I created this wonderful spicy green smoothie recipe and want to share it with you today. This post contains affiliate links.
I’ve been a long time green juicing advocate. I love juicing everyday, and, coming up with new green juice recipes, that’s fun and easy to do. However, juicing isn’t for everyone and some people swear by smoothies. While I was once reluctant, I find myself enjoying a green smoothie every now and then too. Green smoothies are super tasty and packed full of essential vitamins and minerals!
The difference between a green juice and green smoothie is how you prepare it.
A “juice” is prepared using a juicer with fresh produce, while a “smoothie” is prepared using a blender and is usually a mix of fresh and frozen produce.
A juice will usually be exclusively made from produce, while a smoothie may include yogurt, milks, nuts, seeds and nut butters.
One of the reasons I’ve been so reluctant to make smoothies (vs. juicing) is that I don’t like creamy-textured ingredients.
For example, I don’t like milk or any milk substitute (think yogurt, almond milk, coconut milk/water, etc.). Many smoothies call for these “creamy” ingredients, which I just cannot personally do (yuk – not for me!).
Furthermore, I’ve been hesitant to make smoothies is because of the large fruit content, which means they have a high sugar and calorie content as well. I tried making smoothies with more vegetables than fruit and they just don’t taste as good. The texture and flavor are off – so they definitely require a bit more fruit and less vegetables to be palatable.
Also, smoothies offer a lot of fiber – so a little goes a long way unless you want to spend your day in the bathroom!
That said, I have found myself enjoying green smoothies every so often – and I even crave them like I crave green juice! Smoothies are easier to make as they require less clean up and you can use frozen fruit, which, let’s face it, requires less shopping and prep work (and is sometimes cheaper too). When my berries are about to turn, I simply put them in the freezer to use in a green smoothie recipe down the road.
Green smoothies work similarly to juicing in that they allow your digestion system time to rest while you pack in a nutrient dense liquid snack or meal replacement. The digestion might take a little longer since you’re retaining the fiber, but you won’t have to work very hard to digest the ingredients since they’re thoroughly blended before they enter your digestive tract.
If you want to try a great green smoothie with a little kick, give my spicy green smoothie a try. No funky milks or add-ins. Just fresh from the earth ingredients.
If you want to read more about juicing, read my article, The Case for Green Juicing Your Way to Health, check out these 10 Awesome Juicing Recipes, and/or Take my 10-Day Juicing Challenge!
- 2 kale leaves, washed and destemmed
- 1/4-inch ginger root, peeled
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1/2 cup water
- Pinch cayenne pepper
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Add all ingredients to your blender. Blend well!