64 oz morning smoothie (made every other day in the Vitamix blender).
I follow Dr. Brook Goldner’s recommendation for smoothies, taken from her book Goodbye Autoimmune Disease—75% greens, 25% fruit by volume in the blender container.
I begin with the vegetables: 1 carrot, 1 celery, 1 small beet, 1/2-1” slice fresh ginger, a knob of turmeric (or 1/2 tsp powder), and then press into the carafe to 75% capacity a greens mix–I use Earthbound Farm Organic Power Greens-baby swiss chard, kale & spinach. Trader Joe’s carries this, as does Costco in a 1.5 lb bag. [I buy 3-4 of these bags at a time for my smoothies, and FREEZE them. Once frozen you can mash the greens a bit in the bags to take up less room. It is easy to reach into the bag and get what you need.]
The last 25% of space is filled with frozen fruit: Always 1/2 of a frozen banana, and then any combination of mixed berries, cubed papaya or mango, cranberries, pomegranate, grapes, pineapple, apple, pear, etc. Freezing fruit in chunks for this purpose is a great way to save fruit that is a bit past its prime. I then add the juice of half a lemon (or the peeled & seeded lemon half). I add about 2 cups of almond or soy milk (for added soy protein), and then fill to just under the top of the fruit with water. Secure the cover well and blend on high until it appears silky smooth. Due to the beet and berries, this is a luscious red smoothie. Delicious too.
