Orange Julius Recipe

This is the most popular Orange Julius Recipe that I have found online:

Ingredients:

1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 to 10 ice cubes

1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

Orange Julius Recipe can contain up to one half cup sugar!

The Orange Julius drink surely is creamy and sweet.

But check out that sugar content!

I’ve seen some people recommending 1/4 cup sugar, or to use powdered sugar to make it even more like the mall version. Or add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream instead. But in my opinion, sugar is unnecessary. Orange juice has enough sweetness on its own. Or substitute sugar with honey.

Another problem is that you need to drink the smoothie right away. If you leave it for even 10 minutes, the smoothie will likely separate into 2 parts. The top half will be the milk (curdled because of the citric acid in the orange concentrate), and the lower part was the orange “juice”, the watery part. The acid in orange juice will often make the milk curdle! If you need to leave it for later, freeze it. Pop the blended mixture into the freezer for about 4-5 hours and you have a slushy treat.

Orange Julius Recipe Variations

Orange Julius Recipe: can be prepared in orange, red or green variations

1/2 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed is better). You may also freeze it.
1 cup frozen mango, pinapple or banana
1/2 cup milk*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. almond or peanut butter (optional)
1 or 2 tbsp. honey (optional – up to your taste)

For red colored version

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup milk*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. almond or peanut butter (optional)
1 or 2 tbsp. honey (optional – up to your taste)

For green colored version

1/2 cup orange juice
1 banana
1/2 cup milk*
1 cup spinach or kale
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. almond or peanut butter (optional)
1 or 2 tbsp. honey (optional – up to your taste)

*You can use any type of milk you prefer, including almond milk.
You can also create a fun two-layered drink:

1. For the first yellow layer – Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until the drink reaches a smooth consistency, pour in a tall glass, and then set aside.

2. For the second red or green layer – rinse the blender, place all the ingredients for the second layer in it and blend at high speed until smooth. Then pour gently into the glass trying to have a line separating the layers. You can use a spoon to make it easier – I placed it into the glass over the yellow layer and I poured the drink over it.

Why Add Greens To Smoothies

I love green smoothies for a reason. They are delicious, but they are also tremendously rich in nutrients that our bodies need to be healthy.

I want you to encourage you to try green smoothies, and to add greens, such as spinach to your smoothie recipes, whether it’s Orange Julius or other fruit smoothies that you like.

Just for illustration, here is a nutritional comparison between bananas (a vitamin rich fruit), and kale and spinach. Below is a brief comparison of equal calorie amounts of each food. The USRDA numbers are for an active adult male and represent the percentage of USRDA nutrient requirements met.

This is just for comparison sake with easier numbers to understand because they deal with percentages. Your nutrient needs may be quite different.

50 Calorie serving size of bananas, kale and spinach:

* Vitamin A *

Bananas have 1%, kale 308% and spinach 408% of the USRDA for a 50 calorie serving.

* Vitamin C *

Bananas 8%, kale 200% and spinach 102%.

* Vitamin E *

Bananas 0%, kale (not listed in USRDA for some reason though it’s quite high in vitamin E) and spinach 22%

* Vitamin B6 *

Bananas 16%, kale 14% and spinach 21%

* Thiamin *

Bananas 2%, kale 7% and spinach 11%

* Niacin *

Bananas 1%, kale 5% and spinach 8%

* Riboflavin *

Bananas 3%, kale 8% and spinach 24%

As you can see there was NO vitamin of which banana was higher than both greens. Banana was only slightly higher than kale for Vitamin B6 but still lost to spinach for that vitamin.

And as you can see for Vitamin A… kale and spinach “destroyed” bananas, with spinach having over 400 times more Vitamin A than bananas.

Even in Vitamin C the greens crushed the bananas.

And I think now you’re starting to see why I love green smoothies so much, especially spinach smoothies and kale smoothies. I mean, when was the last time you had a cup of raw spinach or kale?

Here is a cool site where you can check nutritional data of Spinach, kale, bananas, and other foods that you drink you your smoothies.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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It’s quite a popular blender, and seems quite versatile and good value for the affordable price; but the question is “will it do a good job as a green smoothie blender“?

Ninja Kitchen System 1100 Review

First of all, I have to admit that I haven’t used Ninja 1100 myself. However, since some people have asked me about it, I decided to dig online and do some research.

I looked at many sites and read many reviews and I have to say that although it’s not a Blendtec or Vitamix, it seems to be a decent blender at a much lower price. Although I cannot recommend it wholeheartedly, Ninja 1100 may be a viable option for someone who is considering a cheaper, entry-level blender.

Based on Ninja Kitchen System 1100 reviews on Amazon it’s a decent blender for the money. Yes, it does get some one and two star reviews, but there are also many people who are loving it. Compared to other blenders in this price range, it’s higher-powered, has an appealing, sleek design and performance that lets you prepare healthy recipes easily and quickly – certainly an asset for any kitchen. Ninja 1100 can be used for blending, crushing ice, pureeing, controlled processing and making dough.

The blender comes with 2 different containers, AND several blade options, depending on the job. Most conventional blenders only сome with threе rotor blades. Ninja 1100 comes with a 4-blade and 6-blade assembly – so you get several blade options, depending on the job – that enables it to crush, chop and blend faster than other 3-blade blenders. By the way, be careful of the blades – they are VERY VERY sharp. Keep in mind to always lock them inside the pitchers at all times. Handle the blades with care. It also has a larger-capacity pitcher than other blenders which is very useful in making foods and drinks in larger quantities.

