Green Smoothies

[Chad]

I use about 12 ounces of water, a fair amount of ice, and a 1/4 cup of grass fed yogurt. I guess you could consider the water to be tea, as I mix two teaspoons of green tea leaves directly in the smoothie.

[maxysu]

Is something like this (only 700 Watt) enough to make smoothies from carrots and such?

[steveo73]

I don't think you can really make a smoothie out of a carrot. You can juice carrots but not really smoothie them.

[vexed87]

I just dropped £440 on a vitamix, ouch. I have had my eye on ebay but these things hold their value rather well and haven't been able to get any in good enough condition at the price I wanted, so opted to buy new. After all, it's only £62.86 a year until the warranty runs out!

After experimenting with a plant based diet in recent weeks, I have loved the switch to nut/soya milk enough alone to justify the outlay. I can't wait to try the green smoothie recipes too.

[Dragline]

Ouch indeed. Well, that should give you incentive to use it everyday. Sometimes the sunk cost fallacy can be highly motivating.

[JamesR]

Healthy smoothies seems like a great idea. It's probably more healthy to minimize milk/yogurt. I'd probably compensate with bananas to keep it creamy.

[Ego]

Dr. Rhonda Patrick has posted two micronutrient smoothie recipes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys86ZgjQQYg
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ63y5aTpo

At about 15:45 of the second video she talks about how the concerns over oxalates and goitrogens from eating large amounts of greens are not valid.

[Ego]

Silicon Valley has entered the home-made green juice market. Juicero.

http://www.vogue.com/13421774/juicero-c ... r-no-mess/

Once it closed, the machine’s logo pulsed with light. “It’s reading the QR code,” he explained, noting that if the contents were past their expiration date, the Juicero wouldn’t press them. The machine hummed as it exerted 3 to 4 tons of force, Evans told me, onto the packet. After about 30 seconds, a thick, pine-hued stream burst forth.

and....

Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi-enabled machine sends data to your profile in the smartphone app, which records your drinking habits and allows you to order the packets (which cost between $4 and $10 each, depending on flavor and quantity ordered) and track and adjust incoming deliveries.

If it all sounds almost absurdly ambitious, it is: The device’s $699 price reflects the 12 PhDs, 50 engineers, and seven food scientists in San Francisco who worked to design the system.


The video sells the simplicity. It seems like an SNL skit poking fun at the silliness that oozes from Silicon Valley, but NO! They are for real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1oHp-VvhDE

[Ego]

I've been including broccoli sprouts in my green smoothie for years. Here is an excellent video on why it is a good idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz4YVJ4aRfg

In the past I sprouted them myself but lately the price has come down so I've been buying one or two small packages of sprouts. I think I am going to start sprouting them myself again so that I can make bigger batches.

[Chad]

I sprout them myself. It's unbelievably easy with the right setup.

[Ego]

Chad, what is your setup for sprouting? My broccoli sprouts were getting foul after about the third day (three rinses a day). I think maybe I got a bad batch of seeds.

[BeyondtheWrap]

@maxysu @steveo73
I put carrots in my smoothies (although not whole ones; I buy baby carrots out of convenience) to get the benefits of eating carrots regularly without making my teeth work too hard. Since I use carrots instead of the normally suggested greens, it's more of an orange smoothie (subject to the colors of the added fruits). I use a NutriBullet which is 600W.

[Erenymous]

I used to drink green smoothies every morning with frozen berries and extra virgin olive oil. Then my blender broke so I haven't done any for a few years.

I think fruits are overrated. They are generally highly refined breeds full of sugar and low in good nutrients per calorie. I think berries and especially vegetables are superior options. Fat people get more fat by eating lots of fruit candy and telling themselves it's super healthy. Fruits smoothies can be sugar bombs and a first step to diabetes.

[steveo73]

I used to drink green smoothies every morning with frozen berries and extra virgin olive oil. Then my blender broke so I haven't done any for a few years.

I think fruits are overrated. They are generally highly refined breeds full of sugar and low in good nutrients per calorie. I think berries and especially vegetables are superior options. Fat people get more fat by eating lots of fruit candy and telling themselves it's super healthy. Fruits smoothies can be sugar bombs and a first step to diabetes.

Fruit is extremely healthy. Extra virgin olive oil isn't healthy. The sugar in fruits is basically completely irrelevant (fruit is good for you) and the nutrient density of fruits is really good.

Fat people get fat by lots of reasons but not by eating fruit.

[Chad]

Chad, what is your setup for sprouting? My broccoli sprouts were getting foul after about the third day (three rinses a day). I think maybe I got a bad batch of seeds.

I think you got a bad batch. I use a couple mason jars with the strainer lids. I let them sit in water over night for one night and then rinse twice a day for a few days. After rinsing I let them sit upside down to drain. On the final day I set the jar on a windowsill for a day. Then I just change from the strainer lid to the normal mason jar lid and store them in the fridge. Usually takes 3-4 days. I haven't had any issues.

Here is another video from Rhonda Patrick. It outlines how to get more sulforaphane out of your sprouts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7buU-PK7_I

[Ego]

Thanks Chad. I will give a try again and report back.

Yesterday I ran another batch of green smoothies and took a photo of the mushrooms and roots I added.



Clockwise from bottom left, fresh turmeric, lotus root, enoki mushrooms, bamboo shoot, seafood mushroom, king trumpet mushroom, oyster mushroom, maitake mushroom, white button mushroom.

[sky]

I use a couple mason jars with the strainer lids. I let them sit in water over night for one night and then rinse twice a day for a few days. After rinsing I let them sit upside down to drain. On the final day I set the jar on a windowsill for a day. Then I just change from the strainer lid to the normal mason jar lid and store them in the fridge. Usually takes 3-4 days. I haven't had any issues.

How do you separate the hulls from the greens?

[Chad]

How do you separate the hulls from the greens?

I don't. Just toss it all in the blender. Don't even notice them.

[Ego]

I think you got a bad batch. I use a couple mason jars with the strainer lids. I let them sit in water over night for one night and then rinse twice a day for a few days. After rinsing I let them sit upside down to drain. On the final day I set the jar on a windowsill for a day. Then I just change from the strainer lid to the normal mason jar lid and store them in the fridge. Usually takes 3-4 days. I haven't had any issues.

I ran a batch of green smoothies this morning. Yielded 8+ gallons. I used your directions and started three gallons of sprouts on Monday. They were finished today and added to the smoothies. I will add this to my regular routine. Thanks!



Yesterday one of my sellers at the swap meet who sells mostly Costco returned items had a Blendtec Pro 750 for $90. I tested it and the motor worked perfectly. The bearings on the container were shot. I should have looked it up on my phone before walking away. Hopefully he'll still have it on Wednesday.

[Chad]

@Ego
8+ gallons? Wow!No problem. It's so easy and cheap there is no reason not to make the sprouts. Plus, the sulforaphane is a no brainer.

I have a Blendtec and it works really well.