3 Green Smoothies to Boost Your Energy

These tasty blended treats will give you the energy to run—and the nutrients to recover

Green Protein Power (top left). Photo by Francine Zaslow, used with permission of Storey Publishing.

We all know we’re supposed to load up on the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in vegetables like spinach, beets and kale to stay happy, healthy and energized. But consuming enough nutrients to sustain our trail-running bodies sometimes means an awful lot of chopping (not to mention chewing).

Being short on time doesn’t mean you have to forsake the nutritional and energy-boosting benefits of raw veggies, though. Here are three green smoothie recipes for the time-crunched runner, excerpted from Raw Energy in a Glass: 125 Nutrition-Packed Smoothies, Green Drinks, and Other Satisfying Raw Beverages to Boost Your Well-Being, by Stephanie Tourles. Filled with leafy greens and other nourishing ingredients, these refreshing drinks pack a nutritional wallop—and taste good to boot.

1. Green Protein Power

Jam-packed with nutrients that deliver a punch of energizing power, this potent green smoothie is the ultimate breakfast beverage for hours of nourishing, tasty fortification. This smoothie should be drunk right away and not stored in the refrigerator or a thermos for later consumption, as the chia seeds will begin to swell and the texture of the drink will become slippery or gel-like.

• Juice of 3 oranges, tangerines or tangelos
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
• 2 cups very ripe, fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, whole
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, unfiltered preferred
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Place the orange juice, spinach, pineapple, cashews, chia seeds, flaxseed oil and salt in a blender and blend on high until the spinach leaves, pineapple and cashews are completely liquefied, about 30 seconds.

2. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. For a festive look, garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge. This blend is high in natural sugars and fiber, so sip slowly.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutrition: A good source of blood-building iron and chlorophyll, bountiful antioxidants, vitamins B, C, and K, potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, complex carbohydrates, omega-3 fatty acids, natural sugars and fiber.

Ultimate Green Smoothie (foreground) and Sour Apple-Grape Crush (background; see next page for recipe). Photo by Francine Zaslow, used with permission of Storey Publishing.

2. Ultimate Green Smoothie

Always on the go and in need of sustained energy? Then this is the smoothie for you. Extremely filling, nutrient-rich and super-energizing, it restores lackluster hair, skin and nails, plus helps eliminate fatigue and chronic constipation. Parsley, a natural kidney cleanser, also acts as a gentle diuretic—the natural cure for times when you’re feeling a bit bloated and suffering from under-eye puffiness.

• 1 medium, ripe Haas avocado
• 1½ cups purified water
• 2 medium or 3 small bananas, peeled, cut into chunks
• ¼ cup packed parsley leaves, chopped
• Pinch of sea salt
• Avocado wedge (reserved from the whole avocado) or parsley sprig for optional garnish

Directions:

1. Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh.

2. Place the avocado, water, bananas, parsley and salt in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or so, until velvety and thick. Blend long enough so that the parsley leaves are completely liquefied.

3. Serve immediately and feel the energy. This drink is quite rich and is high in natural sugars, fat and fiber, so sip slowly.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutrition: A good source of chlorophyll, antioxidants, vitamins C, E, and K, niacin, folic acid, plus calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, other trace minerals, tryptophan, heart-healthy fat, protein, natural sugars, slow-release carbohydrates and fiber.

Photo by Francine Zaslow, used with permission of Storey Publishing.

3. Sour Apple-Grape Crush

The tanginess of this drink brings to mind the sour apple flavor of the Jolly Rancher brand of hard candies, but it’s immensely better for you. This pale green, frothy, energetically cooling, ultra-filling beverage delivers a dynamic blend of nutrients that will supercharge and strengthen your body, fend off illness and promote regularity.

• 1 cup purified water
• 2 cups baby spinach, packed
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into small chunks
• 2 cups green grapes, with or without seeds
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, unfiltered preferred
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the water, spinach, apples, grapes, flaxseed oil and salt in a blender and blend on high until the fruits and spinach are puréed and smooth, but still a hint on the fibrous side, about 30 seconds. Expect tiny specks of green apple skins in the finished drink.

2. Serve immediately and feel incredibly energized! This blend has a moderate amount of sugar, but a lot of fiber, so sip slowly.

Yield: 2 generous servings

Nutrition: A good source of blood-building iron and chlorophyll, potent antioxidants, vitamins B, C, E, and K, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, natural sugars and fiber.

You might also like:

• Juice Recipes from Olympic Marathoner Deena Kastor
• Crispy Kale Bars (recipe)
• Fruit Endurance Gel Blocks: Never buy factory-made energy gels again (recipe)

Stephanie Tourles is a licensed holistic esthetician with extensive training in the nutritional sciences. She has been practicing and teaching healthy living for more than 20 years and is a certified aromatherapist.

Recipes excerpted from Raw Energy in a Glass: 125 Nutrition-Packed Smoothies, Green Drinks, and Other Satisfying Raw Beverages to Boost Your Well-Being, (c) Stephanie Tourles, with permission of the publisher.

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