There are complaints that this Ninja 1100 blender does not always blend everything PERFECTLY smooth, so really question it’s ability to make perfectly smooth smoothies. Some users say that it does leave out small bits and pieces of fruits or ice. However, there are many others who say that it does a great job in blending stuff. If you’re looking for a good inexpensive blender, than this is probably better than other blenders on the market in this price range.

The larger container is a bit tall, so it may not fit under your kitchen cabinet.

Ninja1100 Kitchen System

Ninja Kitchen System 1100 At A Glance

* Blender and dough making appliance
* Lock-in lid with easy flip pour spout
* Dough hook, whisk, 6 blade assembly, 4 blade assembly, cookie dough paddle are attached
* Electronic control panel that features smart speed technology
* 3 speeds + pulse
* Easy to clean
* BPA-free plastic container
* 1100 watts
* 72 oz pitcher with lid
* 40 oz processing bowl with lid
* Stainless steel blades
* 2 ft long cord (It can be stored in the cord stuff box which can be found at the back of the base.)

What Ninja Kitchen System 1100 Can Do

* It can blend fruits and vegetables into smoothies and soups. You’ll need to add ice or water to it to reach the desired consistency.
* It can grind nuts or flax seeds into nut butter.
* It can make sorbets and ice creams.
* You can use dough paddle on Speed 1 (Dough) or the dough hook and dough station to make up to 1.5 lbs of dough.
* It can make juices. Blend the fruits and vegetables first with some water or high water content fruit, and strain the pulp off. If you use low water content fruits, you’d want to add a little water to achieve the desired consistency.
* It can’t make hot soups or heat up soups from ingredients that are cold.

Ninja1100: The Bottom Line

As I said, it’s a decent blender, but if you can afford it, it may be worth it to pay more for better quality.

Buy Ninja Kitchen System 1100

If you decide you want to buy, Amazon has great prices, and you can read more reviews there.

Ninja 1100 comes in 2 different models – BL 700 and NJ602. You may be wondering what’s the difference between these 2 models. Well, BL700 is actually a newer model that replaces NJ602. Basically, both units are the same and come with the same features and functions. The only difference seems to be that Model NJ602 comes with a free cookbook.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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If you haven’t, you may have heard about it, as it’s been quite popular since its release last year. It’s available on Amazon and Netflix.

The movie chronicles Joe Cross’ journey to lose weight and regain health by living on green juices for 60 days, and inspiring others facing similar health problems to do the same.

Even though the proposition of living on raw juice exclusively for sixty days may not be your “cup of tea” (or your “glass of juice”), I always find it inspirational to watch true stories demonstrating people who overcome disease by removing all the junk food from their diets and use the healing power of raw plant foods.

Ok, so maybe the message of this good-natured documentary is not exactly super-original; there are also many who accuse Joe of being a smart businessman selling juicers (some even call the movie a juicer infomercial) – but it just seems to me that we need more people like Joe screaming at us to take charge of our own health and well-being.

The film clearly demonstrates how powerful and effective proper nutrition is to one’s health. Whether it’s a 60 day green juice fast – as shown in the documentary – or following 80-100% green smoothie diet, or even just eating raw plant foods for extended period of time – it can provide an amazing transformation for anyone.

It’s a great testimonial for how effective taking the charge of your own health can be.

Even though the proposition of living on raw juice exclusively for sixty days may not be your “cup of tea” (or should I say “glass of juice”), I always find it inspirational to watch the healing power of natural foods and benefits of removing all the junk foods from our menus.

After seeing the positive results from Joe and a couple of individuals who also tried a similar fast, you may get inspired and motivated to reboot your own life with juicing.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead: The Movie

Joe is seriously overweight, his body laden with and suffering from a debilitating auto-immune disease to boot. When he turns to doctors and conventional medicine – they fail to provide a a real solution, so Joe turns to the only option left… the body’s ability to heal itself….

So he quits eating the junk food, and makes a 180 degree turn in his nutrition determined to only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days….

As you may expect, his transformation is truly amazing …

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead Movie Trailer

Mean Green Juice Recipe

4 stalks of celery
1 cucumber — (peel off skin)
1 ginger root — (thumb size – peel off skin)
1/2 lemon — (skin cut off)
2 green apples
6 kale leaves

By the way, if you’re thinking about buying a juicer, you will probably like to know that Joe Cross is using a Breville juicer. You can also make green juice with your blender, by blending all ingredients on high speed and then straining the pulp to separate the juice.

Reboot Your Body: My 2 Cents

Going on a sixty day juice diet is quite extreme and it isn’t necessarily the easiest, most practical or even the healthiest way to lose weight and regain health for most people, in my opinion.

By juicing fruit and veggies you are losing virtually all of the beneficial fibers, unless of course you eat the pulp – or drink green smoothies.

What I would recommend instead, is simply to add freshly made vegetable/green/fruit juices (and, of course, lots of green smoothies) to your diet.

Don’t go cold turkey; just ADD the juice and smoothies.

As the days go by, drink more and more of it, until you find yourself eating less and less of everything else.

Next start replacing your “meat and potato” type meals with more fruit, vegetables, as well as some whole grains and beans.

Taking cold turkey plunge into the juice fast is challenging to say the least, and you might just fold and abandon the fast too quickly, and never return to the wonders of juicing. That’s why it’s better to ease into this gradually.

