green lemonade smoothie — should you drink it? {RECIPE}

Recently I picked up a People magazine while waiting in the checkout line at Wal-mart.

(Don’t judge me.)

Between pages of glossed up celebs on the red carpet or on the beach (it seems that they live perpetually in either place) & photos of the impeccable Kate Middleton & baby Charlotte, I noticed a section titled, “Celebs that love green juice!” followed by a half a dozen starlets shown smiling with a cup of green in hand.

I had to chuckle, because well, leave it to Hollywood to take something great & turn it into a flashy trend.

Trendy or not, there’s a reason why green juice is hot right now.

If done right, it can taste delicious AND deliver a load of refreshment, nourishment, & alkalinity (which your body loves).

Should YOU drink green juice too?

Yes!

If you’ve never tried green juice, a green lemonade smoothie (my favorite form of green juice) is probably your safest bet.

It isn’t too green tasting (though the more green you drink, the better, less bitter it tastes, in my opinion), & really does taste lemonade-y.

“But, Dr. So-and-So said you shouldn’t ever drink smoothies/juice.”

I realize there are some in the health/diet field that say that you should never drink your calories, only eat/chew them.

I understand the rationale behind this, because your body does absorb liquid calories more quickly than calories you had to work for by chewing, & it’s pretty easy to cram six or seven servings of high-sugar fruit into one smoothie, making it as calorie dense, though more nutritious, than a Big Gulp (for non-American friends, that code for an ungodly sized soda drink).

BUT, I live in the real world. (I’m pretty sure you do too.)

I wish I could sit down & take the time to eat a few apples, a few stalks of celery, & a boat load of greens. But, I have 5 kids! I have a life, a very active one at that. And the ideal often doesn’t meet with the reality. So, for busy people, green drinks make sense.

The other reason I think smoothies are juices can be a great thing is that they add variety to your diet. I mean, as much as I love chewing (check out some of my salads for ways to yummy ways to chew your greens, especially this one), sometimes (especially on hot days, or after a workout), I just want to drink something cool, refreshing, & nutritious.

All this being said, personally, I rarely, if every drink fruit-only smoothies/juices. I typically try & make mine as green as possible as well as cram high fiber fruits/veggies in like celery, carrots, & apples (hence the reason I love my green lemonade so much). This well help keep the sugar & calorie count down while delivering lots of super-charge, energy boosting nutrients.

So, as I was saying.

Green lemonade smoothies.

I’ve seen an uptick in my green lemonade smoothie consumption lately, for a few reasons.

First, it’s EASY to make (I make it in my Blendtec, using the “whole juice” setting)–takes about 3-5 minutes from start to finish. Second, when things are extra crazy, I rely on a big glass of green to get me through.

When I went vegan nearly nine (yes, nine!) years ago, I was first introduced to green lemonade via a raw foodist friend.

The recipe was simple (I used a juicer at the time, but now I use my Blendtec because I want the fiber & it’s a bit easier/less time consuming)–apples, celery, romaine lettuce, & lemon juice.

Over the years I’ve tweaked this recipe & made it my own.

Sometimes I’ll add a bit of fresh ginger root (a little goes a long way) &/or carrots, but usually I stick to the staples of apples, celery, romaine & lemon. I’m always surprised at how refreshing & filling this juice is.

It’s a great way to start any day, or have as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

This recipe is a slight deviation from the green lemonade recipe I share in my ebook, Fit, Strong, Lean: The Diet.

{Get $4 off your own copy, using coupon code greenlemonade4 at checkout.

Click here to get yours now!}

In this version, I omit the carrots, & swap the romaine for a handful of mixed pre-washed greens.

• cinnamon toast smoothie + blending recipes {Vibrant Life Cookbook}
• 5 tips for frugal juicing + cucumber romaine carrot juice

♥

A quick life update!

We’ve left Texas.

We are are now in Washington (My & Joseph’s home state).

Oh glory, Washington is the most beautiful place on earth! We love it here.

We will be spending the summer here, until we move to Okinawa sometime in August.

We just spent the last week at a family reunion (there are now 47 of us!), followed by camping in the mountains & at the beach. We look forward to a summer of swim team for the kids, drama & scout camps, lots of trips to the pool & library, as well as get togethers with friends & family that we haven’t seen in a few years.

Hope you’re having a great day.

♥

P.S. I hope to check in here on the blog at least once a week now, but follow me on facebook for more updates to stay in touch & see what we’re up to this summer.