Get In Your Daily Requirement of Veggies Without Living on Salads

Healthy green vegetable juice on wooden table

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Everyone knows that veggies are a vital part of eating healthy and being healthy, but if you aren’t one of the veggie loving crowd, getting in your daily requirement can be difficult. Do you feel as if you are virtually living on salads, trying to get enough healthy vegetables into your body?

You are not alone. However, there is another way to get in your veggies without living on rabbit food: vegetable smoothies.

Now veggie smoothies do take some getting used to, but once you feel how much more energy your have, how much faster your hair grows, how beautifully clear and smooth your skin feels, and how much better you sleep, you will be a fan.

First, let’s take a look at some of the health benefits of the basic veggies smoothie.

  • Greens: These are generally a combination of kale, spinach, various types of lettuce, herbs, and mustard greens. These all have a wide variety of health benefits.
  • Onions – Onions have super beneficial sulfur containing compounds, chromium, manganese, and vitamin C, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce your risk of cancer.
  • Kelp – A great way to get trace minerals and iodine.
  • Jalapeno Peppers – A bit hot, but these are loaded with vitamin C and capsaicin, which can help reduce high blood pressure, poor circulation, inflammation, stop headaches, congestions, and fight intestinal issues.
  • Tomatoes – Loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium, and lycopene, which helps to stop prostate cancer.
  • Garlic – Garlic’s benefits are too lengthy to fit here but among them are heart health, immune support, anti-viral, antimicrobial, and cancer fighting agents.
  • Cucumbers – Immune supporting vitamin C, silica, potassium, caffeic acid, magnesium, and loaded with water.
  • Bell Peppers – Super healthy phytochemicals, vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamine, beta carotene, and folic acid.
  • Celery – Potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, B2, B6, C, and has cancer fighting compounds.
  • Spirulina – A terrific source of protein, offers support for the immune system, and is the most nutrient dense food on the planet.

OK, so now that you know how healthy this drink is going to be for you and all the good things it’s going to do for you, in spite of its acquired taste, are you ready to make your own veggie smoothie? Let’s get to it!

Remember, all foods listed here are to be used raw and organic.

 

Basic Veggie Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups of water
  • 2 Teaspoons of spirulina
  • 1 Teaspoon of kelp
  • 1 small tomato
  • ¼  Medium sized cucumber (don’t peel it)
  • 1 Bell pepper, any color
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too hot)
  • 2 Stalks of celery
  • 2 Cloves raw garlic (peeled)
  • ¼ White onion
  • 3 or 4 Handfuls of greens (your choice)
  • 1 Handful of ice cubes

Put all items in your blender or food processor. If you have a smaller sized blender, you might have to adjust these measurements. If you are missing one or two items, just use any vegetable that you happen to have in your kitchen such as carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce, or cauliflower. If you like, you can also add ½ a teaspoon of turmeric or substitute ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the jalapeno pepper. If you really can’t deal with the spiciness of jalapeno or cayenne pepper, you can always take it out.

Blend all ingredients until super smooth. This will be thick! Pour it over ice if it helps you deal with the flavor. Many people drink this in gulps and chase it with ice water. Once you get used to the taste, you will find it easy to just chug it down.

Yep, it’s a bit of work to get used to it, but with all this goodness, not to mention getting all your veggies in one drink, it’s well worth the effort.

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Photo credit: bigstock.com

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Very Veggie Smoothie

  Ingredients:

  • ½ Medium cucumber
  • 1 Cup coconut water or plain water
  • ½ Medium lemon, peeled and deseeded
  • ¼ Cup fresh parsley
  • ½ Medium avocado, peeled
  • 2 Cups raw spinach
  • 6 or 8 Ice cubes

Put everything in your blender and mix well, until everything is smooth. Drink immediately.

 

SEE ALSO: How Healthy is Your Smoothie?

Going Green Smoothie

 Ingredients:

  • 1.5 Cups coconut water or plain water
  • 2 Cups chopped spinach
  • 1 Cup chopped kale
  • 1 Medium Avocado, peeled
  • 2 Medium carrots

Put everything in your blender or juicer and mix until everything is smooth. Serve over ice if you like but drink this right away after mixing.

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