Posted on Monday, March 12, 2018
With Saint Patrick’s Day around the corner, spring in the air, and the produce section at my neighborhood Brookshire Brothers overflowing with fresh seasonal produce, what better way to celebrate than with a tasty green treat? No need for artificial food coloring when you can use nature’s pantry to create a delectable green smoothie that will please kids and adults alike. Plus, smoothies are a quick and tasty way to get in your daily fruits and veggies!
The art of the smoothie is all about the combination of ingredients. At my local Brookshire Brothers, I spotted plenty of farm fresh produce for inspiration. I decided to blend fresh apples and cucumbers in my recipe, but feel free to swap out ingredients and make it your own. You can sub in fresh oranges, bananas, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, double the frozen fruit, or whatever you feel inspired to do!
For a sweeter drink, choose frozen mango or frozen pineapple and use coconut water or 100% juice for the liquid component. For a mildly sweet lower calorie smoothie, I used an almond/coconut milk blend. If using the drink as a meal replacement, try using regular milk or half yogurt half milk to boost the protein.
DON'T FORGET: Check your weekly ad for special savings on these ingredients!
I added a spoon full of chia seeds for some healthy omega-3 fats, but flax seed works as well or you can skip them all together. For the green stuff, try hand fulls of fresh spinach, kale, or Swiss chard to make it as beautiful as it is healthy.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make your own pot of (green smoothie) gold at the end of the rainbow. Wishing you good luck and good health! Enjoy!
THIS WEEKEND ONLY: Join our text promotions and get 10% OFF ANY FROZEN FOODS—perfect for adding frozen fruits to your smoothie recipe! To sign up, text JOIN [insert your store number] to 59652.
Don't know your store number? You can use our store locator or shoot us an email at customerexperience@brookshirebros.com
SHAMROCK SMOOTHIE
Ingredients1 cup frozen mango, pineapple, or other frozen fruit of choice
Two small or one large apple, cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cucumber or one mini cucumber cut into chunks
1 cup almond milk, coconut milk, regular milk, yogurt, coconut water, or 100% juice of choice
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or half a lemon squeezed)
1 Tablespoon of whole chia seeds or flax seeds (optional)
Two big hand fulls (about two cups packed) of fresh spinach, kale, or Swiss chard
Find a nearby Brookshire Brothers to pick up any ingredients you don't already have on hand!
Directions
Add all ingredients to blender and mix until well blended. Add greens in batches as needed.
Makes 4 cups (32 ounces)
Angela Larson is a registered dietitian (RD) who works with Brookshire Brothers promoting real fresh, real delicious foods and nutrition education to the community. She is also a clinical dietitian representing Woodland Heights Medical Center in Lufkin where she does outreach education on food and nutrition. Food is her passion, so Angela loves trying new recipes and exploring the more holistic side of nutrition. Angela loves to cook, garden, and spend time outdoors. In addition to the Brookshire Brothers blog, look for Angela's monthly articles in Charm East Texas.