Also, you need to be aware of the detox effect – with some unpleasant side effects – that will kick in if you go into this too quickly. As you detox you might feel mild flu-like symptoms for a few days as your body discharges the toxins.

Also, buy a really good juicer. If it’s not easy to do the juicing, it will become the excuse to quit. I recommend Breville which you can buy at a really good price at Amazon.com.

Also it’s important to remember that not everyone is a candidate for fasting or juicing. People with hypoglycemia, for instance, would do really poorly on a juice or water cleanse. So if you’re fasting and feeling really horrible, lightheaded, sweaty, nauseous, dizzy, faint, etc., you need to eat something! Be sure to consult a nutritionist before embarking on one of the more rigorous programs.

Detoxing your body with Green Smoothies!

Detoxing Your Body With Raw Food Cleanse

Truth is, everybody could use a cleanse, once in a while. Unless you live in a pristine environment in the middle of the jungle with only access to organic, tree-ripened fruits!

If being tired and exhausted is a daily thing for you you just can’t ignore the bloated stomach and the lack of energy always makes you feel drooped down, then all you have to do is to detox your body to get back in shape.

Even just a one-day detox is often enough to get you back on track with the raw food diet and help you purge some accumulated toxin.

Here’s an easy, one-day detox anyone can safely follow:

BREAKFAST:
Either skip breakfast, or make a light smoothie consisting of some fruit and greens.

For example:
· 3-4 bananas
· 1-2 cups of sweet fruit (mango, papaya, pear, apple, etc.)
· 2 cups of baby spinach
· water
Blend together

LUNCH:
Same as breakfast, or have a fruit meal of one or two types of fruit. (Eaten whole or as a smoothie.) For example: papaya and banana, blended together or eaten together.

AFTERNOON SNACK:
Make another green smoothie. Here’s one of my favorites:
· 3-4 bananas
· 1 ½ cups of frozen blueberries
· 2 cups of spinach or romaine lettuce or other greens (non-bitter)
Blend with water!

DINNER:
If you’re really hungry, start dinner with some fruit, or a fruit smoothie or soup.
Then follow with a simple vegetable soup.

Here’s one that I really like:
· 2 medium tomatoes
· 2 small cucumbers, peeled
· 1 mango or 1 cup of another fruit
· fresh basil, or dill
· 2-3 green onions, fresh

The idea here with this soup is to blend it at the lowest speed in your vita-mix or blender. It should still be chunky. Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers. Blend together and add the other ingredients. Blend slowly!

If you’re still hungry after this soup, you could make a non-fat salad, or eat more fruit. As long as you avoid oils, nuts and other fatty foods, as well as salt, you’ll still be following the guidelines for the cleanse!

Try this one-day detox, and you’ll see how great you feel. Now imagine what 7 days could do for you…

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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In my experience, green fruit smoothie recipes for kids are always a success!

But, yes, you may need to use some tricks to encourage their consumption initially.

The great thing about green smoothies is that they disguise what might otherwise be unwelcome ingredients, including healthy leafy greens that may be eaten rarely or avoided completely.

How to Make Sure Your Kids Drink Their Green Smoothies

Most kids and adults love these smoothies from the first sip and may never know they are drinking their vegetables unless you choose to tell them!

However, if you can’t get your kids to eat spinach or kale in their dinner salad, you will probably be doubtful whether you’ll be able to convince them to have a green smoothie.

Here are a few tips to help you to get you started if you have picky eaters in your house:

* Start with preparing mostly sweet smoothies with lots of fruits. Add only a little bit of mild tasting greens (such as spinach). You may also add natural sweeteners, if you feel the smoothie is not sweet enough for your child.

* Use sweet, ripe fruits that your child loves. For example, strawberry, pineapple and blueberry are all time favorites.

* Use well ripened bananas for creamy texture.

* Think how to make the smoothie making and drinking fun. One way that may work well for younger kids, is to come up with a cool name for your smoothies. Some ideas are: Bey-blade Blaster, Enter the Dragon, Shrek’s Favorite Smoothie, Cinderella’s Cocktail, Transformer’s Fuel, or other, depending on what your child’s favorite’s characters are at the moment.

* Use a pretty glass with a straw and a cocktail drink umbrella.

* Or use a non-transparent cup with a straw to completely mask the color of the drink.

* Ask your child to drink green smoothies before the child eats other things. My son drinks a green smoothie first thing in the morning, before he eats anything else. He usually gets another glass 1 hour to 30 minutes before dinner.

* Educate your children about the benefits of drinking green smoothies. Explain it to them in simple terms. You may be surprised how eager they are to learn.

* Freeze green smoothie into a popsicle.

* If nothing else is working, consider a reward system. Although, I am not in favor of reward systems, especially when it comes to food, however, if your child is highly defiant, and all other methods have failed, you may find that using some kind of incentive is effective. Just, please don’t use junk food as treats for reinforcing good eating habits!

For best results, it’s important invest in a quality blender. The reason being you really want a your green to be as smooth as it can be, and not all blenders will be able to handle the job of blending, e.g. kale or collard greens, to perfection.

Most likely, your child will refuse to drink anything with touch pieces of kale or celery stalk. Read my review best smoothie blenders and comparison of Blendtec vs Vitamix. Both are excellent blenders for making green smoothies.

Also, although I recommend that you start with spinach, add different greens as well. It’s important to rotate your greens, and not use the same ones all the time.

Delicious Smoothie Recipes for Kids (and Adults too!)

