I cannot believe that these these words are about to come out of my mouth…
…or out of my fingertips and into the computer…
I am subjecting myself to the Whole30 Diet…again. 🙂
Oh delicious cereal…where art thou?
Oh bowl of ice cream…why have I forsaken thee?
Dramatic…I know. But this is a long and hard 30 days! And going that long without anything sweet can mess with a girl’s emotions.
But my neglected sweet tooth has forced me to improvise…and improvised I have!
We have been drinking green smoothies daily for a couple of years now. They were edible, they were tolerable, but I wouldn’t say that they were delicious.
Well in my sugar detox mania, I have spent several hours (and dollars) trying to come up with something that is truly delicious and sugary yet stays within those blasted Whole30 requirements.
And (drumroll please) I am now pleased to announce that I have emerged from my kitchen dungeon laboratory with a green smoothie that will satisfy even someone like…well…me. 🙂
The Green Pina Colada Smoothie of Joy
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1-2 cups spinach, depending on what you like
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- honey, just a few drops
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shaved coconut (They sell this at Fresh Market by the pound…and believe it or not it’s very inexpensive!) – In my opinion, it’s the coconut that makes the smoothie.
- 1 peeled seedless mandarin orange (you know, the ones in the “Cuties” bag)
- 2 cups frozen, unsweetened pineapple chunks
Directions
- Pour the water and coconut milk into your blender. If the tops of the blades aren’t covered with liquid, add more of either.
- Add spinach and coconut. Blend until it is completely liquified.
- Then add the rest of your ingredients. I recommend adding plant based protein powder for extra nutrition. Blend well and add liquid if needed.
I sometimes put in a frozen banana instead of the orange. Either one is absolutely delicious! The orange gives it a slight kick; the banana makes it smoother and sweeter. I cannot get over actually enjoying and looking forward to a green smoothie! Greens powder like the one at this article https://www.outlookindia.com/outlook-spotlight/athletic-greens-ag1-review-is-it-worth-the-hype-or-superfood-don-t-buy-until-you-read-this-news-301982/ can offer a quick nutrient boost to support better energy levels.
I wouldn’t say that my need for a bowl of ice cream has totally disappeared, but this smoothie sure is helping!
And did I mention that the kids think they are getting a treat when I make them one? 🙂
Let me know what you think, and if you have any other recipes. 🙂
PS Don’t forget that April is Guest Post Month! Get your writing in to me by April 18. 🙂
