Let me just start by saying that I don’t even know how many green smoothies I’ve made in my lifetime, but there have been a lot.
In my early green smoothie days many years back, I remember taking my mason jar of green goo to the office and no one – I mean no one – had ever heard of a green smoothie before. Back in the day, green smoothies didn’t exactly make you very popular…
These days green smoothies are everywhere and there’s never been a better time to get on board the green smoothie train.
Why are green smoothies so good for us?
- Green smoothies are an easy and delicious way to get more dark, leafy greens into our diets. Dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens or chard are great for enhancing the immune system, purifying the blood, and rejuvenating the body. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll, and many other micronutrients.
- Green smoothies are really easy to digest. Since the greens are blended up, your body doesn’t have to work as hard in order to extract the nutrients and it is much easier on your digestive system. So, if you are someone that has digestive issues, this is a perfect way to get more nutrients in your diet.
However, many of the vitamins in dark, leafy greens are fat soluble, meaning that we need to eat fat with our greens in order to absorb these nutrients. So, if we don’t add a source of healthy fats to our smoothies, we’re missing the benefits! Yikes!
Some of my favorite ways to add healthy fats to my green smoothies include adding 1 – 2 tablespoons of:- full-fat coconut milk
- (unsweetened) shredded coconut
- almonds or almond butter
- cashews
- walnuts
- avocado
- pumpkin seeds
- flaxseed oil
- chia seeds
I’ve also found that adding a bit of fat helps to make the smoothie more filling, especially if you’re using it as an afternoon snack or post-workout recovery drink.
Below is one of my favorite recipes that uses raw cashews to create a creamy base. It’s lightly sweet from the coconut water and I opted not to add fruit to keep the sugar content lower. If you’re looking for more smoothie inspiration, check out my kale smoothie for ladies, myfruit-free green smoothie, and my spring detox smoothie.
What are your favorite ways to add healthy fats to green smoothie? Leave a comment below and share your favorite combo!
CASHEW SPINACH SMOOTHIE
PREP TIME
TOTAL TIME
Author: Sonnet
Recipe type: Smoothie
Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons raw cashews
- 2 heaping cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup coconut water
- 3 ice cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add cashews, spinach, coconut water, and ice to a blender. Blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
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