March 5, 2012

tropical green smoothie (and how to cut up a pineapple)

My husband and I love smoothies. We make them for breakfast almost every morning during the work week because they are such a fast and delicious way to get tons of nutrients in our bodies. Making about 40 smoothies a month requires lots of bananas, frozen fruit, creativity and our killer blender that was given to us as a wedding gift.



I'm always trying to come up with a new smoothie to mix it up a little. This fruit and spinach smoothie has been a constant favorite, so I wanted to make another smoothie that uses spinach (but doesn't taste like spinach).



Fresh pineapple is so incredibly sweet and delicious. It actually blends really well in a smoothie. It's mixed with a banana, plain Greek yogurt, a handful of spinach and a splash of milk. So lovely.

My sister Ashley is taking classes on nutrition. I sent her the recipe for this smoothie and she let me know all the nutritional benefits in each ingredient.

  • Pineapple - potassium, calcium, vitamin c. One cup has almost 75% of the manganese (a mineral) you need in one day, which helps your body build strong bones and connective tissue.
  • Plain (unsweetened) Yogurt - probiotics (which support healthy digestion), protein and calcium.
  • Bananas - potassium, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce ulcers and improve your vision.
  • Spinach - antioxidants, reduces the risk of cancer, reduces inflammation, improves brain function and immunity.

Isn't that amazing? So drink up!

If the thought of cutting up a fresh pineapple scares you... don't worry! It's so easy. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence here, so if you already know how to do this just skip ahead.



I like to use a really sharp serrated knife for this. Start by chopping off the top and bottom.



Now you have a solid surface to work on. Sit the pineapple upright again, then work your knife down the sides of the pineapple to take the skin off, spinning as you go around.



Cut slices around the core.



Cut the slices into planks, then into smaller pieces.



Now you have the perfect sized pieces to drop into your blender.

You will love this. It's light, fresh and healthy. It tastes nothing like spinach (yay!) just sweet fruit and tangy yogurt.





Tropical Green Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

1 medium ripe banana
1/2 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup spinach (large handful)
1/2 cup ice (3 to 4 ice cubes)
Splash of milk

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk if you need to thin it out, or more ice if it needs to be thicker.

8 comments:

  1. I love green smoothies! I usually freeze my bananas in chunks to make the smoothie extra cold...and if you've never tried it before, go out and by some xantham gum (available at health food stores) to add to your smoothies. It makes them thicker and creamier...it's amazing!

    I love your addition of yogurt. Delish :)

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  2. I love when yummy food is good for me. This looks delicious!

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