How to Make a Raw Food Green Smoothie

Add leafy greens to your raw food smoothie for a boost of iron, fiber and vitamins.

While you might think of a smoothie as containing yogurt or milk and therefore not suitable for a raw food diet, smoothies can actually contain any number of raw food-friendly components. Since fresh fruits and vegetables naturally have a high water content and are easily liquefied in a blender, they already are the main ingredients in smoothies anyway. Utilizing any number of these items will allow you to create delicious, dairy-free smoothies. You can also make a raw food smoothie green by adding leafy green vegetables that will add extra nutrients to your refreshing drink without affecting the taste.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• High-speed blender
• Banana or avocado
• Any combination of your favorite fruits, green or not
• Any combination of your favorite green vegetables
• 16 oz. of water or 16 oz. of crushed ice
• Small, raw seeds like flax
• Flavorings like lemon juice or ginger

Instructions

1. Cut a ripe banana or an avocado into small pieces. Place the pieces into the blender. They will help with the texture of the smoothie and make it thicker.

2. Chop into small pieces any combination of raw fruits and vegetables that you like, whether they are green or not. Add the fruits and vegetables with the highest water content to the blender first.

3. Add three servings of your chopped fruit. Try fruits like apples, berries, pears, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, or anything else you might like.

4. Add one to two servings of your chopped vegetables. Try vegetables -- especially green ones -- that don't have strong flavors. Cucumbers, carrots, zucchini or, surprisingly, green bell peppers are good examples.

5. Add one to one and a half servings of raw, leafy green vegetables. Consider using arugula, spinach, kale or Swiss chard.

6. Add a few teaspoons of your favorite small seed. Flax seeds, for example, make a good addition to raw food smoothies. Add several teaspoons of your favorite flavoring like lemon juice or ginger as well.

7. Add 16 oz. of cold water or 16 oz. of crushed ice. Make sure that the fruit and vegetables are completely covered by the liquid or ice. Blend the contents until smooth.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy organic fruits and vegetables when possible.

• Use more or less water depending on the water content of your ingredients.

• Instead of -- or in addition to water -- use coconut water, raw almond milk, or raw fruit juices.

References

• The Best of Raw Food: FAQ
• The Best of Raw Food: Green Smoothies Top 5

Resources

• Raw Food Smoothie
• 'Water Content of Fruits and Vegetables;' Sandra Bastin, University of Kentucky