This is a green drink recipe brought to you by my mother in law. She found it somewhere, tried it at home, and totally fell in love. She makes and drinks it literally every morning on the way to work now, and swears it gives you just as much energy as coffee, if not more!
It is certainly very healthy, containing several servings of vegetables and fruit as well. Pineapple has been called the “king of fruits“, as it is packed with 131% of your daily required Vitamin C along with a host of other minerals and nutrients. Greens are basically the healthiest food on the planet, and you should aim to eat at least a cup a day. A green drink is a great way to sneak them in first thing in the morning.
Adding celery just pumps up the health benefits with more fiber, vitamins, and blood pressure lowering power. If you cannot tolerate spice, then please feel free to skip the jalapeno. But it really does add just the right note of complexity to make the drink interesting and keep you coming back for more.
And to put the icing on the cake, adding a tablespoon of flaxseeds can pump up the fiber, supply omega-3 fatty acids, as well as potentially control cholesterol, help bring down your LDL and boost your HDL. It can help balance out your blood lipids and your blood pressure as well. It also is beneficial for your digestive tract health.
This recipe makes enough for one green drink, feel free to double!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1/2 cup cut pineapple (can use canned)
- 1 cup packed greens (spinach, kale, collards…)
- 1/2 fresh large jalapeno pepper
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 cup coconut water or soymilk
Step 1: Put everything in a powerful blender in order, and blend until smooth and thoroughly combined. You need to let it go for a long time to make sure to break down the fibrous celery & pineapple.
Who do you think pulled off the better photo? In-laws (above) or me (below)?
