Night time is my weakness when it comes to food. If it’s in my kitchen, it will be in my mouth. Chips, popcorn and ice cream will always lose the battle after 6pm. And if I work at the hospital that day – forget it. Some may think by my nighttime eating habits that I am going into hibernation. For a decade.
I know that night time is a struggle when it comes to eating in moderation, so I try to eat healthy during the day. Through trial and error, I have found a smoothie that gets my morning off to a good start. There are a lot of delicious smoothies available in stores or in the freezer section, but the problem with a lot of smoothies on the market is that they are very high in sugar. (Many with more than 40 grams of sugar!) I like that this Green Coconut Smoothie has just the right amount of sweetness but loads of flavor, nutrition and fiber.
Enjoy this green smoothie with egg whites or avocado toast for a well balanced meal. Breakfast of champions!
Because I like low-maintenance mornings, I prep some of the ingredients on the weekends. Dice celery and apples and place one serving of each into freezer-proof bags. These frozen ingredients will help give your drink that yummy smoothie consistency. Everything else is easy to add to the blender in the morning. Minimal mess, minimal hassle.
One more tip with any spinach or leafy green smoothie: blend your liquid and your greens together first. Liquifying the greens dissolves the leafy flavor and texture much better. After the greens are fully liquified then add your other smoothie ingredients.
Green Coconut Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 granny smith apple, cored, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 celery stalk, ends trimmed, diced into 1 inch pieces (I use the middle ~6 inches of the stalk)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut water*
- 2 handfuls spinach leaves, freshly washed
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 ice cubes
- Optional: garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions:
- After preparing apple and celery, place in a freezer bag and freeze overnight.
- Add coconut water and spinach to blender. Blend for 1-2 mins until liquified.
- Place remaining ingredients into the blender. Start speed on low power and increase to high power. Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until fully blended.
- Serve immediately. Makes one large smoothie.
*Alternative version: In times I have ran out of coconut water, I replace with cold water and add a squirt of Pineapple Coconut flavor. You can find a bottle for about $3 in most grocery stores and it’s so delicious!
Nutrition Facts (recipe yields 1 serving): 99 calories, 0.3 g fat, 24.5 g carbohydrates (3.5 g dietary fiber, 18 g sugar), 2 g protein
Nutrition Facts for alternative version: 63 calories, 0.3 g fat, 16.3 g carbohydrates (3.3 g dietary fiber, 10 g sugar), 1 g protein
Hope you have a fresh and fabulous start to your week!
Live your life joyfully so,
Ashley
