Hemp Seed & Kale Green Smoothie with a dash of Coconut Yoghurt

Hemp Seed & Kale Green Smoothie with a dash of Coconut Yoghurt

 

Spring is finally here and as if by magic, the change of season has also reignited my desire for green smoothies!

Something happens during the winter months that makes green smoothies become less and less appealing. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re cold and my body is craving something warm, or whether it’s because their ingredients are raw and my body wants something cooked – perhaps it’s both.

Either way, I tried to keep up my routine for a little while, but after pouring one unfinished green smoothie after another down the sink, I finally listened to my body and gave them a rest for the remainder of the winter months.

But now that the weather has started to warm and the days are getting brighter, I’ve jumped back on the green smoothie train and have created some inspired new recipes I think you’re going to love!

 

 

I’ve written quite a few posts about why these green drinks are so good for you, and this most recent post sums it up nicely.

If you’re like me and green smoothies have taken a back seat lately, here’s a quick reminder of why they’re so amazing:

 

Green smoothies are a simple way to give your diet and health a boost!

They’re an amazing way to get a lot of nutrients into your body in one go and are a really simple and inexpensive way to boost your diet naturally.

Green smoothies get your digestion flowing!

Just about everybody who does my 5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge reports back they’ve never been so regular, thanks to all that amazing fibre and hydration.

Green smoothies leave your skin glowing!

Good digestion is one of the keys to having glowing skin, the other is hydration which green smoothies provide in volumes. They also contain an abundance of antioxidants which protect your cells from free radical damage and ultimately the ageing process.

Green smoothies can boost detoxification and healing!

Because the ingredients are already partially broken down by the blender, your digestion doesn’t have to work quite as hard, so your body can put more time and energy into detoxification and healing. Also because the ingredients in green smoothies are plant based and raw, the nutrients and enzymes in those ingredients remain intact and unaffected by heat. As a result your body is better able to digest and absorb them, which can help boost the body’s natural detoxification and cell renewal pathways.

Green smoothies can help keep you healthy!

These fabulous green drinks contain an abundance of phytonutrients, which are the chemical compounds unique to plants that give them their vibrant colours, tastes and smells. In humans phytonutrients have the ability to promote healthy cell function and have some very unique roles in preventing disease.

 

 

 

So now that you’re completely sold on all the reasons why green smoothies are amazing for you, lets talk about this hemp seed & kale green smoothie recipe I know you’re going to love!

It’s completely raw, plant based, dairy, gluten and sugar free. This green smoothie doesn’t contain any fruit except for lemon, and just happens to be one of the delicious recipes from my 10 Day Sugar Cleanse program. Despite the lack of fruit, it’s surprisingly sweet thanks to the lemon and coconut water. Of course if you disagree, feel free to add some green apple, kiwifruit or mango.

What this green smoothie does contain is hemp seeds which are one of my favourite ingredients. They have a unique, beneficial fatty acid ratio and are a great source of dietary fibre and plant based protein. In fact, hemp is one of the few complete plant based protein sources which means it contains the 9 essential amino acids that your body can’t make.

Hemp is also a fantastic source of vitamin E, phytosterols, carotenes, lecithin and chlorophyll – and you can read a whole article about hemp here.

If you make this Hemp Seed & Kale Green Smoothie with a dash of coconut yoghurt – let me know!

Leave me a comment below and be sure to tag your creations with #swoonfood @swoon.food.

 

HEMP SEED & KALE GREEN SMOOTHIE

Makes: 1 large or 2 small smoothies
Prep time: 10 minutes

3 to 4 kale leaves
1 handful fresh parsley
1/4 cucumber (peeled if not organic)
1 lemon (peeled if not organic)
4 slices fresh ginger
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
pinch cinnamon
250ml unsweetened coconut water

To serve (optional):
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut yoghurt

 

Wash the kale leaves and parsley well, then leave to drain while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Peel the cucumber and lemon if not organic, and place in your blender jug along with the remaining ingredients.

