Apple-A-Day Green Smoothie

By blum099

Ingredients

• 3 cups (packed) swiss chard leaves or kale leaves or collard greens (tough part of stalks removed and discarded) (see note for substituting kale/collards, and “Go-Green With Smoothies” section in LTEV)
• 1-2 small-medium apples (your fave, I like sweet orin, gala, fuji!) (see other fruit suggestions in savvy subs)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen sliced banana (fairly ripe/overripe is best)
• 1/2 - 1 cup frozen mango (or 1 fresh large orange, peel removed)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup cucumber, rough cut in large chunks
• 2-3 tbsp hemp seeds (optional); and/or 1-2 tbsp “Tropical Tango” Shake & Go Smoothie by Vega (optional, but great flavor!)
• 3/4 - 1 cup water or coconut water

Preparation

Step 1

Add all ingredients to a blender and puree for a couple of minutes to ensure the flax seeds are pulverized and well incorporated (if using a high-powered blender like a Blendtec, you won’t need to puree as long, simply run on “whole juice” mode, and then pulse again after if needed if there are any remaining frozen bits of fruit to be incorporated). Makes 2 medium-large smoothies.
Savvy Subs and Adds:
Kale or collard greens can easily be substituted, though the flavor of kale and collards leaves is stronger than chard or spinach, so you might want to try 1 ½ - 2 cups of kale leaves, and use the upper measurement of bananas for extra sweetness, and then adjust your smoothies after that.
Other fruits to switch up or add in include fresh or frozen pineapple, fresh peeled orange, a handful of green grapes, and/or fresh or frozen berries (though the color will change from a vibrant green to a purple-y or brown color when using berries).