Hi Sweet Friends,
Juicing may be my main squeeze, but green smoothies take a close second and sometimes they’re exactly what my body needs to function at it’s best.
These blended nutrition blasts certainly save the day when I’m short on time in the kitchen, but don’t want to short change my health.
Toss all the plant-based ingredients in a blender and press a button! Within minutes I have a fiber-filled, satisfying meal that balances my blood sugar and fills me with long-lasting energy. Plus, hard-working fiber is our digestive system’s BFF and the arch enemy of toxins. It sweeps the junk out of the body and keeps Grand Pooper Station right on schedule!
All you need to become a smoothie superstar are nourishing, delicious recipes, some blending smarts and a quality machine.
When I started whipping up green smoothies, I made some pretty gnarly concoctions, not the kind of drink you’d want to throw back on a regular basis. It took a lot of experimentation before I could create delicious smoothies on the fly. I want to make it easier for you! That’s why I pulled together every drop of my smoothie know-how, plus over 100 phenomenal smoothie (and juice!) recipes in my book, Crazy Sexy Juice.
What’s the difference between smoothies and juices?
Now that I’ve showed you how to make one of my favorite green smoothies in the video above, you may be curious about the difference between blending and juicing. My readers are always asking which is better. The answer depends on your personal taste, your lifestyle and what supports your health best (usually they both do, just in different ways!). I juice more than I blend, but both are cornerstones of my lifelong self-care plan.
It’s much more fun to compare blending and juicing using a super snazzy infographic, which is why I made one for you!
I hope you’ll download it below, print it and post it near your blending and/or juicing altar (aka kitchen counter) and share the heck out of it on social media.
Let’s wrap up this smoothie crash course with some of my readers’ most asked questions. Read on to learn about my favorite blenders, tips for raising smoothie-lovin’ kids and some storage smarts.
Frequently Asked Blending Questions
What blender should I buy?
I’m not going to sugar coat this: A high-speed blender can be pricey with some models starting at $300-$500, but it’s a lifelong investment. I use my blender on a daily basis for smoothies, soups, dips and sauces. If you’re a bargain-hunter, search online for a used machine. Who knows? You might be able to barter with a friend for one! Just be sure you’re getting a machine that will make creamy, dreamy smoothies. Cheap, not-so-great blenders leave lots of chunky greens in your drink and in your teeth. No, thanks! Here are some tried and true blender recommendations:
How can I get my kids to enjoy green smoothies?
Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to add leafy greens and other nourishing plant-based foods into your child’s diet. Since my fur-kid doesn’t drink green smoothies, I turned to some of my pals (who also happen to have green smoothie guzzling rugrats) for this question. After surveying them for some tips, I put together these gems for you:
- Pull a chair up to the counter and get the kids involved! Let your child add smoothie ingredients with your supervision. The little ones will love turning on the blender and watching the veggies, fruits and other goodies take a spin.
- Avoid smoothie rejection by serving green-tinted recipes in a solid colored cup that has a top.
- Use frozen berries and bananas to add sweetness, creaminess and hide the veggie taste. Frozen berries will also give smoothies a nice red, purple or blue color. Just make sure you’re still packing the veggies in there!
Can I make smoothies ahead of time and freeze them for later?
Yes! I like to drink my smoothies right away (fresh is always best), but if you know that freezing your smoothies will insure that you’ll drink them on a more regular basis, go for it. Don’t forget to leave a little room at the top of your storage container, since your smoothie will expand in the freezer (the same goes for green juice).
Your turn: Do you have a blending tip or recipe? Share it in the comments below!
Peace & blended bliss,
Well…Hey Kris I freeze organic bananas for fruit smoothies. I add Private Selection triple berry, Private Selection strawberries, Private Selection frozen blueberrews, Vega protein powder for fruit smoothies, orange juice. Befuee I added Santa Cruz organic apple juices
What a GREAT smoothie and instructional video!! Thank you so much for sharing : )
I have lots of recipes I and put them in 6 separates themed booklets called Anna’s Kitchen for my husband’s Yoga students. Here’s one I use that is close to yours:
-mango (instead of banana)
-lemon (instead of cucumber)
-blueberries
-avacado
-kale
-bit of flax oil
-sometimes I add ginger (for stimulation or pita/fire)
-sometimes I add cayenne (decrease kapha/mucous/arthritis)
-sometimes I add cinnamon and cardamom (builder)
-coconut water
My husband and I have been drinking green smoothies for lunch and breakfast for over 10 years so it is always great to see another recipe. We don’t use the coconut water so will try that for an extra treat. Wondering about mixing the proteins with the avocado and the coconut water and mixing the starchy banana with the acid blueberries as it goes against basic food combination rules. If there is a rule to break it is mixing veggies with fruit as typically “fruit alone” as they say – but I feel if it is blended, then it is already “pre-digested” so we don’t need to be so careful about food combinations. So I mix kale with fruit and avocado all the time – but just never combine banana with acid fruit. What do you think?
I recently started using Kefir as the main ingredient for my smoothies. Since they are very thick, I have a mid-afternoon smoothie “dessert using 8 oz kefir, home ground peanut butter, cacao, banana and a little stevia.
One of my favorite smoothies is this,1 frozen banana,handful of spinach,half an avocado,one tablespoon kefir, and strawberry yogurt,1-2 tbsp of coconut oil,2tsp minced ginger,whey protein powder,1-2 tsp honey, pineapple juice….and some almond milk to cover.this is very yummy.
