A green smoothie is a fantastic way to start your day. It provides energy and vitamins and makes you feel good in the morning. I drink this smoothie several times a week and have for years, so this post with all my tips and tricks on how to make a green smoothie is something I've wanted to write for a very long time.

Where to start? Since mornings are generally busy and every minute counts, no one wants to waste their time peeling or cutting fruit, so I recommend taking one evening to do all these tasks in advance for the following days, so that you have the opportunity to immediately grab the necessary ingredients from the cupboard in the morning. However, if it is too much, consider MEKI as an alternative green smoothie powder, which takes only one minute to complete.

PREPARATION FOR MAKING A GREEN SMOOTHIE

My opinion is that green smoothies are best served fresh straight from the blender. So I prepare all the necessary ingredients in my fridge, which means that my freezer is always filled with frozen fruits and other greens.

DO NOT FREEZE BANANAS

Bananas are a very important ingredient to make the best green smoothies for both their natural sweetness and creamy texture. When you're at the grocery store, be sure to stock up on bananas for smoothies in the fridge. Let the bananas ripen for a few days, then cut them in half or thirds, then put them in an airtight freezer-friendly container and freeze them.

USE FROZEN FRUIT AND SOMETHING GREEN

This green smoothie recipe calls for one cup of frozen fruit in addition to one frozen banana. The key is to use frozen ingredients in this recipe to achieve a delicious, creamy green smoothie with a thick consistency. Note that I do not use ice in this recipe as ice makes the smoothie watery and gives the drink an icy texture. In addition, I recommend buying seasonal berries and fruits in the summer, if they are cheap, and freezing them in the same way as bananas.

WHAT FRUIT TO USE IN A GREEN SMOOTHIE?

Here are some of my suggestions for what fruits go well in this smoothie. For this post, I used half mango and half pineapple, which is my personal favorite combination. It's worth bearing in mind that if you use darker fruits such as blueberries or cherries, the flavor will still be very good, but the color of the smoothie will probably turn brownish rather than green. In addition, it is good to use:

• Mango
• Pineapple
• Strawberry
• Blueberry
• Raspberry
• Peach
• Cherry
• An orange
• Grapefruit

PLANTS TO USE IN A GREEN SMOOTHIE

If you have just discovered the world of smoothies, I recommend using spinach as the first green. During sales, I always buy a larger quantity in advance and freeze it when I get home. This way I can be sure that the spinach is fresh and I have several months without worry. In addition, you can use:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Beetroot
• Romaine lettuce
• Celery
• Naat
• Stinging nettle

BLEND THE GREEN PLANTS AND FREEZE INTO CUBES

One trick that is especially useful for small freezers. Blend your greens with a small amount of water until smooth. Then freeze the green mixture in an ice cube tray and store the cubes in an airtight container in the freezer.

WHAT ELSE TO ADD TO THE SMOOTHIE?

I also use various additional powders in my smoothies, the amount of which I have measured in advance. I wake up early and have a set morning routine, so the less extra activities I have in the morning, the better! I usually have two weeks of smoothie ingredients measured out into small boxes that would be easy to pour straight into the blender in the morning.

• Meki Protein Powder – A tasty, healthy powder with a high protein content
• Collagen powder - Increases the protein content in the smoothie and is also good for the gut
• Maca root powder – Improves fertility and hormone balance
• Chia Seeds - For extra protein!
• Flaxseeds - Omega 3 fatty acids!
• Acai Berry Powder - Antioxidants!
• Raw Cacao Nibs - A healthy way to add some chocolate!
• Nuts or seeds - Good source of protein and healthy fats!
• Coconut oil - Accelerates metabolism, the feeling of fullness lasts longer!
• Cinnamon – Anti-inflammatory and very tasty!
• MEKI green smoothie – A good way to add even more greens to your smoothie!

HOW TO MAKE A GREEN SMOOTHIE?

So far we've talked about all the delicious ingredients you need to make a green smoothie, but how do you get it all mixed together?

