In an effort to increase my vegetable intake (and limit middle-age spread), I decided to incorporate green smoothies into my eating plan. However, many recipes were something like: 6 pieces of fruit and one leaf of kale. That is not enough veggies for me. Here is my current recipe. I upgraded my blender to a more powerful one so that the drink actually is smooth and not crunchy.

Green smoothie – makes 2 servings

2-2.5 cups liquid – water or almond milk
1 stalk celery
2 cups mild greens such as spinach, chard, baby kale, white cabbage, romaine
1 medium cucumber, peeled – or, 1/2 of a large one
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 piece fruit such as apple, mango, orange, pear, banana or a serving of grapes

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 or 2 minutes. The smoothie will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two if you want to have only one serving per day or make it ahead.