Orange Banana Green Smoothie

Orange Banana Green Smoothie

1 ripe banana
1 scoop strawberry flavored protein powder
1 cup orange juice
3 cups spinach (I like organic baby spinach)
1-2 cups ice
1 cup water (best to use filtered water)

Put everything in your smoothie blender and blend until smooth.

Drinking green smoothies is a great way to lose weight and feel better, have more energy and provide your body with essential nutrients.

Play around with making green smoothies. Once you learn about the flavors you like, you can make unlimited variations.

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For those of you getting started with green smoothies I have a few suggestions:

1. Start slowly. Use your favorite fruit smoothie recipe and simply add a few greens – spinach is a good addition to a green smoothie as the flavor does not overpower the taste of the fruit. Another benefit to starting slowly is that your smoothie can still look appetizing as well. (See the “green smoothie” recipe and photo below.)

2. Only add greens that you like as you get started making a green smoothie. If you hate the flavor of kale, you won’t love it in a smoothie either. Once in a while you can sneak a green into your smoothie (such as spinach) that you don’t love – if it has a mild flavor you can get the nutrients and antioxidants without spoiling the taste of your smoothie.

3. Try using a rich flavored protein powder to mask the stronger flavors of your greens. You might be surprised that even chocolate protein powders can taste good with greens. Strawberry and vanilla go extremely well in a green smoothie.

4. Build up from there. I still can’t stomache full blown green smoothies (with mostly greens and maybe a pear for sweetness). But I certainly can add greens to my favorite recipes. And .. the best part… kids love these smoothies too. So not only do you get great taste, you also get the benefits of extra nutrition. Not a bad combination.

Here is an example of a green smoothie I made today. Don’t be fooled by the purple color – it still IS considered a “green smoothie“.

A green smoothie can still look appetizing if you use berries for a rich purple or red color.

Green Smoothie

1 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
2 cups ice
1 ripe banana
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup skim milk (optional – you may exchange for water)
1/2 cup water
1/2 fresh alfalfa sprouts (I sprout my own, but they can be purchased at most grocery stores. Make sure you rinse them well before adding).
2 cups fresh spinach (I prefer using organic baby spinach)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

(You can leave out the protein powder if you prefer – I like to add it as it keeps you feeling satisfied longer and only adds about 90-120 calories to your green smoothie depending on the brand you use. This recipe could also be considered a protein shake.)

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This delicious strawberry blueberry smoothie is high in both antioxidants and taste.

I made a delicious strawberry blueberry smoothie and turned it into a protein shake. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie

1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries
2 cups ice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1 ripe banana
1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 scoop strawberry protein powder (optional)

Blend and enjoy.

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Here is one of my favorite recipes for protein shakes:

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

1 ripe banana (peeled)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I prefer the EAS brand as it has good flavor and no bad aftertaste as some protein powders do)
1/4 cup raspberries (optional)
2 cups ice cubes
1-2 cups skim milk (can be low-fat or for fewer calories you may use water but the consistency will be less creamy)

Blend until smooth. This chocolate banana protein shake is a great meal replacement for weight loss and extra energy.
(Adding a few raspberries or strawberries gives the shake a bit more flavor and changes the color from a chocolate brown to a lighter pink color as pictured below.)

Adding a few raspberries to your chocolate banana protein shake gives it a nice pink color and extra flavor.

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Most protein shakes use fruit smoothie recipes or green smoothies as their base, and then simply add a scoop or two of protein powder into the mix. Protein shakes are highly recommended not only as a good source of protein for the day, but most protein powders have fewer calories than what you would consume to get the same grams of protein for your day.

Protein shakes also have the additional benefit of keeping you full longer so you are not hungry as soon as you might be after having a green smoothie or other fruit smoothie.

How do you make a smoothie that is considered a protein shake? First if you select the protein you wish to use – that will help you determine what other ingredients or what fruit smoothie recipe would best complement your protein shake.

If you select a chocolate flavored protein powder – some great ingredients would be bananas or peanut butter in the shake, along with vanilla or plain yogurt, or milk. Even strawberries complement a chocolate protein powder. or simply use a strawberry protein powder.

Add protein powder to smoothies to make a protein shake

You can substitute a vanilla or plain protein powder for vanilla yogurt in any recipe, or simply add the protein powder to any fruit smoothie.

A protein shake may have a little more aftertaste than a regular fruit smoothie, and you may also experience some grainy texture. The protein powder you choose has a lot to do with the texture and flavor. You may end up experimenting with different brands to find the kind you like the best. One recommendation is to dissolve your protein powder in milk – similar to making a chocolate milk drink – before adding it to your smoothie – as this will help create a creamier texture in a protein shake.

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