Trying to think of an innovative way to use your freshly-picked fruit? Look no further! “Green” smoothies are a fantastic way to drink your fruits and veggies. Forget the caffeine: when you need an energy boost, a nutrient-rich homemade green smoothie will be just the ticket.

Sometimes my "green" smoothies turn out purple or pink because I use a higher quantity of fruit - but I just love this shade of bright green!

The best part about green smoothies is that for the most part, you can’t taste the leafy greens at all. As long as you use a higher ratio of fruit to leafy greens, the flavour of the fruit will completely override the green taste. The banana is really useful for making the smoothie creamy, and the seeds offer high-quality protein and fat to compliment the fruit and leafy greens.

This recipe is highly adaptable in terms of the various leafy greens, liquids and fruit that you can use. Have fun playing around with it! And be sure to email us at info@fruitshare.ca with your new creations. We love finding new recipes for using all the local fruit we pick, so keep those recipes coming.

Basic Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 cup water (can also use 100% pure fruit juice* or any type of milk)

- 1 handful leafy greens (my favourite is spinach because it breaks down easily in the blender, but green leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce work very well too)

- 1/2 frozen banana (peel the banana before you freeze it and put it in a tightly-sealed container to save yourself hassle when you bring the frozen fruit out of the freezer)

- 1/2 cup other frozen fruit (blueberries work awesome here, but any fruit will do)

- 1 – 2 tablespoons ground flax or chia seeds (optional)

Directions

- Add all ingredients into a blender

- Blend on high until everything is very well-blended and smooth (add more liquid if necessary, a couple tablespoons at a time)

- Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

What’s your favourite smoothie recipe? Have you had a green smoothie before? What creative recipes do you make with the fruit you pick?

*Try pressing your own fruit at home and make fresh fruit juice with the fruit you pick through Fruit Share!