Green smoothies are the perfect way to get your vitamins and minerals, plus energy and a great taste.
The Stripped Green Smoothie can be your go-to smoothie for when you need a boost of fiber in your diet if you want to compliment a meal with a green smoothie loaded with greens, or need a snack on the go that’ll fill you up with the good stuff. It’s loaded with dark leafy greens, hydrating vegetables like cucumber, a banana for the sweetness, lots of citrus, and a couple other delicious ingredients that make this green smoothie not taste so much “green”, but delicious!
Freshly made fruit and vegetable smoothies are especially great in the morning to wake up your digestive system with all the fiber-rich vegetables and fruits and keep you moving right along. Not to mention, it’s great knowing you’ve had about 1/3 of your daily fiber needs in one large glass of this smoothie.
What is the Stripped Green Smoothie?
Think energy in a glass mixed with prebiotic foods for better digestive health and better digestion the next day with all the fiber! The Stripped Green Smoothie is simply a high-quality, nutrient-dense, easily-digestible (i.e. because it’s been blended!) green smoothie. It’s stripped of anything else but organic raw vegetables, greens, and fruits which you can get very creative with using what greens and fruits you have in season.
If you want to make this smoothie a meal, you can use this recipe as a base to build upon with other ingredients such as adding in more healthy fats, protein powders, or extra fruit which I commonly do if I’m on the go.
The Benefits of Each Green Smoothie Ingredient
These ingredients make the Stripped Green Smoothie, unlike any other green smoothie. All of them have a special purpose and role in making this the green smoothie you’ll want to keep on hand.
Cinnamon
A natural blood sugar stabilizer and perfect for combining with the sugar from fruits.
Turmeric
A powerhouse of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and other health benefits. Read more about its properties in this blog post about turmeric.
Cayenne
Just a little dash will do! It stimulates digestion and metabolism, boosts the immune system, prevents stomach ulcers, and fights inflammation.
Parsley
It tastes refreshing but is also a rich source of antioxidant nutrients with chemoprotective compounds (aka anti-cancer!)
Cilantro
If you eat fish often, cilantro is great to incorporate into your smoothies to help rid the body of heavy metals.
Brazil nuts
To combat the large amounts of raw kale used in this smoothie, Brazil nuts are incredibly high in selenium which supports iodine levels and therefore, supports a healthy thyroid. Selenium is also a crucial mineral in the conversion of T4 to T3 (an active form of thyroid hormone, low T3 may indicate hypothyroidism). Just one brazil nut a day meets 137% of your daily value for selenium!
Tips For Making Green Smoothies
Ideally, when making this smoothie or any fresh smoothie containing raw vegetables and fruits, you want to consume directly after making to ensure less nutrient loss. Although you lose some nutrients (minimal) during the blending and storing process, this is far better than not drinking this glorious smoothie at all!
Therefore, when making this in a batch, I highly recommend storing it in airtight containers with minimal space left at the top for trapped air. Another alternative is storing it in the freezer and thawing it out in the refrigerator the evening before drinking it. When making a large batch of this, sometimes I’ll keep all the fruit out of this recipe and store in airtight containers. Then, once I’m ready to enjoy the smoothie I’ll re-blend, add the fresh or frozen fruit, and enjoy!
To have the optimal texture, using a high-speed blender is vital! It’ll create a velvety smooth texture that makes drinking greens enjoyable and delicious. If you don’t own a high-speed blender remember these tips. Add water first, followed by the most water-rich fruits and veggies. Blend one at a time until smooth, then continue adding more ingredients.
