I regularly make this drink and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by its tastiness. It's high in fiber, low in calories, and rich in vitamins & minerals — an excellent way to jumpstart your morning!! Give it to your kids too. My 6 year old son loved it at 16 months old, and still drinks it to this day. 

This is a great drink to support gut health. You're blending the whole fruit and vegetable, so no pulp remains as a byproduct (compared to juicing). This means you get all the fiber benefits.

These fruits and veggies are also full of prebiotics, which become food for the good gut bacteria already in your tummy. Meet your microbiome -- the most important part of your body! 80% of your immune system resides in your gut, and when you take care of the good bugs in your gut, they'll take care of your health. There is a link between leaky gut and poor health. Take the steps to heal your leaky gut. Here are some of my other favorite gut nourishers. 

I usually follow the recipe pretty closely, with the exception of mint because it's a challenge to find it in my grocery store. Here's the recipe with some tips I've gathered from making this drink over time.

Tip #1:

In my opinion, the flavors that stand out the most are the celery, parsley, and lime. Don’t forget the lime! It improves the flavor. Don't overdue the celery or it will overpower the flavor. 

Tip #2:

When you add everything to your blender, I suggest adding the juicier ingredients first—the pineapple, orange, lemon and lime. Everything blends easier this way. It would also help to cut all the pieces into 1" portions.

Tip #3: 

I use a Vitamix blender and blend it into an extremely smooth texture. The texture especially became smooth after I added some ice to the mixture. It tastes best when it's cold, so adding ice towards the end of the blending process is something I recommend. 

Tip #4:

It makes about 40 ounces, so my husband and I split it, and give some to our kids. it's best to drink fresh. I don’t think I would want to drink it after it sat in the refrigerator for a few hours. 

Tip #5:

Green drinks are rich in bioavailable nutrients, so they're great for boosting your immune system, reducing inflammation, reducing your digestive burden, and rebuilding your intestinal wall. If you don't have time to make this green drink everyday, use Amazing Grass Green Superfood to get all the benefits of a green drink.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

2 cups spinach

1/2 cucumber

1 stock celery (fyi: celery adds a very strong flavor)

1/2 bunch parsley

1 bunch mint

3 carrots (I peeled mine first)

2 apples (core removed)

1/4 orange or 1 clementine

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1/4 pineapple (nutrition analysis based off 1 c. pineapple chunks)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

Nutrition Facts:

I plugged this recipe into my nifty nutrition analysis program (NutriBase 9 Pro Edition), and this drink is packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B-6, Folate, Manganese, Iron, and Calcium. Please note, this analysis is based off the entire recipe:

Side note, this drink will keep the bowels flowing. Cheers!

If you have any other tips to add from your experience with this recipe, let’s hear them!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods