For those who don't like green smoothies...

[green goddess]

...but are still interested in greens consumption, here's an idea.

Recently, I discovered some bananas I'd forgotten about (oopsies!), and they were quite on the ripe side. Heh. I'd been getting a little tired of green smoothies, and I had some nice, fresh, green-leaf lettuce, and decided to mash up the bananas (I did four of them) and rip up the lettuce (about six leaves) into bite-sized pieces, and mix together. The bananas were nice and creamy (though mine were a little too ripe...), and the lettuce added some nice green, crispy crunch.

So, the ingredients were the same as I'd been using in green smoothies, but the meal was different. I've heard some people say that they don't like the texture of green smoothies, so having the goodness of greens this way might work for them. I'm also a big fan of adding extra things like mangoes (mmm!) and strawberries. Then it's like a huge fruit 'n' lettuce salad! And the more flavourful the fruit, of course, the more 'green' the greens can be, like kale.

Hope this idea helps anyone who's adverse to or tired of green smoothies! :banana

[walnutty]

...I've heard some people say that they don't like the texture of green smoothies...



Really? This surprises me. To me they are just like a Jamba/Zuka Juice, just green. They even taste the same depending on the fruit(s) or berries you add.

I like your idea, though, it's a new way to think of fruit "salad"...lol...

[SunshineMN]

I can't stand the green smoothie texture. It makes me gag. Interesting idea here. Not sure I could do lettuce with it but I'll bet fruit with alfalfa sprouts would be nummy. I may try to juice my greens instead. It's easy to slam down liquid if it isn't up to your taste, but green smoothies just... ugh. LOL I really wanted to like them, I just really don't like them.

Thanks for the different idea. I may try with the alfalfa sprouts instead.

[MysticTree]

I think it really helps to have a high powered blender for green smoothies.

[GlimR]

High powered blender and frozen fruit.........a world of difference....works for me anyway~

[green goddess]

High powered blender and frozen fruit.........a world of difference....works for me anyway~

Frozen fruit, eh? Do you find frozen works better for you than fresh? What frozen fruit do you use? I interchange between fresh and frozen, depending what I have on hand, and I generally find I prefer fresh, though frozen strawberries are quite yummy.

And I agree, high-powered blender! A friend tried making green smoothies with a regular, $30 blender, and she choked them down, but there's a world of difference between smoothly blended smoothies and smoothies with slivers of greens in 'em!

[walnutty]

I ALWAYS use frozen fruit!

I have both a high-powered blender and a $30 blender. My green smoothies turn out exactly the same in both. You just have to know how to do it.

Put the greens in first with water and completely liquify them. I do it this way for both blenders.

Then add frozen fruit and blend until soft serve ice cream consistency. Again, regardless of the blender I use [half the time my Vitamix is in the shop... :( ...so I have to use my cheapy blender] and they turn out exactly the same.

[walnutty]

Here's a pic of how my green smoothies look made in a cheapy blender:

http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q597/Walnutty65/GreenSmoothie.jpg


It's just like a Jamba Juice fruit smoothie! Thick, smooth and fruity!

[MysticTree]

I think lots of people don't add water. I can't make smoothies at the moment because of my lack of electricity.

[walnutty]

I think lots of people don't add water. I can't make smoothies at the moment because of my lack of electricity.

No water? How silly!

No electricity? How terrible! Did you know there are hand crankable blenders?

[MysticTree]

I didn't know that but I have seen bicycle powered ones. It's ok without electricity at the moment - summer time. We've been without since 1st April.

[green goddess]

Wow! Living without electricity! This sounds like a good topic for a whole new thread (unless you've done so already and I just haven't seen it!). So, no refrigeration, no electric lighting, no computer (?), no cooking ability (well, no loss there!)... how is it working out? And is it your choice? Whenever we get a power outage, I wonder to myself if I could convert to this way of life. Of course, I'm too busy fumbling around in the dark, bumping into seemingly every single thing I own in my search for the candles I keep forgetting to put back in their 'just in case the power goes out' spot, and the inevitable scramble to find some kind of lighting device, to give it too much thought.... I'd love to hear more about your electricity-free lifestyle!

[GlimR]

I use fresh orange juice as a base...spinach and/or kale frozen banana, blueberries & papaya........delicious!

[WaitWut]

I can't do "green" either but I can do fruit smoothies. That foamy, slimy, thick texture is gag worthy. So I've been blending a few leaves of greens at a time with bananas and other fruit. It's technically a red or purple fruit smoothie with greens hidden in it.

[GlimR]

hehe....green smoothies don't actually have to be green.....just have greens in them....mine are usually purple but still loaded with greens...the frozen fruit changes the texture significantly to more of a sorbet type.

[Traceyraw]

I don't like thick green smoothies. I use O.J for my base. No bananas in my smoothies either.

[MysticTree]

I don't like banana in smoothies much either but it depends what else is in it and it must be eaten quickly. Banana left for any amount of time makes everything taste yucky.

[ShantiDass]

I also have a problem with the texture. I can sometimes handle fruit smoothies with a few spinach leaves but I do better if it's juiced. I find when I'm raw that I get real strange about textures. I don't ever like the green smoothie texture but after being raw for a few weeks, most foods make me gag. I can handle mono-meals but putting together most recipes with several items really gets to me and I don't know why. I'm learning to not spend a lot of $ and time on recipes to just toss them in the worm bin. Hopefully, the texture issue will pass. For now, I'm eating most fruits and veggies alone.

[T-Bird]

Really? This surprises me. To me they are just like a Jamba/Zuka Juice, just green. They even taste the same depending on the fruit(s) or berries you add.

I like your idea, though, it's a new way to think of fruit "salad"...lol...

I was a super green smoothie head 2 years or so ago. Eventually, taking them very strong (lots of greens). I can't look at them much now, and only light on the greens, and mild ones at that.

[Nippers]

High powered blender and frozen fruit.........a world of difference....works for me anyway~

Yes, I agree with this.

A good blender and especially using frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, frozen mango chunks, etc. makes all the difference in texture and taste of a green smoothie.

[Nippers]

I also have a problem with the texture. I can sometimes handle fruit smoothies with a few spinach leaves but I do better if it's juiced. I find when I'm raw that I get real strange about textures. I don't ever like the green smoothie texture but after being raw for a few weeks, most foods make me gag. I can handle mono-meals but putting together most recipes with several items really gets to me and I don't know why. I'm learning to not spend a lot of $ and time on recipes to just toss them in the worm bin. Hopefully, the texture issue will pass. For now, I'm eating most fruits and veggies alone.

This is interesting. Sometimes I go through a very similar phase, where I only want to eat just one simple thing, and I am not interested in eating anything else for awhile. The phase passes after a few days, and I move on to other things. But it still happens to me from time to time.

And I agree. I try to not bother with complicated recipes anymore. I find that they rarely turn out the way I expect them to turn out, so why bother wasting all that money on food, and wasting all the time and effort on something I will end up not eating or liking anyways? I try to keep everything as simple as possible.