How To Make Your Green Smoothie Taste Great with Wild Blueberries
You can’t escape the green smoothie craze – your favorite celebrity always seems to have one in hand, your Instagram feed is overflowing with them and even your Great Aunt Milly who just bought a NutriBullet is now making them. And you know the saying, “when you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
But you might have some reluctance to joining the craze and I get it; I was once hesitant to gulp down a bright green substance, too. The fear that it would taste bitter, that I would be sipping chunks of leaves or that I myself would turn green after drinking too many. All totally rational concerns.
The bitter taste is a real struggle though. If you only threw in some leafy greens with liquid into a smoothie, your bitter taste buds would go into overdrive and that would be the end of your green smoothie adventure. The concern about chunky smoothies is legit too – if you have an old blender that’s seen better days and you throw in all your ingredients at once, you might not get the smoothest consistency.
However, I’m here to tell you that you can throw all your green smoothie fears away because I have a few simple strategies to make your green smoothies taste great:
- Mask the bitter taste of greens with super sweet fruits. Think frozen mango, pineapple, banana and Wild Blueberries or dates. Citrus fruits like lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit can also help balance out the flavor. Using sweet fruits will mask the bitterness without having to use added sweeteners.
- Blend those greens first. Before adding your fruits, nuts, seeds and powders, blend your leafy greens and liquid base until pureed. Then add in all the rest of your ingredients. This will guarantee you a chunk-free smoothie. However, if you’re using a high-speed blender like NutriBullet, you can confidently throw in everything at once, greens and all.
- Use the right ratio of veggies to fruit. If you throw 3 cups of kale and ½ cup fruit into your smoothie, chances are you’ll be wincing and pursing your lips after your first sip. Make sure to use enough fruit to counterbalance the bitter greens. A good rule of thumb is 60% fruit to 40% greens so if you’re using 1 cup of leafy greens, add in close to two cups of fruit.
What Greens Make The Best Green Smoothies?
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Romaine
- Watercress
- Beet greens
- Collard greens
- Bok Choy
- Dandelion greens
Looking for a tried-and-true green smoothie to lure you into the world of green smoothie making? Try my Wild Blueberry Pear and Ginger Smoothie.
Looking for other green smoothies using frozen Wild Blueberries? Try the recipes below: