Raw Green Smoothies

Orange Pineapple Banana and Lettuce

But this one has a twist of Honeydew melon to really round out the flavor. I can’t stress it enough, if you get a chance to make juice for the base of your smoothie, there are a few that work really well:

  • Watermelon
  • Honeydew melon
  • Orange
  • Apple + berry (whatever kind you really like)

Or, if there’s something else that stands out as easy for you, consider it. Juice makes the best base. I look forward to the start of summer every year for the first Honeydew melons to arrive. I know they are a little ‘crunchy green’ having been shipped half way around the world, but when you juice them, you get all the flavor that you can sweeten up a little if need be. It’s pure goodness!

  • 3 oranges
  • 1 banana
  • 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 1 cup fresh Honeydew melon
  • A few small dates as a sweetener
  • 1 bowl fresh garden lettuce

I simply love the fact that my garden’s provided me with more than enough beautiful crisp green left lettuce all summer. I hope it lasts for a few more months.

Notice that I picked apart each slice of orange to see if it had seeds in it or not. If so, I removed the seed(s). There’s something about orange seeds that I really don’t like to blend. It’s up to you, but I remove them.

I’m sure this blender full made a little more than this quart. But yum.  Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Peach Grape Lettuce

With Coconut ice cubes to really give it a zing! I don’t think I could stress it enough, if you get a chance to pick up fresh coconuts always save the extra juice (water) and freeze it into cubes. They’re oily, refreshing and flavorful for just about any smoothie.

Garden lettuce also makes a big hit with just about any smoothie. Pick out more than you think you’d eat – more than a store bought bundle – and you’ll get a full bodied smoothie everytime.

  • 6 fresh coconut ice cubes
  • 2 peaches
  • 6 to 7 little dates
  • Handful grapes (as ripe as you can get)
  • Bowl fresh garden lettuce
  • 1 little probiotic

As you can see, I must have been a little hungry when I started this smoothie for I noticed that as I started filling the blender, I really didn’t need three peaches nor all those grapes. The main idea with the smoothies is to get good tasting greens into your system (body), so cutting out some fruit is not a bad thing!

Even after running the blender on high for a minute, the ingredients didn’t reduce in size at all!  In fact, I think they actually grew!

It’s not bad having a little extra. Just make sure that when you eat it, the smoothie mixes well with the saliva in your mouth so it digests fully.  And, stop drinking when your body says your full.  It’s ok to not drink it all at once. Take your time. Enjoy it!

Papaya Banana Lettuce

Take a close look at this smoothie. It’s probably not one that you’re going to want to make. I love papaya when it’s ripe, but the green things that they ship up to my neck of the woods really is hit and miss. It’s just to be the perfect time of year and you’ve got to pick up the perfect fruit to have a really good experience.

But the way I really messed this one up was by adding a creamy papaya with creamy bananas with creamy coconut milk to a mild lettuce. If there were something sour or sharp, I’m sure I would have had a better experience.

  • ½ large papaya (remove the seeds)
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 cup coconut milk with vanilla flavorings
  • 6 to 7 little itty bitty dates
  • 1 bowl lettuce

The larger papaya increased the volume of this smoothie just past one quart. Which, to me, is perfect for my wife and I. It’s just that I didn’t get possible feedback on this combination.

Mango Lettuce Pineapple

This is one of my favorite winter time smoothies, yet I found a cold day in the summer (and I had some left over pineapple that needed to be used) that fit the bill perfectly for this one.

Even though the ingredients might seem a little complex, I assure you that it’s one simple little bold flavored treat that you’ll be coming back for more. Maybe tomorrow if you’ve still got the same collection of ingredients!  Lol….

  • 1 mango
  • 2 bananas
  • About 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 6 to 7 small dates
  • Bowl of lettuce
  • About 1 cup water
  • 1 little probiotic

With all this lettuce, you’ll really have to cram it into your vita-mix blender. Just make sure you place the wettest things on the bottom for once the water gets spinning it tends to suck in the greens.

As you can see, I was definitely hungry this day! Or, I can’t remember, maybe I had company. People are starting to figure out that if they spend the night, they’ll get a green smoothie of some sort for breakfast. And, as luck would have it, I haven’t gotten any real complaints (except form a child that doesn’t eat anything but white bread and hotdogs).

Mango Watermelon Lettuce

Frozen bananas really add a cold creamy consistency to just about any smoothie. Yet, when you add a mango to it, you’re doubling your mouth watering experience. Take special note of the watermelon juice that used as the base. I love picking up inexpensive watermelons, juicing them up and drinking it all day long. Yes, it’s a cooling liquid, so make sure you pick out the hottest days if you’re really going to flush your system.

For now, that bowl of lettuce leaves are calling for a quick whirl.

  • 1 mango
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 6 or 7 little dates (the really small ones)
  • 1  to 1 ½ cup watermelon juice
  • 1 bowl lettuce
  • One little probiotic

Stack them all up on the blender, if you’ve got a strong one, of slowly feed them in if it’s a more common variety.

In the end, you’ll have a treat that you can savor on your way out of the house in the morning. It’s also a way to get all the greens that you could possibly want in one little meal!