I had tongue cancer and throat cancer,this smoothie has been my life saver.I beat cancer!
One frozen banana,handful of spinach,1 tsp.minced ginger,half avocado,whey protein powder,almond milk.1tbsp.coconut oil,,and pineapple juice.sprinkle some cinnamon.or nutmeg. This is my favorite smoothie.
Chris can you also recommend a juicer for a newbie to juicing?
Was reading something interesting the other week.
Did you know that during the war years, if a soldier was wounded and needed a blood transfusion and they didn’t have any plasma to give him, they would transfuse him with coconut water instead. Apparently a very similar chemical composition to blood. The electrolytes would keep the patient hydrated until their body could replace the blood lost.
Kris I love your books and all your helpful hints. I just bought your Crazy Sexy Juice and Smoothie book and downloaded it last night. I just finished Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips and I’m starting CS Cancer Survivor. My question is about freezing individual vegies. I’m starting to grow my own kale and other greens. Can I freeze the kale leaves or should I blanch them first? I didn’t realize how much kale I would get and thankfully I have plenty…I just want to be able to use it to it’s full potential. Any tips you can share about freezing greens and other vegies on your blog or facebook page would be wonderful. And if you have them in your books then it’s my bad…I need to take more time to do my research 😉 Thanks again for everything you are doing for us canSer warriors! xoxo
Kris,
How many times a week would you say you juice or make smoothies?
Hello
I just wanted to drop a note to say THANK YOU!
I read Crazy Sexy Diet and have gone through all the goodness you dish out on the web.
I have been eating a plant based diet for about 5 years now, but had always been green juice/smoothie shy.
But after reading all the great stuff you write about guzzling greens, I thought I might as well give it a go.
I’m SO glad I did. My body loves me this morning. I feel wonderful.
Thank you for sharing this, and all the other amazing stuff you put out in the world. You rock the world!!
Interestingly, most individuals right now are not even mindful of
small carb meals which can give them healthy and balanced way of living if they abide by a ordinary routine of
consumption on a weekly basis. Directions: Combine ingredients (except for chocolate chips) in blender
and blend until smooth. By replacing one or more meals with green smoothies everyday, you give your body optimum nutrition while staving the need
to snack unnecessarily during the day.
I just want to say I really feel great affection towards you. You are very sweet and have a big heart and as a young woman looking up, you inspire me and I am grateful you are paving the way for a better life for not only yourself but everyone. Big love from Richmond in London UK. Cat x
HI Kris, Saw you speak in DC area and you brought so much joy and sparkle to the conference, thank you-I love making smoothies and this is my recipe;
frozen blueberries, kale, cucumber, cinnamon, trader jobs dried greens ( 1 tablespoon) fresh ginger & sometimes frozen strawberries, raspberries, or cherries.
This is yummy 🙂
I noticed that you are now offering courses that are on cd to start your own business- are you planning on doing actual live courses?
Merry Christmas to you ! Happy Holidays
Cheers
Darlene
Awesome. Especially the tips on getting kids to drink these healthy smoothies and get past the green color.
Hi Kris! I’m such a fan of you!:) I’m also INSANE over smoothies since the green smoothie first romanced me back in 2009. I’ve been having one for breakfast ever since. I make them super thick, freeze for an hour covered and come back and eat it with a spoon like ice cream- so delish! Here’s my go to recipe:)
The Soulful Spoon’s Chocolate Chai Green Dream Smoothie
2 cucumbers, chopped and frozen ( like you would bananas)
3 cups raw spinach
1 cup romaine
1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Meal Vanilla Chai
2 tbsp. raw cacao
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. flax seeds
5 ice cubes
1 cup Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. spirulina
1/4 tsp. pure stevia extract
cinnamon
ginger
1 tsp. maca
1 cup water
Blend!:) It’s so delish:)
Thanks for inspiring me on so many levels:) You’re awesome!
<3Heather @ The Soulful Spoon <3
I just purchased your book and starting watching your cooking videos.
Just a couple questions. 1. You mentioned that you juice one and keep them in mason jars but have to use the same day cause they get a little funky. Have you ever tried the foodsaver attachment for canning jars to take all of the air out to try to prolong the use of the juice? I do this with alot of my veggies to make them last longer as well as my salad in a jar.
2. If it gets a little funky have you ever tried to mix yesterdays juice with stuff you just made?
3. Can you freeze juice? Thoughts
I am really am a picky eater and just worried I will not like the taste and won’t do this also usually very short on time and would love to try this.
My fave combination is:
One frozen banana
Handful of frozen mango
2 or 3 generous handfuls of kale or spinach or romaine
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tsp chia seeds
Enough almond milk to cover
Blend and enjoy!
I was inspired by Oh She Glows’ green monster.
My kids love this with the spinach or romaine. The kale is a bit too strong a taste for them, for now. They’ll get used to it 😉
Thank you Kris for all your wonderful advise. In 2008 I went through breast cancer treatment. I got your book Crazy Sexy Cancer and from there on have been a fan! Sometimes, I don’t stick to my juicing and smoothie regimen as I should and feel terrible. My blood sugars go crazy and a smoothie for lunch fixes me right up. . I use a Nutribullet. Works fine for me, only thing is it doesn’t pulverize the stems of grapes and have to pick them out of my smoothie.
Hey Kris!
That looks like a kick-butt blender. Any recommendations? Also, do you get that lovely golden hair from an organic product? I’m looking to switch to non-toxic coloring techniques.
Thanks!