Shopping List for Smoothies

This is a great time to start experimenting with Smoothies and Juicing.   With summer fresh food markets coming you will have an abundance of organic fresh fruits and vegetables to try in your drinks.  Let’s get started with some information on great greens and vegetables.

Green Veggies for Smoothies

Juicing fruits only isn’t a good idea because you miss out on the nutrients found in vegetables.  Fruits are sweet and add a great flavor to juices and smoothies.   It is ideal to have more vegetables than fruits in your mixes.  Let’s look at the most powerful veggies and the ones that you should eat daily.

Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals. They’re also generally sweet and can be combined with fruit to create a delicious but odd looking, smoothie or juice.

• Kale – Kale is the king of dark leafy greens. It’s also quite popular in the supermarket. There are different types of kale but they’re all extraordinarily nutritious.

Kale is rich in calcium which makes it excellent for people who cannot consume dairy products. Additionally, it tastes quite nice with apples, bananas, and berries.

• Spinach –  The flavor is mild and blends well.  In addition to a bit of calcium it also contains an abundance of vitamin K. It’s packed with many other important vitamins and minerals including A, B, and E and it has the minerals your body needs. Like kale, spinach pairs nicely with many fruits.
• Dandelion Greens – Dandelion greens can be a little bitter and you’ll want to add some sweetness to a smoothie with this ingredient. It is an excellent detoxifier however. If you want to detox, it’s particularly useful for ridding the kidney, liver and pancreas from toxins.

Many health experts often recommend dandelion tea as part of a detox diet. You don’t have to drink the tea, simply juice or blend the greens into a smoothie. It’s also a mild diuretic and has been shown to clear up acne. It’s rich in many minerals including calcium and iron.

• Wheatgrass – Wheat grass is considered one of the healthiest things you can put into your body. In fact, many health experts recommend getting a daily shot of wheat grass.  You can grow or buy it in grass form or you can buy it bottled and simply add a shot of it to your juice or smoothie.

Wheatgrass helps neutralize free radicals, those pesky elements that cause cancer and damage cells. It contains enzymes which stimulate healthy digestion. It also contains vitamin A, chlorophyll, potassium, and magnesium.

• Parsley – Parsley isn’t exactly a green. It’s an herb, like cilantro or basil. However it is healthy enough to have its own category here. It contains chlorophyll and is a detoxifier. And if you add garlic or onions to your smoothie it can help your breath. It has a mild flavor so you can add it to just about any juice.

This Veggie Green’s list is by no means exhaustive. You can add turnip greens, herbs, and collard greens too. Beet greens are fun to add if you enjoy beets. Experiment with greens. You might be surprised how much you like some greens in juice and Smoothie form.

Other Veggies to Blend and Juice

There are dozens of different vegetables to add to your juice and smoothie lifestyle. And because produce is seasonal, you can focus on buying the fruits and vegetables that are in season and save money. You’ll also get the freshest produce when you buy what’s in season. Let’s begin with everyone’s favorite vegetable.

• Carrot – Who doesn’t love carrots? They’re sweet, they’re crunchy, and they are packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin C. When juicing, you don’t have to peel them, you can just pop them into the juicer and enjoy.
• Beets – Beets add a glorious color to your smoothies and juices and they’re rich in iron as well as many other beneficial minerals.
• Peppers – Green, red, orange, and yellow, sweet peppers are rich in vitamin c and have lots of antioxidants. And if you want to add a kick to your tomato juice you can always toss part of a hot pepper into your juicer or blender.
• Tomatoes – Tomatoes aren’t a veggie that you can use casually in juices or smoothies. They don’t blend well with a multitude of flavors. However, if you enjoy a Bloody Mary type cocktail then you can enjoy a non-alcoholic smoothie or juice version of it. Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene and myriad other nutrients. They also juice quiet easily.
• Cabbage – Cabbage is one of the many cruciferous vegetables that are excellent for fighting cancer, detoxifying your body, and improving digestion. Other cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. They’re all excellent for regulating blood sugar as well.
• Celery – Celery is an excellent vegetable to juice and blend. It has diuretic properties and is a detoxifier. It also contains potassium and has been used to lower blood pressure. Celery stalks, including the greens, can be washed and popped into the blender or juicer whole. No trimming or peeling required.
• Sweet Potatoes – Okay, so sweet potatoes aren’t what you normally think about when you think about juicing and smoothies. However, you can juice them. They’re packed with beta carotene (it is what gives them the orange color). They also have iron, vitamin b and vitamin c. You can also enjoy turnips and yams in your juice or Smoothies.