Spring Green Smoothie

I don’t love vegetables. I mean, in a perfect world I know I should, but in reality they end up way down the list of priorities. Unless you count cocoa beans. Those are a vegetable, right? And coffee beans?

My hubby, on the other hand, is a health nut. He loves all things protein- and micronutrient-rich, and he starts everyday with a workout or a run, while I’m still asleep. So recently, when I mentioned I might want to get a Vitamix blender so that I could start adding more veggies into my diet, he was completely supportive. Then we did a little research into how much they cost, and his encouragement started to waver a little. In the end, the decision was made for us by a cash-back reward check that came in the mail, and off we went to buy our blender. And about $100 of veggies. Darn you, Costco!

Our blender came with a giant book of recipes, and we immediately got down to business blending everything we could get our hands on. Mango daiquiri or vanilla coconut ice cream, anybody?

But soon, I decided I better buckle down and get some veggies going if I was going to justify this ridiculously expensive appliance. We quickly found that we liked just experimenting and throwing a bunch of healthy stuff in, and seeing what came out. I also found that what the hubby throws in there is super-healthy, but not super-yummy. He thinks the worse it tastes, the healthier it must be. Me, on the other hand, I need a balance. It’s got to taste good, or I won’t drink it. Then I stumbled upon this combination, and I like it so much, I thought I’d share it with you.

Spring Green Smoothie

Ingredients: (for 1 serving)

• 10-15 green grapes
• 1/2 green apple, cored and quartered
• 1-2 inches of cucumber
• 1-2 cups spinach
• 1 cup ice cubes

Process:

You can do this in any kind of blender (this is not an endorsement for Vitamix), but you may have to cut the pieces smaller and use crushed ice.

1. Wash the grapes and throw them in the blender.
2. Core the apple, cut it in half and save one half for later. Cut the half you’re using into about 4 pieces. Throw the pieces in the blender on top of the grapes.
3. Cut about an inch or two from a washed cucumber (no peeling necessary) and drop into blender.
4. Throw in a couple handfuls of spinach.
5. Dump the ice on top.
6. Blend until completely smooth, occasionally tamping down ingredients if necessary.
7. Drink immediately!

This smoothie is refreshing and surprisingly filling! Now that the days are getting warmer, it’s perfect for a sunny afternoon, or after a run, if you’re like my husband. (Although, if you’re really like him, you’d prefer your smoothie with all sorts of odd things like raw eggs, flax seed, celery, etc.)

I count it as a win because it’s got no added sugar and two kinds of veggies!