Lean Green Refreshing Machine

Perfectly blended spinach, cilantro, pineapple, green apple, and ginger make this an incredibly refreshing, yet filling smoothie. Blending this juice keeps the fiber IN (instead of out, like juicing.) Plus, did you know that most of a fruit’s nutrients are hidden right under the skin’s surface? Those are also lost with juicing, making this a one-two-punch for both your immune system and your digestive system.

Now let’s get blending!

You may recognize that cup. It’s for my wonderful NutriBullet! I’ve had mine for about two years now, and have NEVER had any issues. It’s wonderful, and can blend just about anything. I even make pesto in here. However, for the most part, my NutriBullet is reserved just for yummy juices like these. And this one is my absolute favorite.

Now, I love cilantro. If you don’t love cilantro, this recipe may not be for you. I’d recommend only using a little bit, or even omiting it completely. It’s still great without it. Research has shown there is an actual genetic defect in a small percentage of the population where to them, cilantro literally tastes like soap. That sounds terrible. While I am glad to enjoy cilantro on essentially anything, how horrible would it be to have a delicious fresh taco with some soap spilled on it? Pretty bad, right. So cilantro haters, I am sorry. But this one just may not be for you.

I also choose to use spinach in my juices rather than kale. I rarely juice at all, and stick mostly to blending. Kale just doesn’t do as well in the blender as spinach does. Kale leaves a lot of its tough stems and leaves in the mixture (no matter how hard you blend, trust me. I’ve tried.) while spinach very easily turns into a cohesive juice. After all, spinach is predominantly water anyway.

Important note is to use frozen fruit in this smoothie, because this will cool it down to a very pleasant temperature. Some smoothies use ice cubes, but I think that waters them down too much. Frozen fruit blends perfectly, and really does the trick temperature-wise. I used frozen pineapple from a larger variety of frozen fruit that I bought from the grocery store. The apple I used, however, was not frozen! So don’t worry about freezing your apples. (Side note- I do refrigerate my apples, but that’s a personal preference.) If you still want a colder smoothie, just add ice cubes at the end!

Ginger is also added because it is seriously fantastic for your digestive system. It has been used for hundreds of years as a digestive helper and adds a wonderful freshness to any smoothie/juice. If you haven’t used it already, now’s your chance! Tip: mince the ginger before blending, it will eliminate any chunks.

Chia seeds are optional, but I highly suggest them. If there’s anyway to get a smoothie to “stick to your ribs” its chia. Chia seeds can absorb up to 10 times their weight in water, making them the perfect addition. They’ve also got a ton of fiber and omega-3’s. Win-win!

Alright, so get your blender and let’s get to it!

Ingredients: (for one large smoothie)

Two large handfuls of spinach
One small bunch cilantro
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
One small apple
One-inch “thumb” of ginger
One Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)
Slice of lemon (optional)

Blend:

Place spinach, cilantro, pineapple, apple, and ginger in a blender. Try to place the tougher stuff (like frozen pineapple, ginger, and apple) closer towards the blade and spinach more at the top.
Fill with as much water as desired. You can kinda see the water line in the above picture, but I usually aim to cover most of the greens, and that’s it. Side note: you can also use coconut water, aloe water, non-dairy milk, or pretty much anything in place of water. I just like to keep it simple.
Blend, blend, blend until it has reached desired consistency.
Top with a squeeze of lemon and chia seeds

And there you have it! The lean, green, refreshing machine. The fruits in this smoothie add a nice bit of natural sweetness, which is balanced out by the ginger, cilantro, and lemon with a solid base of spinach.

Clean-up tip: Wash (or at least rinse) your blender immediately. It will come right off, and nothing is worse than leaving that stuff in there to stick on for eternity. Nothing.