STEP ONE: USE A POWERFUL SMOOTH BLENDER

Nutriblend or Philips mixers are popular, and they perfectly cope with crushing. However, if speed is important to you and you don't want to deal with crushing fruits, you can use it for that MEKI smoothie blender. The MEKI vortex mixer is a good tool, which is primarily intended for mixing our powders, but not for crushing fruits.

STEP TWO: ADD LIQUID

When making a green smoothie, it's important to add the liquid ingredients to the blender first. This ensures that other ingredients do not get caught under the blades of the blender. In addition, it contributes to the mixing of raw materials when blending.

BEST LIQUIDS TO USE:

I generally like to use “dairy free” milk in my green smoothies. Mainly for taste and texture. But there are many options. In addition, you can also think about the following:

• Almond milk (personal favorite)
• Coconut milk
• Milk
• Rice milk
• Oat milk
• Cashew milk
• Coconut water
• Water (not recommended but can be used)

STEP THREE: ADD THE FROZEN GREEN LEAVES

Next, add green leaves of your choice to the liquid.

STEP FOUR: ADD FROZEN FRUIT AND POWDER

Adding frozen fruit on top of the greens helps push the greens down, preventing them from sticking to the walls of the blender.

STEP FIVE: BLENDER!

Now it's time to mix up our green smoothie! Start blending on low speed and gradually increase it. Blend on high speed for about 50-60 seconds or until the smoothie is smooth.

ENJOY!

Pour the green smoothie into a cup and enjoy! This recipe is good for two adults or four children.

The secret to a healthy diet is to eat the right amount of calories according to your daily activity. If you eat or drink more calories during the day than your body needs, you gain weight because the body stores the unused calories as fat. But if less, the weight will fall.

It should also be noted that the diet is as balanced and varied as possible, so that the body receives all the necessary nutrients. The daily caloric intake for men is around 2500 kcal, for women it is 2000 kcal.

1. Eat high-fiber carbohydrates first, preferring whole grain versions.

They should make up a third of your diet and could be potatoes with skin, buckwheat, brown rice, whole grain pasta or low-sugar muesli. Whole grains contain more fiber, which keeps your stomach full longer. Be sure to pay attention when preparing food and use as little oil, cream or butter as possible. These are all very high calorie foods.

2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables!

It is recommended to eat a minimum of 5 portions or about 400g of fruits and vegetables per day. Both fresh, frozen and canned fruits are suitable. Add a banana to your breakfast porridge or mix peas and carrot pieces with rice. There are many options!

3. Don't be afraid to eat fish!

Fish meat is high in protein and contains many different vitamins and minerals. Fish should be eaten at least two times a week, one of which could contain fatty fish due to its omega-3 content. Fatty fish are salmon, trout, herring or sardines. It is recommended to eat fresh fish, because canned or smoked fish has a high salt content.

4. Eat less saturated fat and sugar

There are two types of fats. Saturated and unsaturated. Eating too much saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are found in lard, sausages, butter, cheese, cream, cakes, biscuits, cakes. Unsaturated fats are, for example, in olive oil. Since fats provide a lot of energy, i.e. calories, it is worth consuming them in small quantities. 

Regular consumption of foods and drinks high in sugar increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. Since there are different types of sugars, it is particularly worthwhile to keep in mind the sugars added to food and, if possible, reduce their consumption. Added sugars can be found in sweet soft drinks, breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, pastries, chocolate and alcoholic beverages such as cider. If the food contains 22.5g or more sugar per 100g of food, it is a food with a very high sugar content, on the other hand, a sugar content of 5g or less per 100g of food indicates that it is a food with little sugar.

5. Reduce salt intake: adults should not consume more than 6g per day

Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or stroke. Even if you do not add salt to the food yourself, it may happen that the purchased food already contains too much. 1.5g of salt per 100g of food means that the salt content of the food is high.

6. Do something active for at least 30 minutes every day

In addition to a healthy diet, it is equally important to exercise regularly! Man is created to move. Exercise makes you feel better, helps you lose weight, is the best medicine against diseases, reduces anxiety and brings good sleep!

7. Consume a lot of water!

Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. It is recommended to drink 6-8 glasses a day. Avoid the consumption of sugary soft drinks, juice concentrates and alcohol and the possibility of replacing it with water.