Kale Smoothie Mustache!
A kale smoothie makes a body good. This is my new saying since starting my smoothie addiction two weeks ago. For months, I heard that smoothies make you feel energized throughout the day. And gulp, they do. I swear.
And guess what the secret is? Kale.
Kale is a regular powerhouse of goodness. Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD states that
“[o]ne cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.”
Powerhouse indeed. Now before you turn up your nose since kale tends to be bitter, I promise you that you won’t taste it.
The Recipe:
My Kale Smoothie
Here is my favorite vegan protein smoothie recipe based upon a regular size blender. Make 2 servings:
- 1 cup and half of berries: strawberries, blueberries, or your favorite fruit. I have used blueberries, apples, strawberries, and plums. If you don’t want to measure, I usually load the blender with about half fruit. (You can use frozen fruit too. No need to defrost. Just skip the ice below.)
- Add a banana if you want extra sweetness. It really doesn’t need it.
- One and half cups of water. Use more or less depending on how thick you want the smoothie. I like to make my smoothies thin. (You can also use coconut milk or the milk of your choice.)
- 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds. Great Omega 3 source. (You can use flax if you want.)
- 2 Heaping Tablespoons of Nutribiotic Rice Protein Chocolate. (One heaping teaspoon is 12 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, and 2.5 grams of carbohydrates.) You can use whey or hemp powder instead. I can’t eat dairy or whey. (See note below.) This ingredient is optional.
- 2 scoops of Greens Today, each scoop contains 1500 milligrams of spirulina. (See here about the benefits of spirulina, a blue/green algae.)
- 1 cup or 5 stalks of organic Kale or any other greens. Take the leaves off the stems. (Keep the stems to make Chicken or Vegetable stock.)
- 2-3 ice cubes. (Note, skip this if you used frozen fruit.)
Add a couple of pieces of ice and you are ready to drink.
I don’t add any sugar since it doesn’t need it. If you want to make it sweeter, add a banana. I store frozen ripe ones in my freezer. A regular banana works great too.
Did my kids like it? No, because it was green probably from the spirulana powder. You could simply add more fruit to disguise the “green” look. Blueberries do a great job of disguising the “green” color.
Rice Powder Protein
You might be wondering why I use a rice protein product? Dairy and I don’t get along. The product is GMO free, vegan and gluten free and is available in vanilla, plain, and chocolate flavor. (Vanilla and plain come in certified organic varieties.) The chocolate variety is not organic. However, during my conversation with the Company, they confirmed that all of the ingredients were organic but not certified.
As for the rice, you are probably saying, “wait a second, Anna. Don’t you have an issue with the rice and arsenic?” The Company told me that their rice is sourced from China which has arsenic regulatory limits.
Some of My Green Gals’ Recipes
Listed below are my green gal friends’ recipes. You will notice they don’t use protein powder. I just like it since I am less hungry when I use it.
- Good Girl Gone Green’s Orange Strawberry Smoothie Delight and Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Smoothie
- Ecofriendly Family’s Mango Avocado Kale Smoothie (uses soy yogurt)
- Nature Moms’ 35 page e-book for kid-friendly smoothies. (affiliate link)
Join the Conversation:
- What do you include in your green smoothies? Link your post below.
- Have you found that you feel differently after consuming smoothies for awhile?
- Do you use protein powders or just greens?
Brenna @ Almost All The Truth says
June 5, 2012 at 5:23 pmLove my green smoothies! I have not added any protein powder yet, but may start as I gear up for the Go Green Get Fit Challenge. My biggest problem getting my kids to drink them is the color. Even when I add fruit, they can turn an unappetizing brown color. I need to work on that.
Here’s an old post about smoothies: http://www.almostallthetruth.c.....smoothies/
Deborah Davis says
October 30, 2014 at 3:49 pmHi Anna,
I love green smoothies too so I am delighted to read you kale smoothie recipe and post. I have been adding hemp powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, dried coconut, raw almond butter and seasonal fruit to my kale smoothie. I have not used rice protein yet.