Green drinks

psychmomma · April 2014

Do you make one that is good? I tried one from Aldi but it is too sweet. It was made with fruit juices and said it had spinach and broccoli in it too. Is there a good-for-you commercially available green drink that is tasty but not overly sweet?

GMTplus7 · April 2014

mojito

NYMomof2 · April 2014

I've make green smoothies myself, and it is quite easy. I find that adding an apple and some fresh ginger is makes it just sweet enough. The rest of it is mixed greens - Trader Joe's has a bagged organic "power of the greens" mixture that is baby kale, spinach, and one or two other things. Otherwise, just add a mix of what you have around, green leafy vegetables, parsley, celery. I make enough for 3 servings (i.e., one apple for 3 servings).

MiamiDAP · April 2014

mojito - is very sweet. I usually get carbonated water to dilute it.

mathmom · April 2014

I wanted to add mint julep to the list of good green drinks.

Our local veggie cafe makes a decent green drink that uses apples and ginger to make it palatable.

BunsenBurner · April 2014

Margaritas also can be considered green.

I prefer my green veggies in wilted state - as an additive to omelets. I have never encountered a commercially made green drink that would not be too sweet, so making your own with apples, as described above, seems like a good idea.

Krlilies · April 2014

Try the Sambazon juices. Naked and Odwalla are good too.

BunsenBurner · April 2014

I find both Naked and Odwalla too sweet. YMMV.

moonchild · April 2014

I agree that the commercial drinks are too sweet. They usually are mostly apple juice with a few other ingredients.

I've been making smoothies with a mix of plain yogurt, fresh pineapple, kale and broccoli. Add just enough cold water for the right consistency, and yum.

momofthreeboys · April 2014

What is the purpose of green drinks? I noticed a couple of people at work drinking them? Is it for people who don't like their veggies chunky? I love everything green, but never thought about drinking my vegetables.My vote goes to the mojito.

mathmom · April 2014

I suspect that green drinks are yet another way for people to think they are getting a healthy snack, but actually getting way too much sugar and not feeling nearly as satiated as if they ate their vegetables the normal way.

coureur · April 2014

Try Midori - it's very green. In fact the word "midori" is Japanese for "green."

MiamiDAP · April 2014

Nothing can beat plain water. You still have to drink it, no matter what other liquids you consume. So, why bother with them?

patsmom · April 2014

Miami, did you even READ the OP? Did you understand her question?

GA2012MOM · April 2014

Drinking water shouldn't be green. [-(

jym626 · April 2014

Maybe it should for some.... B-)

NYMomof2 · April 2014

I haven't made green smoothies more than a couple of times. I go through a lot of greens making salads, and I add them to a lot of things that I cook - enchiladas, pasta sauce, soups. Like BunsenBurner, I like to wilt them into various dishes. But I understand why people drink them. If you look at the amount of fruits and vegetables we're supposed to eat every day, it's hard to do without finding a way to ingest a few servings of vegetables easily.

For those trying to increase intake of greens, I can suggest a fantastic recipe made with brown rice pad thai noodles and raw shredded greens (I've used chard and/or spinach mixed with cilantro and mint). It is very fast and easy to make - even easier for me as I leave out a few ingredients (sesame seeds, cashews, lime, coconut, chili, green onions) because of allergies, dislike, or just not having them on hand. My sons gobble this stuff up as if it were ice cream. It's very easy to get in several servings of greens at once this way. To find the recipe, go to the My New Roots website and search on "Flavour Bomb Greens 'n Noodles."

Another way to get greens in is to make a massaged kale salad using lacinato kale. There are quite a few recipes on the web; I like the one on the Cookus Interruptus site. It includes chopped apples, currants, gorgonzola cheese, sunflower seeds, red onions. There is a video that is funny in a dorky way.

NYMomof2 · April 2014

And I also make this salad 2-3 times/week in the winter:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/citrus-escarole-endive-salad-50400000124434/

It's forgiving - I usually don't have pomegranate seeds, I never use pistachios because of an allergy, and I usually have only 1 or 2 kinds of citrus. What makes it great is the dressing.

psychmomma · April 2014

I appreciate the responses. I have a desk job and although I drink water during the day, I was thinking about adding a fruit/veggie drink to my day since I know I don't hit the recommended total with foods. I do frequently have spring green/spinach mix salads with my dinner but generally don't like vegetables very much. I tried a green smoothie at Costco once that was made with their very expensive blender, but I have doubts that my blender would pulverize the veggies to the same level. I got a kick out of the answers - it never even occurred to me that a green drink could mean an alcoholic drink.

NYMomof2 · April 2014

When I've made green smoothies, I've just used my immersion blender. It worked fine.

mom60 · April 2014

Green drinks and juicing is very "in" in both my city and San Francisco where one of my kids lives. Juice shops are sprouting up all over town. At around 8 bucks a shot it is expensive.
Whole foods has quite a few cold pressed premade juices for sale. I haven't tried them but know people who love them.
I also have friends and family who juice or make green smoothies. One uses a Ninja. My S and his GF have a juicer. They make juice and she brings it to work. They try to limit the fruit to reduce calories. By making them yourself you save money and you can control the amount of fruit.

Green drinks

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