Recipe: My Go-To '5 A Day' Green Smoothie

Like many of us who got wrapped up in the 'clean-eating' craze that's happened over the last few years, I've done my fair share of experimenting with green smoothies! I've thankfully come out the other side of my food issues, and as a general rule I don't think green juices and smoothies are all they're cracked up to be. They're often more fruit than vegetables and if they're not can be a bit prone to tasting like a mouthful of hedge! Given that I love non-blended spinach, kale and broccoli it makes sense to me to just eat them!

However, I do make this one quite regularly, on days when I know I might not be getting my full quota of fruit and veg for the day from meals, or if I don't feel particularly hungry at lunch time. It's got more veg than fruit and contains your entire 5 portions in one go!

You will need a really good blender as well as:

1 apple
1 kiwi fruit
1 lime
A really big handful of spinach
5cm piece of cucumber
3 big pieces of broccoli

Optional:

1 date (sometimes I add this, sometimes not depending on how sweet the fruit is and what I fancy)
1 tablespoon of greens powder
1 tablespoon of protein powder (I sometimes add pea or hemp protein if I'm having this at lunchtime)

Squeeze everything into the blender, cover the veg with cold water and whizz it up! I like to put it in the freezer for a bit before drinking so it's lovely and cold but you could also add ice to the blender in place of some of the water. It's also amazing with coconut water - but we're not all made of money now are we...

Now, for your enjoyment, some flat lay out-takes featuring my sister, who thinks me and my piece of white card are ridiculous, so stole my apple then wished she hadn't because juice went all over her face...