Making A Case for the NON-GREEN Smoothie

Feb 5, 2018
3 min read

Ok so I have posted before about my favorite smoothie. Its called the Pina Colada smoothie and its a part of the Danette May 3-day detox. It's rich, tangy and taste like pineapples and coconuts. So beautifully green and tasty it fulfills all the expectations of a healthy smoothie. As a matther of fact ALL the smoothies I have been drinking have been green.

Looking for a change in pace I took to Pinterest. Scroll, pin, scroll, pin. I pinned away for about 15 minutes and found a variety of different methods and ingredients for smoothies. Then I came across a smoothie that is NOT green. Skeptical I put it off over and over again not wanting to waste good produce! Lol.

Finally this weekend I worked up the nerve to take a chance. I bypassed the spinach and cucumber and reached for the carrots as my base vegetable. Yes you read right. I use carrots as my base vegetable. Now I like carrots as much a the next person. I put them in my salads and eat them with hummus, but the thought of blending them up and drinking them... not thank you.

You might be wondering how I came across using carrots. When I was researching the different smoothies on Pinterest I thought about looking to incorporate more ginger into my smoothie arsenal. Recently all the boys had congestion from the fluctuating weather. Immediately I looked for a natural home remedy that I could give to them. I came across a smoothie that was so good it deserves its own post so stay tuned. One of the major ingredients, was ginger root. Anyway the taste was so unique and spicy I wanted to find other smoothies I could use ginger.

I came across this recipe:

- 1 medium carrot (I used a handful of baby carrots)

-1/2 inch of fresh ginger

- 1/3 banana (I used 1/2 and gave the other half to baby Noah)

- Juice from 1/2 large lemon

- 4 oz. of water (I used 1 cup)

- 1 tsp honey (I used 2tsp)

- 1 tsp chia seeds

As you can see I am not above tweeking a recipe... another great benefit of smoothies...flexibility. This recipe was so good! The banana and honey add just the right amount of natural sweetness to curb the sweet tooth while moderating blood sugar levels. The lemon brings the tang and boosts the immune system. Lastly, the ginger brings the spice while reducing inflammation! As for the carrots... Couldn't even taste them! I put the ingredients in the blender and crossed my fingers.

I sometimes like to drink from a fancy cup.

I give this smoothie a 8.5 out of 10 because of the following:

1) You have to blend it for a little longer to ensure the carrots are not still in chunks, I have a Vitamix and still needed to blend a little longer then I would if it were a softer veggie.

2) You have to drink it immediately because the ingredients will settle at the bottom. I like smoothies that I can make a double portion of and save half in the fridge for later.

All in all I would say that I am more open to drinking non-green smoothies. I even got my teenager and toddler to drink some! I strongly encourage the infusion of smoothies into the kiddos' diets on a weekly bases. Every time I make a smoothie I make a little more than I need to share with those who want some. It opens them up to new tastes while giving their bodies a much needed punch of vitamins and minerals for their growing bodies.

Please try this recipe and leave your ranking in the comments section!