Hmmm…that’s a tough one, right? I won’t take your time trying to convince you the nutritional value of veggies + fruit is superior to that of dye + alcohol. I think you know which is best for you this St. Patty’s Day, so let’s skip straight to some recipes so you can get your green on!
Check out these videos and recipes for “the Green Melon” and “Drink Your Veggies” green smoothies: a collaboration with Kim Beavers of Eating Well with Kim, WRDW News Channel 12, and the graduate dietetic interns from Augusta University. Enjoy!
“The Green Melon”
2 cups washed organic spinach, lightly packed
¾ cup water
1 small ripe or ½ of a large banana (preferably frozen)
2 cups frozen or fresh honeydew melon
1. Place the spinach in a blender or food processor and process until very fine. You
may need to add water to aid the blending of the spinach.
2. Add the fruit next (frozen bananas will add a creaminess) and blend until smooth.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 120, Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 70mg,
Carbohydrate 30g, Fiber 4g, Protein 2g
Plate Plan choices: 1 vegetable, 2 fruits
“Drink Your Veggies”
¾ cup original soy milk
½ cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1 small ripe banana or ½ large banana
½ cup shredded carrot
1 cup washed organic kale or spinach, lightly packed
1 tablespoon flaxseeds/flaxseed meal
1. Add the ingredients to the blender in the order listed.
2. Start blender on low and gradually increase to high and blend until a smooth
texture is obtained.
Yield: 2 servings (qualify’s as a “Strong Snack” thought the calories are a bit low)
Nutrition Breakdown: Calories 160, Fat 3g (0g saturated), Cholesterol 0mg,
Carbohydrate 31g, Fiber 5g, Sodium 70mg, Protein 5g
Plate-Plan choices: 1 ½ vegetables, 1 fruit, ½ milk, ½ fat
If you want other healthy recipes for smoothies and more, download the E-book version of my Cookbook here!
