A green smoothie packed with nutrients featuring a trio of greens along with pineapple and coconut milk.
While December is a month filled with feasts and festivities the beginning of the year is a quieter time ripe for recharging and making fresh starts.
Following the frantic pace of the holiday season I’m often overcome by the desire to rest and refuel for the year ahead; with that comes a longing for something vibrant and fresh. Enter this “drink your greens” smoothie…
Green smoothies have developed a somewhat cult-like following, and with good reason I’d say as these tasty concoctions brimming with fresh produce and nutrients are easily absorbed by the body. Unlike greens juices, smoothies retain all the fiber of the fruits and vegetables you use, making them a more substantial snack or meal replacement keeping you fuller longer as they are more slowly digested.
Of course, apart from all their health advantages, they are also a truly tasty way to start the day or recharge in the afternoon.
Refreshing and loaded with leafy greens this is my green smoothie of choice lately. It features a trio of nutrient packed greens (kale, chard and parsley) paired with sweet pineapple and punctuated with a squeeze of lemon juice for tartness. Coconut milk supplies the creaminess along with a dose of healthy fat for optimum vitamin and mineral assimilation. The pineapple does double duty, providing a natural source of sweetness along with bromelain an enzyme that helps with digestion and inflammation.
So here’s to fresh starts and a healthy new year!
Yields makes about two 10 oz drinks or one large drink
A green smoothie packed with nutrients featuring a trio of greens along with pineapple and coconut milk.
5 minPrep Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup/150 g fresh or frozen pineapple
- 3 to 4 large kale leaves preferably Lacinato also known as dinosaur kale (spine and stems removed and torn into pieces)
- 3 large chard leaves (spine and stems removed and torn into pieces)
- 1 handful of flat parsley, stems removed
- The juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 cup/240ml coconut milk (you can use light or regular coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup/120g ice
- For Extra Fiber: 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- For Extra Protein: 1 scoop of your favorite unflavored protein powder or
- 2 Tablespoons hemp seeds or
- 1 Tablespoon of collagen powder
- For Extra Energy: 1 teaspoon of matcha green tea
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients including whichever smoothie boosts you are using in a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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