Green smoothies that are green

I went to a ladies event on the weekend called "New Year, New You" with a focus on how to be healthier.  The finale of the event was a demonstration on how to make a healthy smoothie that was green because of the ingredients that went in it.  We got to taste test which I was glad to have the opportunity because I never would have made one of these otherwise.
This smoothie was made with a water base, 2 stalks of celery, a splash of orange juice, about half a banana and 2 handfuls of spinach.  The orange juice and banana tone down the taste of the other ingredients so it doesn't taste like a liquid salad.
I have been wanting to eat healthier and this is where I am going to start.  I am going to have one of these smoothies for lunch a couple times during the week and on weekends replacing the carbohydrates that I usually have.
One of the reasons I am writing about this here is because of how the produce is stored.  I don't buy much fresh produce because it doesn't keep long and I don't want to have to eat a whole lot of it at once to use it up and I don't want to have to throw any out because it has gone bad.

Here is the beauty of this smoothie:
- you can freeze the spinach and take out only what you need.
- you can freeze the bananas which is great because I do not like them when they get too ripe. I am going to freeze them (peeled and cut in pieces) when they are just the ripeness I like.
- I am also going to try freezing the celery in whole stalks.

(source)

Another ingredient you can add is plain or Greek yogurt which will add protein.  It might take me a while to use up a container of plain yogurt because I need to acquire a taste for it, so I am going to try freezing what I cannot use by the expiry date in ice cube trays then store in a plastic container.  All I will have to do is pop a yogurt cube or two in my smoothie.

The other reason that makes this smoothie green is that I am going to buy organic spinach and celery.  Celery is known for being grown with a lot of pesticides and I want to pass on that.  I was surprised to learn that celery is very good for you.  Check here to find out more about celery.  The produce has to be dry before freezing so it doesn't clump together, so instead of trying to wash and dry spinach, I am opting for organic.  Plus, it's got to be a challenge getting all the pesticides off every spinach leaf.

I am excited about making these changes and improving my health.

Green Highlights:

• freezing produce to eliminate waste
• buying produce that wasn't grown with pesticides or herbicides

How green is your smoothie?

-TJ