Question for Green Smoothie Lovers

[Anonymous]

What blender do you use to make green smoothies?

Does your blender separate the juice from the pulp? Or is that function optional?


Do you usually rotate the greens that you use, or use a combination of greens? (for example, spinach one day, kale another, chard another, arugula another, etc) I once heard that it's dangerous if you don't rotate.


Could you make green smoothies in regular blenders? (like Walmart Hamilton Beach, etc)

[Anonymous]

Do you have a food processor? I have a simple mini food processor and that can purée baby spinach leaves pretty well. I add in a little water. Once I had the spinach blended I can add it to smoothies.

I don't make them often, so I can't answer your question about rotating greens.

[Anonymous]

I use the Nutribullet. It's quick & is very easy to clean. It isn't a juicer, so there is no separation. You don't need a juicer for green smoothies.

I mix up my greens, but not on a daily basis. I buy one bunch, use it up and then buy something different next time.

[Anonymous]

I have several green smoothies a week.

I use my regular $60 Oster blender from Buy Buy Baby. It's held up well. We've had it abt 6 months.

I only use spinach. Meaning to branch out to kale.

I think the trick is the order. Don't just toss it all in and blend.

We do the spinach and the milk first. Then add the frozen fruit.

[Anonymous]

Isn't the Nutribullet plastic? You might want to skip plastic and just get a blender with a glass jar.

[Anonymous]

BlendTec and Vitamix are the top of the line. I have the first. A regular blender will work but make sure you do just the greens first before you add in more stuff. I always use spinach because I find it's the easiest to cover the taste for the kids.
And no it's doesn't separate - you would buy a juicer for that.

[Anonymous]

How has drinking green smoothies daily affected your health & appearance?

[Anonymous]

Vitamix is awesome for green smoothies but loud and pricey. Stick with spinach and baby kale for a regular blender. I don't rotate on purpose, just throw whatever I have that day into the mix. However, I have found that adding pineapple -frozen or fresh - really helps to balance the flavor of the greens. Also, use more liquid than you think you need. If may be a little more watery than your juice bar smoothie but it'll help to really blend the greens in, up your water consumption and save your blender motor!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the Nutribullet plastic? You might want to skip plastic and just get a blender with a glass jar.

Plastic is fine to blend things in. You just don't want to heat it up.

[Anonymous]

I can't stand cleaning a blender or food processor, so I use an immersion blender, although I can't remember what brand mine is right now.

It's like this one: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/cuisinart-csb-33-hand-blender-quick-prep?ID=563962&cm_mmc=Google_DMA_Home_Electricc_PLA-_-PLA+Home+Brands+-+Electricc_PLA+-+Electricc+-+Cuisinart-_-22475635257_-_-_mkwid_IX59z1eZ|d{device}_22475635257%7C-%7CIX59z1eZ

I put all the ingredients (which for me is usually spinach, arugula, or kale; whatever fruit I have on hand (strawberries, banana, blueberries, peaches, melon, etc), a little plain greek yogurt, and some chia seed) in a tall tupperware and blend all together. Depending what fruit I use, if it needs some liquid I add a splash of water, milk or OJ. I pour it in a wide-mouth thermos, rinse the immersion wand, and I'm out the door! I usually don't use frozen fruit, but the chia seed causes the smoothie to thicken up by the time I drink it at my desk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How has drinking green smoothies daily affected your health & appearance?

Clearer skin and more energy. Also better and very regular poops.

[Anonymous]

For newbies this 30-day challenge is good.
http://simplegreensmoothies.com/

I don't think the order of the food in the blender matters much if you have a solid powerful blender. I use the Ninja.

[Anonymous]

I used to use a regular blender, but found that the product was way too chunky for my taste. Made me want to gag.

I switched to a Vitamix and there is no comparison.

My whole family drinks green smoothies daily, so I'm turning out 28 a week.

I do a combo of greens, whatever I can get in bulk, but predominantly kale, spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to use a regular blender, but found that the product was way too chunky for my taste. Made me want to gag.

I switched to a Vitamix and there is no comparison.

My whole family drinks green smoothies daily, so I'm turning out 28 a week.

I do a combo of greens, whatever I can get in bulk, but predominantly kale, spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens.

What do you add to make it not so bitter? A green apple? Some pineapple? I cannot imagine drinking nothing but bitter raw greens, and I say this as someone who loves lightly-cooked greens....

[Anonymous]

I use beets in every smoothie so mine aren't green at all but ridiculously good and healthy. I use apple or OJ, spinach or kale, a banana and a beet. I've lowered my blood pressure into a normal range after two years of it being high and lost 50 pounds.

I use a Vita-Mix so I can't comment on the the efficacy of other blenders except I know a few people that use Osters with success.