Blueberry Spinach Smoothie

May 29, 2013 • Alaska from Scratch, Beverages, Recipes, Seasons, Spring, Summer

Weather: abundant sunshine, light breeze
What I’m listening to: reminding myself of music I’ve forgotten with the 90’s station on Spotify

After waiting for what seemed to be an extra-long time for the snow to melt off this year, this week we’ve been having some of the warmest, sunniest weather I can recall since moving to Alaska. The kids are out of school and running around the house all day, the trees are sprouting and turning green, and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom.

IMG_6609We have also been enjoying a high-protein, fruit-and-veggie-packed smoothie almost every afternoon. This is currently my favorite combination: Greek yogurt, bananas, spinach, blueberries, strawberries. The kids enjoy it, too, and it’s one of the only ways I can get them to eat their spinach. You can’t taste the spinach and you can barely see it if your blender is a good one… just tiny green flecks mixed in with the gorgeous purple color.

A couple of quick smoothie-making tips: the type of milk you use is entirely up to you. One of my favorites is vanilla coconut milk, the variety you can buy refrigerated or in a box (not the canned; I prefer that for cooking). But you can also use soy, almond, or dairy milk. The same is true of sweeteners – you can use honey, agave nectar, pure maple syrup, Lyle’s golden syrup, etc. I’ve even been known to splash a little vanilla coffee creamer into some of my smoothies to sweeten them up and give them a little vanilla flavor (don’t knock it until you try it). You can play around with your own milk and sweetener combinations to discover your favorites. Smoothies are so versatile.

Blueberry Spinach Smoothie

A delicious and healthy smoothie with blueberries, spinach, banana, strawberries, and Greek yogurt.

Yields: 2 servings

  • 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2/3 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 large frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice (dairy, coconut, soy, almond)
  • 2 teaspoons protein powder (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of honey, or to taste

Add all of the ingredients to a blender, cover with the lid, and whirl until smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach the desired consistency and taste for sweetness, adjusting as necessary. Pour into two glasses and enjoy promptly.