How about a healthy strawberry pineapple smoothie recipe to start off with?

The tangy taste of pineapple adds a wonderful flavor to smoothies. If you learn how to pick a pineapple that is ripe, you will also get a sweet-tasting smoothie. Cutting a pineapple ahead of time and storing the slices in an airtight container in the fridge will save time when making the smoothie. Canned pineapple often comes with added sugar or preservatives, so using it may not be such a good idea if your focus is on healthy nutrition.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cup strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup of spinach leaves
1 cup water

Healthy Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie Recipe For Kids
1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1/2 cup strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup of spinach leaves
1 cup water
One to two drops of vanilla essence
One cup of yogurt and add a teaspoon or two of honey for sweetness (optional)

Blueberry Pudding
2 cups blueberries
1 banana
1 stalk of celery
1 cup of water

Blend well and enjoy!

Also, feel free to experiment and mix and match the ingredients! Have fun!

Optional Ingredients

Milk or yogurt . You may experiment with various kinds of milk. Try cow’s milk, rice milk, almond milk, chocolate milk.

Ice. Many smoothie recipes call for ice cubes. Personally, I’m not a fan of adding ice cubes to smoothies, except in the summer. Drinking a cold smoothie is not great for our body and digestion.

Sweeteners. My 7 year old son finds fruit smoothies pretty sweet on their own, so I never add sweeteners, but I know some people like to sweeten their smoothies. Experiment with adding honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, a few dried figs, or any sweetener that your child will like.

Enjoy! And here I share some pineapple juice recipes. (If you are not receiving my free e-mail tips yet, please join my circle of juicing friends. You will also receive 3 totally free e-books when you add your name.

Smoothie recipes for kids: Even the picky eaters will drink their greens!

Getting children to eat healthy, balanced meals is a concern that MANY parents have. They are especially concerned about the lack of fruits and vegetables their kids are eating and it is no wonder… modern convenience foods marketed to kids are lacking in nutritional value. As a result children are not developing tastes or cravings for the nutritional powerhouse foods they need the most…fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables.

With green smoothies, healthy nutrition is easy. With a few simple smoothie recipes, you can easily turn your blender into a tool for creating super-healthy fruit smoothie recipes for kids!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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However, some people believe that they are bad for us because of the sugar and high calorie content, and therefore believe that they should be avoided.

Banana Nutrition Facts

Serving size = 1 medium sufficiently ripe banana [about 7″ long and 126 grams (0.28 pounds) in weight]

Total Fat = 0 g; Cholesterol = 0 g; Calories = 110

Potassium = 400 mg (10% of daily recommended value)

Dietary Fiber = 4 g (16% of daily recommended value)

Sugar = 14.8 g; Protein = 1 g (2% of daily recommended value)

Vitamin C = 16% of daily recommended value

Vitamin B6 = 20% of daily recommended value

Bananas have a glycemic index of about 55. Compare that to apples, which have a glycemic index of about 38, and to pineapples who have a GI of 66.

The glycemic index measures how quickly the carbohydrates in the food get digested and turned in to blood sugar. This means that bananas get turned in to sugar pretty fast, but a medium banana contains less than 30 grams of carbs so that shouldn’t be a major problem. If you’re on a low-carb diet, though, this could be a problem and it might be a better idea to stick to fruits like blueberries. If you’re trying to overcome insulin resistance or type II diabetes via diet then you may want to limit the amount of bananas that you eat.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Just a brief search online for benefits of bananas produced many results. Here are just a few of them:

Bower Health. Bananas are very rich in fiber content, which helps in curing any bowel-related problems, such as constipation. They can be more effective than laxatives, and much safer too. Bananas also help prevent heartburn. It has an antacid effect preventing heartburn.

High Blood Pressure. Potassium content in bananas can contribute to reducing high blood pressure and stroke. The presence of potassium also helps in lowering the amount of calcium purged from the body either through urine or in secretions such as sweat, which in turn prevents the occurrence of kidney stones and osteoporosis.

Anemia. High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Stress. Bananas with their high potassium content help our bodies deal with stress. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Depression: According one study, many people suffering from depression felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

I could go on and on about the benefits, but the bottom line is this: bananas are good for you!

Best Banana Smoothie Recipes

Warning: Just in case you haven’t noticed, you are on a GREEN SMOOTHIES website, so most of the recipes recommend adding some green ingredient – most often spinach – which is the mildest green to add to your smoothies if you are new to them. If you’ve never tried a green smoothie in your live, I encourage you to keep an open mind and just do it! It will not kill you, and who knows, it may help save your life .

BANANA SMOOTHIE
2 bananas
1 cup water
vanilla extract to taste

BANANA SMOOTHIE
2 bananas
1 cup water
1 cup almonds

STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
2 medium bananas
2 cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of orange juice
1 cup spinach or other leafy greens
1 cup water

STRAWBERRY BANANA PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE
1/2 pint fresh strawberries (you can leave the stems on!)
1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 cup spinach or other leafy greens
1 cup water
1 cup ice cubes (optional)

Process in blender until smooth. Serve immediately or freeze until slushy.

Ice. A lot of smoothie recipes call for ice cubes. Personally, I’m not a fan of adding ice cubes to my smoothies, except sometimes in the summer. Drinking a cold smoothie is not great for our body and digestion.

Milk or yogurt Many recipes also call for milk or yogurt. I don’t use either, but you can certainly experiment with various kinds of milk. Try cow’s milk, rice milk, almond milk, chocolate milk.

