Green Smoothies- No, They Don't Taste Green!
Although the color can be off-putting, green smoothies have never failed to satisfy my sweet tooth! In my experience, getting people to like green smoothies is half as hard as getting them to try them! They just can’t get past that color: GREEN
After trying to convince people to try a “superfood smoothie,” “energizing smoothie,” and “pink flamingo smoothie,” (the vexing name of the recipe), I was finally able to entice people to try it by the title “nice cream.”
A term used by foodies and manufacturers alike, nice cream is generally ice cream made with a banana base instead of a cream base. It is much lower in fat and calories, and can pack quite the nutritional punch if the right ingredients are added!
Another base commonly used for nice cream is frozen mango. This really gives it a creamy consistency, making it closer to ice cream than if just frozen bananas are used. Also, for those who don’t like the flavor of bananas *cough cough Kevin* it can be a great alternative! I often use both in my smoothies, which I prefer to eat with a spoon.
I use a similar recipe for many of my smoothies, including frozen banana, frozen mango, greens, protein powder, and almond milk. I mix in different berries or other fruits for endless flavors and hide all sorts of greens under the bright reds, blues, and yellows!
These are my favorite greens to hide in smoothies:
Spinach
Kale
Romaine
Mint
The thing about these amazingly nutritious greens is that they are GREEN. And no one wants to drink a green smoothie. At least not many of the people I talked to on this particular day. I was able to get some of them to try it by calling it nice cream, but many still turned their heads, put off by the color.
So I get creative with my smoothies. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are my go-to’s for green smoothie disguises. They all have strong fruit flavors, which helps mask the fact that you put vegetables in your smoothie. Other fruits I like to use for flavor include: pineapple, orange, lime, lemon, and grapefruit. But don’t stop there! Try out other fruits and veggies and let me know what your favorite recipes are! And don’t be afraid if they turn out GREEN!
