Get Back On Track With The ‘Works’ Green Smoothie

By Catherine Noonan on January 22, 2014 in Food

Christmas is over and the year is new. It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, getting healthy and shedding those Christmas kilos that somehow appeared upon your once slender frame. Where did they come from? That’s anyone’s guess. How can you get rid of them? That’s the easy bit!

A simple way to get back on track this January is by starting your day with a green smoothie. It’s the best way to feel instantly healthy, cleansed, and ready to attack the day (or the beach if you’re still on holidays).

Be warned, however, as this is not a recipe for those just wanting a cool drink. This really is a nutrient dense meal-in-a-cup that is bound to keep you feeling full all morning long. No juicing machinery is required; just put it all in your blender, whiz it up and it’s ready to go.

This smoothie recipe has plenty of greenery such as celery, spinach and kale, but it also has a few little extras that work to really enhance its flavour, density and goodness. Such extras include raw nut butter, which is full of protein, and goji berries, which are another wonderful antioxidant ‘super-food’.

I’ve also included Chia seeds, which are also super high in antioxidants and act as a natural thickener, lemon juice, which aids digestion, and a generous amount of cinnamon, which is said to have numerous benefits such as assisting with blood sugar control, cancer prevention, weight reduction and the relief of arthritis, IBS and even PMS, ladies. The banana and half a pear are largely there to enhance the flavour, and any fruit in season such as mango or the stone fruits would be perfect substitutes. If you use ripe, seasonal fruit you just can’t go wrong.

This recipe serves one, but can be adjusted accordingly, so see how you go and good luck getting back on track in the New Year!

Ingredients
1 large kale leaf, stalk removed
1 handful baby spinach leaves
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 banana
1/2 a pear
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp goji berries
2 tbsp nut butter*
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water

*I use raw almond or raw cashew butter

Method
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth.
2. Pour and serve immediately.

Storage
This recipe is best prepared fresh and consumed immediately, however, it will keep all right for one to two days in the refrigerator.