green smoothie

Being lactose intolerant and having a less-than-positive attitude toward bananas, I often struggle with breakfast smoothies. For anyone partaking in the 12wbt at the moment, you would know that Banana Smoothies are part of the nutrition plan next week. So I've been searching for an alternative.

Today I decided to test out a green smoothie, which is based on Angela's (from Oh She Glows) Green Monster recipe.

Serves 2-3 (approx 45-65 calories per serve)

1 cup baby spinach

1 gala apple (or any sweet apple) 

1 continental cucumber

Juice from 1 lemon 

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Maple syrup, to taste (I used approx 1 tablespoon)

Handful ice cubes

1. Peel cucumber. Roughly chop cucumber and apple.

2. Put spinach, apple, cucumber, lemon juice and ginger in a food processor or good quality blender. Blend on high until smooth.

3. Put mixture into a blender (if you haven't already) with ice and maple syrup.

4. Pour and serve!

The verdict: I was pleasantly surprised. I really like the idea of this recipe, but think it could do with some tweaking (e.g., I would definitely consider adding a second apple next time). 

Also, I personally found that my blender wasn't able create a smooth mixture on its own, so I had to use the food processor and then the blender. But just do what works best with the appliances you have.

Have a great weekend!

- Dani