Sweeteners. I find fruit smoothies pretty sweet on their own, so I never add sweeteners myself, but I know a lot of people like to sweeten their smoothies. You can try adding honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, a few dried figs, or any sweetener that you like.

Tips on How to Select and Store Bananas

Since bananas are picked off the tree while they’re still green, you will often to see them green in the store. Of course, green bananas should not be used in smoothies. The best bananas for smoothies are ripe yellow in hue and with brown spots. Leave bananas to ripen at room temperature. Unripe bananas should not be placed in the refrigerator as this will interrupt the ripening process that will not be able to resume even if the bananas are returned to room temperature.

If you need to speed up the ripening process, you can place bananas in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper, adding an apple to accelerate the process. You can store ripe bananas in the fridge. Although their peel may darken, the flesh will not be affected. For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature.

You can also freeze unpeeled bananas for use in smoothies. I usually do that when I have a lot of super-ripe bananas that I know I’ll not be able to use before they go bad. When I freeze bananas, I peel them and cut them in half. Then they go into freezer bags until I’m ready to use them.

Will Bananas Make me Gain Weight?

This is a question that many people ask. Many of people fear that bananas will make them fat which is totally untrue. The reason why people think that is because an average banana has about 100 calories, so for example, if you have 5 bananas a day it is 500 extra calories.

Well, first of all, as already mentioned above, bananas have a very low glycemic index. This is because they are full of fiber. This fiber takes a long time to digest which means that if you snack on two bananas you may very well get 200 calories, but you will also feel full for a couple of hours. Also, most of a banana is water which tends to get retained in the body. All you need to do is sweat it out and it’s gone.

Even the American Diabetes Association states that “Despite being erroneously called “fattening” and too high in sugar, a small banana only contains about 100 calories, which is not much more than a medium apple. Nor should it raise your blood glucose level too high.”

So, consider them safe and healthy for consumption!

Bananas have many health benefits. Plus, they are delicious in smoothies!

Submit Your Smoothie Recipe!

When you find a taste you love, why not submit your favorite smoothie recipe in the comment section below!

Find more smoothie recipes and tips on my blog.

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• GREEN BANANNA
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I have to say I really enjoyed the presentation. Montel Williams was making green smoothies and serving it to the audience – including kids who said that they don’t like spinach and other greens – and everybody loved it. My son was also excited to see something that he drinks every day on TV.

About Health Master Blender

Because making green smoothies is something I do every day and it made such a tremendous difference in my nutrition, I was happy to see a promotion of green smoothies on TV.

I didn’t know who Montel Williams was before, but since that I learned that he is a former talk show host and U.S. Navy officer, that is today officially known as the HealthMaster. Montel Williams announced that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. In his book Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular, Williams recommends drinking “green smoothies” for a “blast of nutrition and energy.”

But Health Master Blender is promoted as much more than just a blender. The Healthmaster will make everything from hot soups to cold ice cream in one step. It can do the job of up to 20 kitchen appliances, including a blender (of course), food mill, nut butter maker, meat grinder, coffee mill, spice grinder and latte whip or other milk frothing apparatus (I’m quoting after the myhealthmaster website).

I was also intrigued by the Health Master Blender that was promoted at the price of about $200 – half the price of Vitamix and Blendtec that I recommend on this site. Could it be a more affordable alternative to Vitamix and Blendtec? Perhaps I could promote it here too?

So I decided to do a little research to compare Montel Williams Health Master vs Vitamix vs Blendtec – to see how they stack up.

Montel Williams Health Master Blender: as seen on TV

Here is what I found out.

Montel Williams Health Master Blender vs Vitamix vs Blendtec

I have to say I was super excited to see an infomercial promoting green smoothies on TV. I think Montel is doing a great job. I loved the energy and enthusiasm that he brought into his presentation – because I truly believe a good blender is one appliance that every family should have in their kitchen. You can see a part this presentation on Youtube.

Unfortunately, the blender does not live to the expectations. When I went online and started researching and reading all the negative reviews left on Amazon and other sites, I learned that this blender doesn’t really compare to the two Super Smoothie-Making, Ice-Blasting machines that Vitamix or Blendtec are. It is cheaply made, does not provide good warranty and customer support and starts having all kinds of issues very quickly – not good if you are expecting years and years of use from your investment.

The following table presents a side-by-side comparison of features of the two of my favorite blenders plus Health Master blender.

Best Blenders For Smoothies: Montel Williams Health Master vs Vitamix 5200 vs Blendtec

Best Blender for Smoothies: Which Smoothie Blender Should You Buy?

In my opinion it’s not worth it to skimp on your blender.

That is why I recommend that you get the best blender you can afford – hopefully Vitamix or Blendtec.

Look at it as an investment that will pay for itself in the long run both in time and in your health.

A quality blender will save you frustration and will last you for many years to come, whereas a cheap machine can break after just a year or two, waste your time, money, not to mention health – because you will most likely not use it as often as you should.

In conclusion

Ultimately, it’s up to you. You need to decide what is really important to you and how much you are willing to spend. If you are new to green smoothies and already have a blender just start experimenting with what you have, or if you are on a tight budget, you can buy a blender for $20 or $100 anywhere.

Of course, how much money you have to spend is a big factor. But, if you go around and ask people, they will tell you that – as with everything else in life – you get what you pay for.

If you get really serious with making green smoothies and other creations, a cheap blender like the Health Master will likely disappoint you.

