Green Smoothies (banana free smoothies and workshop coming this way)

Green smoothies are simply awesome IMHO.  However for those people who dislike bananas you do tend to find that most of them use it or at least often find so.  So I thought it was time to share some banana free smoothies for people wanting to get started.

Smoothies are often mentioned as a weight loss tool and whilst I agree to some extent the can be used to this end, it isn't what I would consider their main potential by any means.  I feel they can be a great weight regulator.  They provide a brilliant way of getting vitamins and minerals into the body without having to sit and chomp through a lb of spinach, a pineapple, 3 bananas.  I think they're as valuable for anyone whether they be under or over weight, or at their ideal place to be.  And whilst we're on the weight thing - I think partly because you're satisfied with genuinely good food you're less likely to snack on 'bad' stuff.  Winning all round really.

Without further ado - a couple of smoothies I've loved for all the banana less than lovers out there:

2 cups pineapple, (about half a medium pineapple) cubed
2 mangoes peeled and pitted
1/2 avocado
4 cups baby leaf spinach
1 cup water

Put everything in the blender except for the spinach and blend until mostly blended, then add the baby leaf spinach and blend until smooth.

3 peaches
1 mango
4 cups baby leaf/spinach
3/4 to 1 cup water

Blend the peaches and mango with the water til nearly smooth then add the spinach and blend until smooth.

1 apple, cored
2 cups pineapple
2 cups kale or spinach
3/4 to a cup of water

Blend the apple, pineapple and water until nearly smooth - add the kale or the spinach (newbies I'd advise to start off with spinach and move onto kale once you're more used to green smoothies) and blend.

1 cup strawberries
1 mango
1 peach
1 orange
2 cups spinach
1 cup water

As before, blend everything except for the spinach until nearly smooth then add in the spinach and blend until deliciously smooth and yummy!

...and for more smoothie info I've a workshop coming up on the 20th March 7.30-9.30 on juices and smoothies - get in touch for more details.

Enjoy!  My last tip - unlike juicing there's so little to wash up but I do always try to wash the blender first then I can really relax and enjoy my smoothie with nothing (haha) left to do!!