If the thought of a bright green smoothie packed with veggies makes you shudder, you're probably not alone. Until two years ago, I felt pretty much the same way. In my case, this anti-vegetables-in-smoothie stance developed with the advent of the juicing trend that stemmed from Los Angeles. Juices – in this case, pressed juices — and smoothies aren't quite the same but trendy green juices were how I came to understand what a drinkable vegetable would taste like.
What I discovered was that most of them tasted like liquified grass. I did not acquire a taste for it. Despite giving green juices a good hard try over the years as friends and celebrities proclaimed their love for the stuff, I began to associate those brightly-colored bevvies with disappointment.
Cut to two years ago when I visited my mother and she insisted on making a green smoothie in her beloved blender for me. Although I was fully prepared to gulp it down like medicine to humour her, it turned out to be really good. It was fruity, not bitter, and though it was very green, thanks to spinach, the dominant flavours came from the green apples and orange juice she'd used.
In that moment, my stomach's heart grew three sizes to accept Grinch-coloured smoothies.
Spinach
If you're already buying bagged spinach for the week for some healthy, green lunches, why not use it in a smoothie too? With enough fruit in the mix, the spinach flavour fades to the background so you can enjoy a healthy boost in your smoothie without a weird savoury aftertaste.
You can also use frozen spinach – just be prepared for your smoothie to come out in a darker shade of green.
Ellie Krieger's recipe uses a mix of green fruits and green tea as the liquid base for a smoothie with vibrant colour. Fresh mint helps to add an extra refreshing boost.
Green Goddess Power Boost Smoothie
180g of spinach might sound like a lot but with apple and kiwi charge on the flavour front, the result is as delicious as anything else on this list. If you favour smoothies with more sweetness, the teaspoon of agave nectar will do just the trick.
Kale
You can have your kale and drink it too!
This healthy drink has a cup of kale (as well as a dash of flaxseed for an omega 3 boost) and is packed with pineapple and grapes to keep things tasty.
Along with go-to green smoothie ingredients like kale, orange juice, banana and grapes, this recipe includes pear for additional flavour and texture.
Beets
Veggie smoothies don't have to be green. Raw or cooked, beets will add a slight earthy flavour (as with any ingredient, if you don't like the taste of beets, don't use them) and rich redness to your smoothies.
Fresh or frozen berries are paired here with a thinly sliced beet for an antioxidant-rich mix.
Vanilla yogurt and cocoa powder help turn this berry and beet smoothie into a drinkable dessert.
Carrots
Naturally sweet and great in desserts (carrot cake, anyone?), carrots are best paired with orange juice and lighter-coloured produce for a blended beverage with a bright orange hue.
Ree Drummond's 5-star recipe uses a base of creamy Greek yoghurt and a mix of sweet and tropical fruits for a flavourful carrot-infused smoothie in just 5 minutes.
Pumpkin
Also naturally sweet, pumpkin sets itself apart here as a vegetable you'd actually want to be the main flavour in a smoothie, rather than being hidden under bright fruit flavours. Plus, you can use pumpkin puree to enjoy autumnal notes year-round.
Katie Lee builds a milkshake-like breakfast smoothie with pumpkin puree, milk, yogurt, bananas and pumpkin pie spice.
No fruit? No problem. Amp up the natural, warm sweetness of pumpkin with maple syrup and ginger, and add some additional tang with yogurt and apple cider vinegar.
Cabbage
Finally, we have cabbage. It works, but it's best in small doses.
Ree's delicious smoothie ice pops hide some red cabbage within their berry-flavored depths.
