Can't eat green smoothie - gross :(

[lucidbrotha]

Just put banana, apple, spinach, water, etc. and mixed them together.

It's DISGUSTING. I had to force the first few sips down my throat. The final sip I felt I wanted to throw up.

Shame. I could have just eaten those fruits all by themselves. What a waste...

Unless you can tell me what I might have done wrong.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

How much spinach did you use? I tend to add berries as well and I never add water, always juice like carrot juice or mango juice. I need the calories...lol

[lucidbrotha]

Originally Posted by Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi

How much spinach did you use? I tend to add berries as well and I never add water, always juice like carrot juice or mango juice. I need the calories...lol

I used 1 banana and 1 apple, and 2 cups of spinach. I suppose the spinach is what is too much. I'll try less of that next time.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Oh also, I freeze my spinach first. I don't know how raw that is, lol, but the water does most of the work of breaking down the cell walls in the plant material as if expands while it freezes. The taste is more mild, to me.

I also like to use Odwalla superfood juice or Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness as a base - that has a lot of green stuff in it already!

I just made a green smoothie with frozen spinach, raw sunflower seeds, carrot juice, Odwalla superfood juice, rice milk, an apple with the skin, a banana, frozen berries, and a handful of seedless grapes! yum.

[spacecadetglow]

You have to get the ratios right.

Trust me, I was grossed out at first too. But if you add enough fruit, you won't be able to taste the spinach at all. Definitely go for a sweet fruit juice like mango or the Bolthouse farms stuff. Lots of berries. Maybe two bananas? You'll end up with a killer smoothie. Juice over water, trust us.

[rei]

Buy the Green Machine flavor of Naked juice and you'll see what's possible for green smoothies. In chain groceries you can often find it in the produce area near the prepared produce and salad dressings they keep over in their refrigerated section.

It's usually about 4 bucks per drink but factor in the cost of all the fruit and veg you get to make your own and I think it's comparable to making your own. Or close.

I can't be bothered to make my own because they do such a great job with this one. It has spinach, broccoli, chlorella, blue green algae and lots of fruit. You only taste the fruit. It looks like it would be gross but it's sooooo good (just has a lot of sugar from the fruit).

I'm not sure but the Bolthouse Farms one might be a milk type base, creamy. This one isn't creamy but it's delicious.

I've developed a rep in the professional world as the woman who drinks the strangest things

[beast]

You really can't taste the spinach as long as you don't put too much in (spinach is pretty bland, really). I second the suggestion for berries - they are super healthy and delicious, but they'll also mask the taste and color if that's wigging you out.

Trust me - spinach isn't bad. I once tried putting a head of raw broccoli in a smoothie once. Neeeever again.

Also, are you using cold fruit/ice? Room-temperature smoothies...yeck.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Originally Posted by rei

Buy the Green Machine flavor of Naked juice and you'll see what's possible for green smoothies. In chain groceries you can often find it in the produce area near the prepared produce and salad dressings they keep over in their refrigerated section.

It's usually about 4 bucks per drink but factor in the cost of all the fruit and veg you get to make your own and I think it's comparable to making your own. Or close.

I can't be bothered to make my own because they do such a great job with this one. It has spinach, broccoli, chlorella, blue green algae and lots of fruit. You only taste the fruit. It looks like it would be gross but it's sooooo good (just has a lot of sugar from the fruit).

I'm not sure but the Bolthouse Farms one might be a milk type base, creamy. This one isn't creamy but it's delicious.

I've developed a rep in the professional world as the woman who drinks the strangest things

My 2 1/2 year old son will drink this stuff, so you know it's gotta be sweet. That child lives off fructose, I swear to peaches.

[Just One More]

I'm too lazy to do this manually but can justify it ever since I found a great smoothie at the supermarket (no ingredients but fresh fruits.. not the same but almost!!). My point here is that both varieties (one is acai berry, one is a spirulina) are around 2/3 apples. I.e. modify your ratios using more of what you like and less of what you don't!

[rei]

Naked makes a fantastic acai smoothie too! I change up between that one and the green machine. Used to drink their probiotic mango smoothies but I stopped seeing them.

Naked is the bomdizzie. Such a convenient way to get easily-usable antioxidants for the body!

[missbhaven]

Why don't you try a couple that are parsley or mint based?
If you are just starting, add a couple of the freshier/sweeter herbs to fruit smoothies to give them that green oomph. Greens also include the flavorful assortment of herbs.
I like mint and a bit of parsley with apples and lemon for a fresh minty lemonade.

[Savage]

You aren't using a regular blender, are you? If so, I could see why that combo wouldn't come out well. Apples especially don't blend so well in a cheap blender -- they tend to make for a less appealing texture.

To make good smoothies, be sure to use a high speed blender like a Vita-Mix or Blendtec if you aren't already doing that.

Also, add ice.

Taste buds take a while to shift. Try 2 bananas, spinach, and ice to start. Use just a tiny bit of spinach, and build up to more spinach as you get used to it. I use organic baby spinach.

I wasn't a big fan of green smoothies at first either, but I eventually grew to love them and have them several times a week now.

[Dimond]

You need much more flavorful fruits like more bananas or mango. 2 pieces of fruit is nothing unless it's a very large one (large banana doesn't count). I keep my bananas cold which preserves them longer and makes the smoothie cold without having to add anything else. I don't recommend freezing any ingredients unless you need to.

You can try something like this:

4-6 Bananas
1-2 cups Baby Spinach
2-4 cups Water
Optional: Other fruit

[lucidbrotha]

Thanks, I'll try all the new suggestion next time!

