green" with less fruit in this recipe. Over time, you adjust to the intensity of the flavor of greens. So, adjust this recipe to your own taste as you go!
Underripe bananas:
Green bananas are less sweet and contain less sugar than riper yellow bananas. They also have more resistant starch, which may benefit blood sugar management and your overall health.
Fruit subs:
Other fruits to switch up or add include a freshly peeled orange (seeds ok!), a handful of green grapes, an apple (just cut away from the core), or frozen organic peaches. Berries are another excellent addition and offer even more anti-inflammatory benefits. Keep in mind when adding berries, however, that the color of the smoothie will change from a vibrant green to a more murky color!