Blend on high until smooth.

If you’re using the coconut yoghurt, dollop two spoonfuls into the bottom of your serving glass and pour the green smoothie on top.

Enjoy immediately or if saving for later, store in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

5 Reasons Why You Need Green Smoothies In Your Life!

5 Reasons Why You Need Green Smoothies In Your Life!

5 Reasons Why You Need Green Smoothies In Your Life + Fennel & Cardamom Green Smoothie Recipe

 

Before I talk about this fennel & cardamom green smoothie recipe, I want to share 5 reasons why you need green smoothies in your life!

If you already drink green smoothies on the regular that’s fabulous! You may want to skip down to the recipe, or read on to reaffirm why you do it.

If green smoothies are an occasional or even non existent thing for you, the following 5 reasons may just persuade you otherwise.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you need green smoothies in your life:

 

1. Green smoothies are a simple way to give your diet and health a boost. 

Green smoothies are an amazing way to get a lot of nutrients into your body in one go and are a really simple and inexpensive way to boost your diet naturally.

Think of how many greens go into a green smoothie compared to piling that same amount on a plate. It’s a lot easier to drink a green smoothie than it is to eat a huge plate of raw vegetables…wouldn’t you agree?

 

2. Green smoothies get your digestion flowing.

Green smoothies are packed with fibre and hydration which are essential for good digestion. Just about everybody who does my 5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge or the 10 Day Sugar Cleanse reports back that they’ve never been so regular!

And let’s face it, no one wants stagnant food hanging around in their gut. It slows the metabolism and can cause unpleasant gas.

A healthy digestive system means a healthy body that’s less prone to illness.

 

3. Green smoothies leave your skin glowing.

As I discussed in the previous point, green smoothies get your digestion flowing and this is also one of the keys to having glowing skin. Green smoothies are also very hydrating and as any good beauty therapist will tell you, adequate hydration is the first step towards reducing those fine lines.

Green smoothies contain an abundance of antioxidants which protect your cells from free radical damage and ultimately, the ageing process. Antioxidants are found in all fruits and vegetables, but are particularly abundant in the green variety.

 

4. Green smoothies can boost detoxification and healing.

This happens in two interlinked ways. Firstly, because the ingredients are already partially broken down by the blender blades it means less work for your digestive system which means your body can put more time and energy into other important processes such as detoxification and healing.

Secondly, because green smoothies are predominantly plant based and raw, the inherent nutrients and enzymes in those plants remain intact and unaffected by heat. This means your body is better able to digest and absorb these nutrients because often the plants enzymes aid in this process. Also, these intact nutrients can help boost the body’s natural detoxification and cell renewal pathways.

 

5. Green smoothies can help keep you healthy!

Green smoothies naturally contain an abundance of phytonutrients, which are ‘magical’ chemical compounds unique to certain plants. Phytonutrients give these plants their vibrant colours, tastes and smells, and their role is to help the plant thrive or fight off competitors, predators or pathogens.

In humans, phytonutrients have the ability to promote healthy cell function and have some very unique roles in preventing disease. Some examples of phytonutrients you might be familiar with are carotenoids (e.g. betacarotene which makes carrots orange), flavanoids (e.g. anthocyanin which gives blueberries their blue colour), resveratrol (found in red grapes, aka red wine!) and glucosinolates (e.g. sulforaphane, found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower).

These compounds have been shown to collectively support cardiovascular and cognitive health, regulate inflammation, support the immune system and help prevent and fight cancer. However, the research is only in it’s infancy and I’m sure a lot more will be discovered about these compounds in the years to come.

But all the more reason to ensure you eat a wide variety of plants in abundance today!

 

FENNEL & CARDAMOM GREEN SMOOTHIE

 

That sums up my top 5 reasons why you should include green smoothies in your diet, and if you get the recipe right, they taste pretty damn amazing too!

