Apple-Ginger-Cucumber Green Smoothie

Green smoothies! Do you love them? Hate them? Have no opinion on them whatsoever? If it wasn’t clear by this, this, and this. I loveeee them.

Well, I love all smoothies, not just the green ones. Pink, purple, orange, brown, you name it. No need to discriminate! Every color is beautiful. And delicious.

A variety of fresh fruits and veggies, what’s not to love?! My recent obsession, the one I’m sharing with you today, is this apple-ginger-cucumber green smoothie. In it is – yes, you guessed it – apples, ginger, and cucumber, but I also throw in some greens, spirulina, chia seeds, apple cider vinegar, almond milk, and Greek yogurt. Everything about this smoothie is super healthy and makes my body smile. If dairy does not make your body smile, no worries, replace the Greek yogurt with some vanilla protein powder. Trust me, you’ll want that dose of protein in there to help keep your tummy filled and happy for more than 61 minutes.

Andddd back up a second, spirulina. Have you heard of it? If not, spirulina is a blue-green algae powder that contains all essential amino acids, plus a ton of vitamins and minerals – a “superfood”, if you will. It boasts to improve the immune system, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, energy levels, allergies, etc. I will warn you that it does have a noticeable taste at first (not bad, just different). I use Pure Hawaiian Spirulina pacifica. The jar has lasted me many, many months.

While we’re focusing on ingredients, let’s quickly talk about two more: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and chia seeds. ACV is a powerful tonic that is rich in enzymes and potassium. It claims to support a healthy immune system, promote digestion, and help with weight loss. I take a watered down shot of Bragg’s Organic “with the mother” every morning. Ch-ch-ch-chia seeds are packed full of protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and claim to be quite good for your heart.

There are a lot of articles and research out there on the internets that support these things. There are also a lot out there that say it’s all hype. I’ll let you do your own googling and opinion-forming. Now back to the green smoothies as a whole. Smoothies are easy to make, but they still take a just a leeetle bit of prep. So, because I will take all the spare morning minutes I can get to either sleep or to drink coffee and read blogs I have two tips:

• Buy fresh ginger, peel it, chop it up, and store it in the freezer. That way you always have “fresh” ginger on hand to throw into stir fry, smoothies, etc.
• Cut up the apple and cucumber at night. The cucumber goes into the fridge and the apple goes into the freezer (A, so it won’t brown and B, so it thickens up the smoothie without having to add a lot of ice).

Then all you gotta do in the morning is throw those tasty ingredients into a blender. Bada bing bada boom you have a delicious, healthy, satisfying breakfast.

I know this recipe may scream, “SUMMER!” to you, but it’s 35 degrees in January in Minnesota. That’s basically summer. FYI, this recipe makes 2-16 ounce smoothies. I drink the whole thing and it keeps me full and satisfied until lunch. If you split it with someone (which is oh so nice of you) you’ll probably want a little something extra to go with it or maybe throw in a banana and some extra Greek yogurt.

Besides being absolutely amazing and delicious, smoothies are so versatile. I always throw in chia seeds, spirulina, and Greek yogurt or protein powder, but I do switch up the fruits, veggies, and flavors from week to week. A few weeks ago I used sumo mandarins, blueberries, kale, and coconut water. Last week I used banana and avocado with chocolate protein powder. I mean, why not mix things up and get crazy first thing in the morn!??!!

What’s your favorite smoothie combination?