As it turns out, Montel Williams in his book “Living Well” he talks about using Vita-Mix for making smoothies.

That’s why I recommend Vitamix or Blendtec as two of the best blenders to buy. The higher investment that you will have to make initially will pay for itself many times – as any of these blenders will withstand years of heavy use as you make your healthy green creations.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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However, if I were really interested in going green and really wanted to be super environment conscious with what I eat, ideally, I should be consuming locally grown produce that is also organic.

So, what about bananas in my smoothies?

How bad are bananas for our environment?

You see, bananas are the main ingredient in most of my green smoothies.

Since I live in northern New Jersey, you will not find a banana tree in my neighborhood, even in a 100 mile radius. They have to be transported thousands of miles across the globe, producing carbon waste, so I can feed my family’s appetite for green banana smoothies.

Of course, it’s not just about bananas. Avocados, mangoes, pineapples, kiwis, etc. – I love those too, but bananas have become my staple food. Thanks to bananas, I stopped eating most of bread, cookies, and other processed carbs. They are very filling and satisfy my hunger and cravings for comfort foods.

Besides, I have to admit – I am banana junkie – I really love those banana smoothies and cannot imagine my life without them. I use loads of bananas and even if I could figure out a way to make green smoothies without them, my son will not touch them. Banana-less smoothies are just not appealing to him.

So, I had this whole issue how our food choices impact the environment in the back of my mind for a couple of months now, when browsing my online library catalog I noticed a book entitled “How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything” – and my heart sank.

“Oh NO” I thought in panic “Am I going to have to give up bananas in my smoothies?”

I couldn’t wait to loan or buy the book, I had to know RIGHT NOW exactly how bad bananas really are for the environment – if they are not consumed straight from the tree, but shipped miles and miles from where they were grown to northern New Jersey.

Thank God for Amazon’s “LOOK INSIDE” feature. I quickly found the page that interested me, and here is what I learned.

Turns out the author – after doing some carbon emissions calculations (don’t ask me how) – concluded that “Bananas are a great food for anyone who cares about their carbon footprint” (that’s me, I thought, relieved). One banana produces just 80 g of carbon emissions – when imported from the other side of the world – you get a whole lot of nutrition: 140 calories as well as vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and lots of dietary fiber. Compare that to a 4 ounce beefsteak that produces 2 kg of CO2e.

Overall, while not ideal, they may be an acceptable addition to the low-carbon diet – and here is why:

1. They are grown in natural sunlight – no hot-housing required.

2. They keep well, so they can be shipped by boats, which is only about 1 percent as bad as flying.

3. There is no processing involved and hardly any packaging (although they do come in the plastic wrapping – I haven’t found a place so far that would sell them without, but maybe I should look harder – I really want to eliminate plastic from my waste).

4. Fair trade version is available (note to myself – find fair trade bananas in my area).

All this is good news. On the other hand, the fact remains that of the 300 hundred types of bananas in existence, almost all those we eat are of the single, cloned “Cavendish” variety. In their natural form, bananas have large seeds and can be yellow, green, purple or even red. “The adoption of the Cavendish monoculture in pursuit of maximum, cheapest yields has been criticized for degrading the land and requiring the liberal use of pesticide and fungicide.”

All this is means that I’ll keep using bananas in my smoothies for now (especially for my son), although I will start to prepare more recipes that are based on locally grown ingredients and use less of them in my smoothies than up till now.

Banana-Less Blended Salad Recipe

Here is a recipe that I prepared last night. This is not a smoothie recipe, but rather a coarsely blended soup, that used locally grown ingredients only – without any bananas.

1 large tomato (ripe and fragrant)
1 pear (also very ripe)
1/3 of red pepper
2-3 leaves of lettuce
10 leaves of fresh basil (from my balcony!)

I blended this in my Vitamix on low speed without any water added, just pushing down the content with the plunger, so it had a coarse consistency of a stew. It was really delicious and looked good too (I wanted to take a picture, but I had no battery in my camera, so maybe next time). In fact it was so good that I prepared a second batch, replacing pear with a peach and basil with cilantro. It was still good, but not as delicious as the first one, so I only ate a little, and left the rest in the fridge for the next day. So today, I added 2 more very ripe pears and more lettuce, and blended the everything to a very smooth consistency – and it was amazing.

Unfortunately, my son still did not like it. Perhaps I could try adding some sweetener, like local honey? But for now, I’m going to buy some bananas tomorrow for sweet banana smoothies (with greens, of course).

In conclusion

Of course, everything we eat has some impact on the environment, so at least I was relieved to learn about the boat transportation that is relatively Earth friendly – so much more than planes and trucks.

But what about other aspects of eating bananas (or other fruits for that matter)?

The question on many people’s minds is: How bad are bananas for our health? Read about it in the upcoming Part II.

Submit a Smoothie Recipe or a Health Tip

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section for others to enjoy too!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Do you have a question or comment or would like to contribute a tip or recipe? Enter it in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog. Thanks!

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But, do not despair! The quick and easy solution is pick up a quick smoothie recipe and to whip up a quick green smoothie for yourself (and your family) that will give you energy, fill your belly, and fuel your tank with all the right foods.

The spinach in a smoothie may sound strange, but – even if you don’t enjoy its delicate taste – the other ingredients mask the flavor. Spinach is typically thought of as a lunch or dinner ingredient in a savory recipe.