As for my blender, it doesn't say "high-speed" on it. However, it looks pretty high-speed to me! It can also crack ice. Does it mean it is high-speed?

[aelle]

I don't actually like apples in my smoothies - they make the drink all frothy, and not in a good way, unless you use a juicer. My standard mix is banana (1 to 1 1/2), kiwi (1 or 2), spinach (frozen, the size of 3 or 4 ice cubes) and if I have them, a splash of lemon juice, mint... I like to make mine very citrus-y, then they taste all fresh and energizing.

[joelr]

The store bought green drinks are a ton of orange juice and just enough green to call it "green". At least Odwalla and the other rip off one is.

I know what you mean about the taste thing. I put my green veges in a bowl and eat them separate with olive oil or sometimes a soybean oil/spices dressing.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by lucidbrotha

Thanks, I'll try all the new suggestion next time!

As for my blender, it doesn't say "high-speed" on it. However, it looks pretty high-speed to me! It can also crack ice. Does it mean it is high-speed?

If it's the kind of blender that costs less than $100 new, then no.

You'd know if you bought a high speed blender since they tend to run around $400 and up.

A high speed blender will liquify just about anything, including strawberry seeds. They make much better smoothies than the typical blender you'd buy in a department store.

A high speed blender can also make soups, ice cream, turn grains into flour, and a few other things.

This is a common kitchen appliance for raw foodists. I would think the green smoothies made with a regular blender would be a bit gross, especially the one you described. High speed blenders make super-smooth drinks.

If you go to a smoothie place like Jamba Juice, they'll use high speed blenders there.

The difference between a regular blender and a high speed blender is like the difference between a candle and an oven.

[spacecadetglow]

Savage is a blender elitist. Vitamixes are great, but the smoothies I make in my $40 walmart blender turn out fine, too.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Just don't try to do a nut pate in a blender. Can we say - foamy?

I got a little mini food processor. Rawersome.

[LauraJane]

Originally Posted by Savage

The difference between a regular blender and a high speed blender is like the difference between a candle and an oven.

Yes, this is true. A candle is better than nothing, but an oven is serious business. I started out with a $30 WalMart blender and now have one of those aforementioned $400 blenders (a VitaMix). I use my blender at least once a day, usually twice.

I am extremely thrifty, but the cost is so worth it. Why? You know when you go to a smoothie bar and order a smoothie and it's so silky smooth and not chunky at all? That's why... You can get that texture at home with a high-speed blender. It makes all the difference in the world.

[stanmrak]

No way a store-bought pre-made smoothie compares to fresh made, regardless of the ingredients... most importantly, bottled juices have to be pasteurized before sale, so they're no longer raw. I also don't think they use organic ingredients.

If the spinach taste is too strong, try something milder-tasting like bok choy, or use parsley, basil or cilantro - because they're more concentrated in nutrients than spinach or other greens, you can use a lot less.

Coconut oil and bananas are my secret for cutting the bitter taste of dark greens.

[lucidbrotha]

Okay, I just tried again with only one banana, one apple, a pinch of cinnamon, and only about 10 leaves of baby spinach.

This is much better.

However, I have one question: Is it normal to have lots of small "air bubbles" in your smoothie? Maybe I didn't blend it for long enough?

Hmm, it could also be because I don't have a high-speed blender. Can you confirm that normal blenders produce air-bubbles, and high-speed blenders don't?

[LauraJane]

Originally Posted by lucidbrotha

Okay, I just tried again with only one banana, one apple, a pinch of cinnamon, and only about 10 leaves of baby spinach.

This is much better.

However, I have one question: Is it normal to have lots of small "air bubbles" in your smoothie? Maybe I didn't blend it for long enough?

Hmm, it could also be because I don't have a high-speed blender. Can you confirm that normal blenders produce air-bubbles, and high-speed blenders don't?

Are you also adding water or ice cubes to this? You should definitely be adding some liquid.

I can't answer the bubble question off the top of my head. I think we have bubbles when using high-speed blenders??

Question: is your green smoothie kind of gelatinous and thick and slightly gross? That's how I remember mine used to be before I upgraded to a high-speed. (Perhaps this is what you mean by bubbly?)

You might find it helpful to watch some videos of people making green smoothies and they may show the end product. Just search YouTube.

[aelle]

Using fresh apples makes them frothy-foamy, maybe that'swhat you're referring to? Try it with a different fruit next time.

[votoshka]

My answer is: BERRIES. Especially BLUEBERRIES!!

When I make a green smoothie, I use one or two apples, a banana, a handful of spinach, plus a couple of handfuls of blueberries, plus some strawberries (just frozen ones). I'll also put in a few dried goji berries. Yes, I use a base of water, and I don't add ice - the frozen berries make it cold enough, but to be honest, I don't really like very cold drinks!

My blender is an "in between" blender...it's fairly high speed, but not right up there with the Vitamixes etc. in terms of price (then again it wasn't super cheap either...). It's done me well for over two years now!

To really "break up" the spinach so you don't get leafy chunks, it really helps to have a high speed blender. If you're getting leafy bits, then your blender probably isn't doing the job well enough.

[nzmegs]

try adding juice to your smoothie. If you have a juicer, make your own. If not just some regular bought juice is ok. it will really help. I make mine with a ratio of four fruits to one spinach and even my 9 year old daughter loves it. Our blender is hopeless and we get leafy bits. But i don't mind....