The Art of Creating a Paleo Smoothie Drink

We are living in the century of the green drink craze. Respected health officials, fitness gurus and health advocates continue to boast about the benefits of paleo smoothies and drinks. Green smoothies are nutritional powerhouses in that they are filled with nutrients that your body craves. If you’ve been suffering from bouts of fatigue and low energy it may help to incorporate green smoothies into your regular diet. Green smoothies and drinks are rich in nutrient dense minerals and vitamins that your body needs.

Spinach is a key ingredient in green drinks that are essential for the body. Did you know that spinach helps to prevent overeating and also maintain a normal blood sugar level? Spinach contains bioflavonoids which have potent anti-cancer properties. We know that spinach isn’t the most delicious vegetable to munch on. One beneficial element about spinach is that you can hardly taste it once it’s mixed in with other key ingredients of a green smoothie.

There is no perfect green drink out there so don’t be fooled by all of the fly by night companies claiming to have a “holy grail” green drink. Green smoothies are supremely easy to concoct on your own. They can be made with a variety of ingredients that will give your taste buds the party that they’ve always been looking for! The secret for making a flavourful green drink is to incorporate the right mix of fruits and green vegetables that you enjoy eating.

If you’re not much of a vegetable person and prefer eating fruits, be sure to add more fruits than vegetables in your blender or juicer. For example, try adding 2 parts fruit to 1 part vegetables. There is no specific recipe that you must follow to ensure that you make a great tasting green smoothie. The sky really is the limit when it comes to creating a green drink.

Now let’s say you’re nutritionally challenged and are absolutely clueless about what goes into a green smoothie. For starters, you will need a smoothie base of approximately 1-2 cups of liquid. Rice milk, almond milk, coconut water and fruit juice are excellent bases. After selecting your base, you will need to choose 2 cups of your preferred fruit.

Berries, mangos, kiwis, pineapples, pears and bananas are flavorful fruit options. Next you’ll need 1 cup of a green vegetable such as kale, spinach or beet greens. You may choose to drink your smoothie with just your base, fruit and vegetables. However, if you want a thicker consistency select a thickener such as yogurt, coconut meat, frozen yogurt, ice cubes or nut butter. The last step is optional and it entails adding a sweetener such as agave nectar or honey.

Green smoothies aren’t hard to make. One rule of thumb is to be creative and just go for it. In case you’re still feeling dubious and helpless here’s a green smoothie recipe that you can try!

1 Cup coconut milk 2 cups of chopped mango and pineapple 1-1.5 cups of spinach ½ cup of French Vanilla yogurt 3 tablespoons of light agave nectar syrup Dash of nutmeg

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Apple Walnut Coleslaw Paleo Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 apple
• 3 tbsp walnut oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise 
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread walnuts on a shallow baking tin and place in oven. Set your oven timer for 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, shred cabbage. Quarter and core apple, then cut in matchstick strips. Put cabbage and apple in a big mixing bowl.
3. Measure the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together.
4. When the timer beeps, taste one walnut bit and see if they’re toasty. If so, add them to the mixing bowl. If not, give them another 2 minutes, then add to the salad.
5. Now pour on the dressing and toss to coat. You can chill this for a few hours, but it’s awfully good freshly made.

SERVES: 6

NUTRITION: 183 calories; 17 g fat; 3 g protein; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 6 g net carbs per serving.

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