Healthier New You for the New Year!

Green Smoothie with White Beans

I started making green smoothies after seeing a post that was shared from Simple Green Smoothies on Facebook in the Spring. I have tried all combinations of green smoothies and usually use spinach or kale along with fresh and frozen fruits. Don’t be deterred by the color… they are delicious! I tried adding 2 Tablespoons of white beans to the smoothie to give the drink added protein and found that the flavor is very subtle.

Green smoothies are full of calcium, fiber, folate, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, Vitamins A, B6, C and K. By adding beans you get an added boost of protein and vitamin B1.

Having a drink that is packed with so much fiber will definitely make you feel full. I usually have this as my breakfast, but you can substitute this drink for lunch or a healthy snack. I have found that preparing individual ziplock bags with all the ingredients, except the water, and storing them in the freezer saves time in the morning and makes it easy to drink a healthy breakfast. I usually put all my fruits, the spinach and beans in an assembly line, then make enough bags for a week of breakfasts or lunches. Just take one out, put the contents in a blender with some water, coconut water or almond milk and blend away! Try experimenting with strawberries, raspberries, mangos, peaches, blueberries, oranges, etc. This recipe is one serving.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons white beans cooked and drained (any kind of small white beans work)

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup water

1 banana

1/2 cup pineapple

1 mandarin orange

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until liquified. If you want you can blend the beans, spinach and water separately and then add the rest of the ingredients. It will be a little bit smoother this way.