Powerberry Green Smoothie

If you haven't heard, juicing and smoothies are all the rage right now. Several of the food blogs I follow have mentioned either a juice fast or smoothie craze since the New Year. Why shouldn't they? Juicing and smoothies are a great way to sneak in raw vegetables that are essential for a daily diet. I am usually not one of those "jump, how high" kind of girls, but I had to give it a shot.

Plain Ole' Blender

Since we don't have an $800 Vitamix or juicer, I had to experiment with my Cuisinart blender that we received as a wedding gift (thank you, Becky)!! I have to say, it is pretty dang powerful and does the job perfectly. I wanted a smoothie that contained a good amount of raw vegetables, but hidden under a mask of sweet fruit taste. After many attempts, and a few rough breakfast smoothies to take down, I resulted with the below recipe. 

I first experimented with frozen fruits and refrigerated raw vegetables. By using frozen fruit, there is no need for ice cubes which can water down the taste. A frozen banana is a great secret tip for a creamy, smooth texture. We usually buy a bulk of bananas at the store since we eat them a lot. Freezing bananas are a great alternative for keeping almost too-ripen bananas. Simply peel, wrap and freeze for future smoothies!

30-Day Shred

This smoothie, along with some of my other healthy habits, have all come at a great time. Today, is the start of a 30-day shred with my friend, Virginia! 

I have not been running or exercising like my normal self since the marathon. Something about running 26.2 miles just makes your body want to stop for a while. But my dear friend Virginia is starting Jillian Michael's infamous 30-day Shred today! Every day of February, we are going to do one of Jillian's 30 minute workouts. Day 1 successfully completed!

Powerberry Green Smoothie

Serves: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes

1 organic banana (preferably frozen)

1 cup frozen whole organic blueberries

1 cup almond milk (or regular milk)

1 organic pear, quartered

small handful of fresh spinach (optional)

1/2 medium cucumber or 1 small one, halve

1 Medjool date, pit removed (or 1 tsp honey)

1 tsp chia seeds

Place the banana and blueberries into a blender and pulse until it starts to break down. Add in the milk, pear, spinach, cucumber and date and blend until well combined and smooth. Quickly add in the chia seeds, pulse 2 times and serve immediately.

Additional Notes:
 - Honey or maple syrup (Grade B) is a great substitute for the Medjool date. I usually always have dates in my kitchen for the Raw Brownies.
 - This smoothie can easily accommodate any type of frozen fruit or vegetables, depending on the power of your blender. Since I don't have a super, subsonic speed one, I tend to stick with softer fruits and vegetables.