all about green

Green Drinks are my long time morning friend- they keep me full, are a snap to prepare and fill me with extra servings of veggies first thing in the morning. I tend to stick with this recipe each morning {the protein powder is optional}.

While my green drinks have a similar consistency to traditional juices- I make my drinks using a regular blender {but if you want to buy me a VitaMix, I will accept!} so they are a tad bit thicker and tend to require a good stir right before drinking. 

These 'whole food blended drinks' are full of health benefits*:

Fiber: Blending instead of juicing retains the natural fiber of the fruits and vegetables! This does wonders for your digestive system and is healthy to consume daily. 

Add-Ins: Blended drinks take well to nutritional goodies like chia seeds, ground flaxseed and protein powder- your drink will already have a bit of texture, so what is a little bit more!

Meal Replacement: Because of all the fiber, nutrients and add-ins, a full glass of a green drink can keep you completely satisfied for around 3 hours.

Quick + Easy: The fruits and veggies just need a rough chop then in they go, the blender takes care of the rest and you aren't left having to clean out a juicer or deal with pulp.

Deceptively Delicious: Add the veggies you normally wouldn't reach for and all of a sudden you are introducing new foods and nutrients to your body- without having to really taste them.

{Some points to note:}

Pre-made drinks only last about 3-4 days

Blend for as little time as possible {under a minute}

If the consistency isn't as thin as you like- just add water. It's better to have more juice on hand than to 'over blend' and risk too much oxidation. 

If you prefer cold smoothie-like drinks- freeze the fruit you are using or toss in some ice cubes

After drinking 'blended whole food drinks/Green Drinks' for about a year I tend to stick with the same recipe but after coming home from the lake this weekend with a sack full of fruits I don't usually have on hand, I had the chance to make some new combinations!!! Yay for change!

I pre-made the drinks last night and Josh and I will be drinking them throughout the week as afternoon snacks. I plan to post the recipes throughout the week so you can try them too! 

go green! 

check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:

• the green 411: tips & tricks to great drinks + my everyday drink recipe
• blended & roasted: the green drink formula
• TIU update: a new protein powder
• keep your peel on: recipe for a frozen green drink treat
• the cleanse: my DIY whole food drink cleanse
• veggie juice overload: a pink drink option
• tropical transport: tropical protein shake recipe
• prepping for healthy: the bounce back smoothie recipe

*news alert: I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, just a girl that loves to drink her veggies & blog