Spring Clean Green Blender Juice

This week’s recipe idea:

During the cold winter months we tend to eat more carbs and generally we tend to eat bigger portions. I’m definitely not one to judge, but come summer, I try to get my metabolism into gear again. An easy (and tasty) way to do this, is by adding some healthy juices to our menus. Juices make for a great snack and they are also a brilliant way to start any meal.

A few notes before you start juicing. We do not all own blenders; but you can always just turn this recipe into a salad and you will still have many of the benefits of this wonderful combination of fruits and veggies.

Some of you will have a standard blender or even a smoothie maker that you could utilize. Just remember to cut your ingredients a bit smaller and make sure this recipe has enough water for your blender’s abilities.

I recommend using a heavy duty blender for this recipe if you own one.

Ingredients:

Makes 1-2 glasses of juice (or one portion of salad)

1 Cup Baby Spinach Leaves (You can add another cup if you are looking for a bit more fiber)

1 Tbsp fresh Parsley

1 Medium Apple (Golden delicious or Granny Smith variety) with core removed and cut into pieces (use half an apple if you want to reduce the fructose content)

1/3 of a Cucumber; skin removed and cut into pieces (If cucumbers makes you feel bloated, try removing the seeds too, it could help)

1 tsp freshly grated Ginger with skin removed (If you like it a bit more fiery, add another teaspoon)

1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I like to add a small piece of the skin to my juice)

1 cup of spring water (you might need a bit more for a standard blender or smoothie maker)s

*I like to add a small pinch of salt, but it is totally optional

Variations:

This recipe is so easy to modify if you’re having it more than once a week. Experiment a bit; the possibilities are endless, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

-Add 2 kiwi fruit instead of the apple (skin removed) and omit the parsley

-Use Basil instead of Parsley

-Use Curly Kale instead of Spinach

-If you are using the ingredients to make a salad; mix the ginger and lemon juice with some olive oil and drizzle over your salad. You can also add some cooked chicken if you need something a bit more filling.

The Benefits:

Green apples are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. They also lower cholesterol and help with digestion.

Parsley is an antioxidant powerhouse and is rich and all kinds of vitamins and minerals.

Spinach is rich in iron and has an alkalizing effect on the body and is also vitamin and mineral rich.

Cucumber is not only high in vitamins A,B and C, it also contains folic acid and silica.

Lemons, like all citrus fruits, are very high in vitamin C.

Ginger is one of the most effective anti-inflammatory spices at our disposal. It also aids in digestion and relieves bloating.

Available from the Yfresh online store:

Spinach

Parsley

Apples

Cucumbers

Lemons

Kiwis

Curly Kale