If you’ve been thinking about eating more greens throughout the day, jump-start your day with a green smoothie, so that before you get into the carpool line, you’ve already sucked down fresh veggies, greens, and fruit to boot. And better yet? So have your kids and other family members.

Benefits of Spinach

Spinach has been cultivated in many parts of the world for hundreds of years, not just as a food source, but also as an important medicinal plant in many traditional systems of medicine.

Spinach benefits cannot be overstated. In the past it has often been regarded as a plant that helps restore energy, increase vitality, and improve the quality of the blood. The main reason for this is that spinach nutrition provides twice as much iron as most other greens.

Other nutrients it contains include calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and the B-complex vitamins. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

Spinach, just like other greens that contain chlorophyll and carotene, is a remarkable protector against various diseases, including cancer, anemia, digestive problems, skin problems, as well as acting as a mild laxative. Women who are worried about osteoporosis should consume spinach because it is a rich source of calcium and vitamin K.

In fact, when compared calorie for calorie to other vegetables, some say that nothing is as nutrient dense as spinach, while also being very low in calories.

The great thing is that once you try a spinach smoothie recipe, you’ll be consuming lots of it and it won’t matter anymore if you or your picky-eaters at home don’t enjoy munching on spinach salad!

Just adding a few spinach leaves to a your smoothie recipe, is so easy, tastes delicious, and it’s also incredibly good for you!

Spinach photo by marymactavish

So, how do you prepare a spinach smoothie?

When preparing spinach smoothie recipes, as in the case in most other greens, feel free to experiment and include a wide variety of other fruits and veggies.

By experimenting with different combinations, you will be able to come up with something that you and the whole family will love. You’ll even have an easier time getting your children on board to adopting a healthier diet.

The great thing about spinach is that it’s mild tasting, so it’s a perfect starter green for green smoothies. Even the most picky eaters won’t mind a few leaves of spinach in their fruit smoothie (use some deep colored fruits, such as berries, or colored glass containers to mask the green color for those most green-resistant eaters).

Generally speaking, Vitamix or Blendtec blenders will do a great job with any type of greens. These smoothie makers will give you smoother liquid, compared with other blenders.

However, even if you have an inexpensive blender you can make spinach smoothies without worrying about rough texture – spinach is soft enough, so most blenders will handle spinach well.

First, when buying fresh spinach it should be dark green and free from any evidence of decay. Choose spinach that has vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that have a slimy coating as this is a sign of decay. Slightly wilted spinach can be revived to freshness by dipping it in cold water.

Do not wash spinach before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the spinach, squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.

Prior to preparing a smoothie, wash spinach under running water. If using non organic spinach, you may want to soak or spray it with a biodegradable wash, then rinse. Use a salad spinner to dry.

The leaves can be used as is. You don’t need to remove the stalks, as you would for a salad.

Put the leaves into your smoothie blender together with your fruits and veggies – bananas, strawberries, apples, celery, etc.

That’s basically all there is to it!

Spinach Recipes

Here are a few green smoothie recipes with spinach for you to try!

I encourage you to experiment mixing spinach with other fruits, greens and vegetables. Also, I’m really not good with exact proportions, so you will need to experiment with quantities, to get that perfect green smoothie for your taste.

Photo by João M. Fernandes Flickr.com

Spinach-Mixed-Berries

Handful of fresh spinach

5 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

20 blueberries (fresh or frozen)

10 blackberries (fresh or frozen)

10 raspberries (fresh or frozen)

(OR 1 cup of mixed berries from BJ’s)

2 bananas (fresh or frozen)

1 1/2 cup water

For the Mixed Berries Smoothie I usually use frozen organic mixed berries I buy at BJs – a big 3 lbs bag for $9.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!

Spinach-Blueberry

1 large banana, ripe

1 cup blueberries, frozen (or Wild Blueberries from BJ’s)

1 cup oz spinach, fresh

1 1/2 cups pure water

This is my son’s favorite. For this smoothie, I’m using frozen Wild Blueberries from BJ’s – a big 3 lbs bag for $7.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!

Spinach-Mixed Tropical Fruit

1 large banana, ripe and peeled

1/4 avocado flesh

6 oz spinach, fresh

1/2 cup pineapple, frozen

1/2 cup mango, frozen

1/2 cup grapes, frozen

1/2 cup strawberries, frozen

1 1/2 cup water

For this smoothie, I’m using frozen mixed fruits from BJ’s – a big 5 lbs bag for $9.99 – great value and taste!

Spinach-Pear-Celery

2 pears

1 stalk of celery

1 cup spinach

1 cup water

Spinach-Peach

6 peaches

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

2 cups water

Spinach-Kiwi

1 banana

2 peaches

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

1 cup water

Spinach-Watermelon-Strawberries

One half small seeded watermelon, peel and all

10 strawberries

1 bunch spinach

1 cup water

Spinach-Mango Green Smoothie

1 large banana, ripe

1 cup mangoes

1/2 cup strawberries

5 oz spinach

1 1/2 cups water

Spinach-Banana-Orange Smoothie Recipe

2 large ripe bananas

2 oranges

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

Spinach and Cantaloupe Melon Smoothie Recipe

1/2 cantaloupe melon

1 cup of spinach

Spinach-Tomato

Here is a savory recipe for a spinach-tomato smoothie:

4 ripe plum tomatoes

1 handful of spinach leaves

4 leaves of basil leaves

One note here on using frozen fruits in your smoothies. Personally, I don’t like smoothies that are really cold, so if I’m using a lot of frozen ingredients, I add some hot water to the mix to make them room (or rather – my stomach) temperature. I know that many people like frozen drinks, but drinking a lot of frozen smoothies is not really that healthy, in my opinion.