So without further ado, here’s one of my favourite green smoothie recipes, Fennel & Cardamom Green Smoothie. Fennel has a beautiful mild anise flavour which combines beautifully with fragrant cardamom. If you’re not a big cardamom fan go easy at first and slowly increase the amount to your taste.

If you try this green smoothie recipe, let me know!

Leave a comment below and tell me what you think, and be sure to tag a picture #swoonfood on Instagram. Enjoy!

 

FENNEL & CARDAMOM GREEN SMOOTHIE

 

FENNEL & CARDAMOM GREEN SMOOTHIE

Makes: 1 extra large or 2 small smoothies
Prep time: 10 minutes

1 large handful of spinach leaves
1/4 -1/2 bulb of fennel (depending on how large your fennel is)
1/2 green apple
1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp coconut yoghurt
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup filtered water

Wash the spinach leaves well, and leave to drain in a sieve.
Wash the fennel well and chop in half.
Peel the lemon and apple (if not organic) and place in the blender jug along with the spinach and fennel.
Add the coconut yoghurt, cardamom and water and blend on high until all the ingredients are well blended and smooth.
Pour the smoothie into a glass and enjoy.
This smoothie will keep in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

FENNEL & CARDAMOM GREEN SMOOTHIE

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

 

I’m a big green smoothie fan and am always looking for new ways to keep my blends interesting. Lately, I’ve been loving the addition of fennel as it gives them a very mild anise flavour, not to mention a heap of extra fibre!

When feijoa’s came into season it made perfect sense to combine the two, and the resulting smoothie was so delicious it definitely needed it’s own blog post!

For those who haven’t come across a feijoa before (also known as pineapple guava or guavasteen), it has a smooth green skin and is about the size of a kiwi fruit. It has a creamy coloured inside with a similar in texture to a pear, but with jelly bits (sounds weird but it’s the best way to describe them!). Feijoa’s also have a very unique, fragrant flavour, which has been described as a cross between a pineapple and guava.

Fennel on the other hand is quite the opposite. It’s actually a herb, and a member of the carrot family. It has a mild but distinctive licorice flavour and fragrance.

Strangely enough, these two opposite ingredients create the most beautifully fragrant, green smoothie!

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

 

Now, if you’re unfortunate to be living in a country that doesn’t have feijoa’s, (and I know that’s most of them as they’re rather unique to New Zealand!), then don’t despair! This green smoothie still works if you leave the feijoa out, or swap it for a little fresh pineapple.

Feijoa’s are a great source of dietary fibre, packed with vitamin C, and are very low in calories. Fennel is also a great source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C, so together these two ingredients are amazing for your digestion, your skin, and reducing inflammation.

If you want to know more about why green smoothies are so good for you, check out this green smoothie post here or the 5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge here!

I hope you enjoy this fragrant green smoothie recipe, and you have any comments, additions or tweaks you’d like to share, or just to tell me whether you liked it or not, leave a comment down below! Enjoy.

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

Makes: 1 extra large or 2 small smoothies
Prep time: 10 minutes

1 large handful of spinach leaves
1/4 bulb of fennel
1/4 green apple
1/2 lemon
1 large feijoa (or 1 slice of fresh pineapple)
1cm piece fresh ginger
2 Tbsp coconut yoghurt
1/4 cup filtered water
2 ice cubes

Wash the spinach leaves well and leave to drain. Wash the fennel well and chop in half if required. Peel the lemon and apple (if not organic) and place in the blender jug along with the spinach and fennel. Cut the feijoa in half, scoop out the flesh and add to the blender jug. Lastly, wash and peel the ginger (if not organic) and add to the blender along with the yoghurt, water and ice cubes.

Blend on high until all the ingredients are well blended and smooth.

Pour the smoothie into a glass and enjoy. This smoothie will keep in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Feijoa & Fennel Green Smoothie

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