It is hard as moms to take care of our little ones all day, and even while pregnant, growing a human being is a lot of work! It happens so often that for time and convenience sake, we moms make poor food choices. What we really need are a few simple fixes that will give us the energy to plow through the day!

I have been an avid green-smoothie-drinker for almost two years now and it has made such a difference. I make one for myself nearly every morning and I love the extra boost it gives me. Not to mention it tastes like dessert for breakfast every day! I cannot tout the health benefits of green smoothies enough. Quite honestly I used to hate eating salads, but I knew the folic acid present in greens was vital for my health and my baby’s health while I was pregnant and I was determined to find some way to get it without forcing it down!

Enter my green smoothie: jam packed with greens and other filling additives, these smoothies provide sustenance, boosts of energy, a great start to the day and lots of essential vitamins and minerals. Of course this all depends on what you want to add to it as well! The sweetness of the fruit (especially the bananas) hides the bitter flavor of the greens. This recipe is a great start for those looking to try a green smoothie because it’s really sweet. As your palate adjusts to the green taste, you may find some smoothies too sweet and start adding more and more greens!

Pina Colada Green Smoothie

1/2-1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk (I make my own!)

1/2-1 cup of water or other alternative milk

6 ice cubes

1-2 large leaves of kale, or 2 cups of spinach

1-2 TBSP of Chia seeds

1-2 TBSP of ground flax seeds

1 banana

1 cup of frozen fruit: I use pineapple and mango

Combine all ingredients into a blender and press the ice crush function and then blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Makes one large serving or two medium sized servings.

Adding chia and flax seeds not only make the smoothie filling enough to act as a breakfast replacement, but they are also chock full of nutrients. One great benefit to green smoothies is that the blender does all the work of pureeing your food so that your digestive system doesn’t have to. When you feel tired after eating it’s because your body is working hard to digest the food you ate.

Green smoothies are very customizable, especially depending on what fruit and fillers you have on hand.

Here are some other items I like to mix and match with:

  • Blueberries or other frozen berries
  • oatmeal
  • milk
  • yogurt
  • almond milk
  • apples
  • celery
  • avocado
  • orange juice
  • carrot juice
  • mint
  • dandelion greens
  • romaine
My general rule is choose one green, mix with 1-2 liquids (juice, milk or water), 2 fruits and 1 optional vegetable (like celery or carrot). Then add in the fillers such as oatmeal, chia and flax. Some smoothies are trial and error but once you find a combo you like – there is no going back! I have had my fair share of disgusting smoothies before I came upon this combination and it’s still my favorite!
Do you drink green smoothies?