I admit – I am totally hooked on green smoothies!

I never use exact recipes – I constantly experiment by adding different ingredients, depending on what sounds good to my body each day.

Although some smoothies taste more delicious than others, I haven’t been disappointed yet!

One caveat: Because of the high oxalic acid content of spinach, some experts recommend to keep your spinach intake down to once or twice a week. Also, if you have any health issues such as kidney stones, it’s best to avoid spinach altogether. If you have any questions or concerns, speak to your doctor or nutritionist before introducing any changes to your diet.

Now that you know how to make some basic spinach recipes, you can experiment with other variations on this theme. When you are ready, start incorporate other, stronger tasting greens into your smoothies.

Submit Your Smoothie Recipe!

When you find a taste you love, why not submit your favorite smoothie recipe in the comment section below!

Find more smoothie recipes and tips on my blog.

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So today, I’m going to talk about my favorite smoothie maker that I use at least 3-4 times a day to prepare green smoothies for myself or my family.

How my life has changed after getting a Vitamix Blender for my birthday

It’s been over a year now that I’ve been using a Vitamix blender, and – wow – it has made my life so much easier, healthier and more enjoyable to boot.

Prior to buying the Vitamix, I’d been using a different blender – I will not mention the brand here, as it does not matter. It was doing an OK job blending fruits and soft greens, such as spinach, but as it comes to making smoothies with tougher plants – kale or celery, for example – it was awful. It could not handle the tougher jobs, resulting in a chunky texture that was not very palatable. Also, I was afraid to run it for too long, as the engine was overheating quickly.

Green Smoothie Maker

That resulted in almost complete avoidance of these greens and veggies – even if I could drink them from time to time (reasoning with myself that I’m doing it for my health), my son and husband would not touch the stuff and I couldn’t blame them for that.

So, following long deliberation – after all spending over $400 bucks for a small kitchen appliance that you can get for a less than a fifth of the price sounds crazy to most people – and reading lots of reviews on the internet I decided to ask my husband to get me a Vitamix for my 44th birthday.

When it arrived, I went out and purchased all kinds of fruits, and greens – kale, collards, celery, etc., etc., and started experimenting – and I was elated. I could not believe how smooth the consistency was – I could not feel any of the chunkiness of unblended fibrous parts of the plants. Plus, the smoothies passed the hardest test – my son loves them!

Vitamix for Perfect Smoothie: Use Promotional Code 06-004554

He regularly drinks smoothies made with the kale, parsley, collards, dandelion greens, arugula, celery, romaine lettuce (although too much romaine is not very palatable to me), and almost every other green I can find.

Is Vitamix really the only blender that will do the job?

No, the other highly recommended alternative is Blendtec blender. To be honest, I chose Vitamix before I even knew that Blendtec existed, however, after doing some post-factum research I still concluded that Vitamix is a better choice for me – mostly because it has a tamper. The tamper allows me to prepare smoothies with very little liquid, or no liquid at all – I can just push the ingredients down so the blade can process them, without worrying about what to put first so that the pieces do not get stuck.

Vitamix vs Blendtec

Here is side-by side comparison of both blenders.

Vitamix vs Blendtec

Vitamix Vs Blendtec Video

And here is a video I found on Youtube: a battle between Vitamix vs Blendtec. To be fair, I don’t think you need to put whole apples into your blender. I don’t do it when I make green smoothies, even though I have Vitamix, as I don’t like to use the tamper. But whenever I make blended salads with little or no water, I’m sure glad I can push down the tomatoes or cucumbers, as they do get stuck in the process.

So, if you’ve been thinking about getting a new blender and still hesitating – because of the price considerations – I say, DON’T. Consider it money well spent, and an investment in your family’s health (think about all the savings on doctor’s visits and medications).

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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Green blended salads are made of juicy vegetables and greens, that are blended at lower speeds than smoothies, for shorter times and without adding water. They have thicker consistency, crunchy texture, and can be eaten from a bowl like a soup or stew.

The best ingredients for blended salads include cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, peppers, and zucchini, with only delicate greens added, such as spinach or lettuce.  The reason not to add hard and bitter greens such as kale is that you are only blending the mixture to a consistency of thick salsa or stew – and these ingredients would make it unpalatable.

Drink your salad instead of eating it!

You will want to add lots of herbs, such as basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, and other for outrageously delicious taste.

You also want to add a little bit of sweetness for even more yumminess.  I like to add some sweet fruits, for example, a piece of a sweet pear, apple, a few strawberries, or grapes, but you may choose to add a little bit of honey, agave syrup, or some other sweetener to make the blended salad even more delicious.

IMPORTANT TIP: How to make a blended salad?

Because you are not going to add any water to your salad, so it is important to start with ingredients that contain most water – tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. – so, cut them into pieces and put them into your blender FIRST.  Switch your blender ON and keep it on the lowest speed that will get the job done.  Next, gradually keep adding other ingredients – leafy greens and herbs. If adding honey or other sweetener, add it to the mix at the end, so it doesn’t just stick to the container.

This is important especially if you are using a regular blender to make the blended salad, and not VitaMix – which is the best blender on the market to make green smoothies and blended salads. It’s expensive, but totally worth it!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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