Add a Blast to Any Smoothie

Well done, my man. Well done.

So over the last year or so I have become quite the smoothie connoisseur. And I don't mean just by buying pre-made smoothies mixes from the grocery store or from the guy selling "SMOOTHIE BOD-X" products (or whatever they call those products). In fact, as a connoisseur, I consider buying pre-packaged products cheating. It's like hiring someone else to win that colossal stuffed Dora doll at the Minnesota State Fair and then giving it to my daughter, as if I won it on my own. We all know it's not the same. I, myself, want to spend the $42 to toss that ball (made from moon rubber...which scientists have shown to be 7X's more bouncy than normal rubber) into that bamboo basket which is actually made from a trampoline powered by rocket fuel to reject your moon ball! And then I want to be the one to carry that Dora doll, the size of a small NY city sky scraper, around the Fair all day, knocking over little children and taking up three seats on every ride.

So by connoisseur, I guess I mean that I have experimented over the last year with smoothie recipes made from natural fruits and veggies, and I have discovered some great ideas for smoothie making. (In all seriousness, those pre-packaged smoothie mixes or the "SMOOTHIE BOD-X" products are actually great ideas and better than nothing. They are quick and easy and filled with some smoothie essentials. But they also cost a lot more than just making your own. A lot more.)

Here are two of the things that I have learned about smoothie making:

     

1. If you want to add a blast of nutrition to every smoothie, drop in a handful of fresh spinach. We all should be eating "greens" at every meal anyhow, so this is a good way to get some in while drinking a smoothie. Spinach is awesome for you, and you really can't even taste it in the smoothie - trust me. If you have the extra coin, buy organic baby spinach, since spinach is on the dirty dozen list and the baby spinach contains the most nutrients. But, if you are like me and trying to save some coin, just buy pre-washed (or wash it yourself using this homemade recipe) spinach of any type (not necessarily the baby spinach). I like to buy mine from either Wal-Mart or Costco. To add some greens to your lunch, make a spinach salad, with the same spinach, with some fruit and homemade vinaigrette. 
2. If you want to sweeten up any smoothie, don't add sugar, add an apple. Apples are packed with fiber (and other vitamins) and are a natural sweetener. They make a great addition to any smoothie. If an entire apple makes your drink too much to drink down in one sitting, use a half an apple. 

So live dangerously and experiment with your own smoothie recipes. Toss in some fruits and veggies and blend away. Add some spinach for a nutrition blast, and an apple to sweeten the deal. You could also add some honey or agave nectar as a sweetener. And when tossing the moon ball at the Fair, aim low and let the ball bounce up, keeping it in the basket. You might just save a few bucks and impress your daughter.