The wonderful source of blended fruits and vegetables that tastes great and makes us feel good on the inside, the smoothie is all the rage worldwide and this green smoothie is one of my favorites. People take these nutritious smoothies everywhere they go. Some people even substitute smoothies for meals in an endeavor to live a healthier lifestyle.

Smoothies are admittedly healthy due to their wholesome ingredients like fresh fruits and vegetables, and you can make them healthier with the addition of superfood powders. All of these ingredients come together to provide a smoothie loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients needed to support and sustain the human body.

Where Did Smoothies Originate?

For many centuries, Mediterranean and Eastern civilizations were experiencing the deliciousness of drinks created from fruit. South America and Latin America also relished the fruit drinks as they were a major part of their diets.

However, smoothies remained largely unknown, and then in the 1930s, Steve Poplawski invented the blender. After this, smoothies slowly crept into the United States. Smoothies' history is closely related to the blender's creation. In fact, we should all praise the invention of the blender since smoothies would have never been made without the blender. Smoothies' initial ingredients included fruits, fruit juice, and ice, and it was created as a refreshing drink aimed at quenching beach lovers' thirst.

A wave of macrobiotic vegetarianism swept the US in the 1960s and 1970s, along with Flower Power and Hippies' inflation. This inspired people to return to the soil and become united with nature. More and more people paid close attention to their diets, led vegan lifestyles, and only used natural organic products. Both decades gave rise to several health food stores opening throughout the US and met the high demand for healthy fruit drinks.

The Progression of Smoothies

Steve Kuhnau established the first Smoothie King store in 1973. Suffering from the digestive disorder lactose intolerance, Steve tested different smoothie recipes for several years, hoping to discover a combination he would find enjoyable. Thus, it made room for other ingredients such as vegetables, milk, vitamins, and supplements to be added to the health drink. It ultimately reinvented the smoothie a makeover, making it a health fuller choice than milkshakes. In the following years, the Smoothie King franchise expanded, dubbing the smoothie a household brand, and motivated people to start coming up with their own version of the popular drink.

The start of the 2000s bought an uptick in concern about diet and exercise, which also caused the smoothie to gain popularity. Since then, the smoothie has received a few enhancements and is now recognized as an energy drink, a dessert, a meal substitution, or a meal supplement.

What Are Some Smoothie Facts

South Americans were the originators of the smoothies, but they referred to it as fruit slush. The US only invented the blender used to create smoothies.
Smoothies are regarded as a healthy drink. For healthy smoothies, include carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins to ensure they are well balanced and keep you satiated.
Due to the fiber found in fruit, Smoothies need more time to breakdown in the stomach, which is beneficial to you because the longer food takes to digest, the longer you will feel satisfied.

Variations of Smoothies

As history has shown us, smoothies have evolved and will continue to evolve in the years to come. Many new variations are popping up, encouraging more and more people to add smoothies to their diet. Some of these variations include:

Green smoothies feature nutrient-dense ingredients abundant in minerals and vitamins like kale, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, carrots, and broccoli.
Power smoothies are made with energy boosters such as oatmeal which has carbohydrates that increase your energy levels.
Tropical smoothies are made with fruit juices in the tropics! Mangoes, pineapple, coconut water, watermelon juice, sweet lychee are usually combined with dairy products to give the tropical smoothie a tropical feel.
Low-fat protein smoothies are designed to stimulate weight loss and utilize dairy or plant-based milk, fruits low in sugar, soy powder, and vegetables to produce a sustainable energy source.
Most people prefer using their favorite fruits, ice, milk, or yogurt for their fruit smoothies.
Liquid-based smoothies use liquids such as yogurt, milk, almond milk, coconut water, and water to improve smoothies' taste and flavor.

What Are the Benefits of Smoothies?

Adding smoothies to your daily routine will be very beneficial to you, and best of all, it is so easy to make it takes less than five minutes. Smoothies are beneficial because it aids detoxification. Green smoothies like this recipe are the perfect way to clean your digestive system.

Smoothies are excellent for restoring your body post-workout, support healthy hair and skin, and improve your immune system by decreasing the number of times you develop an illness. Not only are smoothies the perfect breakfast food, but thanks to their high vitamin and mineral content, they improve brain activity and provide hydration to your body, eliminating the need to drink water after having a smoothie.

How to Make A Smoothie

You will need a recipe much like this one to make a smoothie. To find the perfect recipe, you need to consider your intention. Are you choosing to make a smoothie to stimulate weight loss, detox, protein workout, or a healthy dessert option? You can choose from several liquids such as water, milk, yogurt, cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk, nuts, or ice as a base to produce a creamy texture and add fruits and vegetables. Next, you can add sweeteners like honey or agave nectar, a dash of salt, spices, superfoods, protein powders. Blend your smoothie, pour it into a glass, and enjoy your healthy drink.

Tips to Make the Perfect Smoothie

Although a green smoothie is a relatively straightforward and easy recipe to prepare, there are still a couple of tips that will come in handy when making the perfect green smoothie. The 60/40 rule applies to smoothies too. Use 60% fruits and 40% leafy greens. Do not simply throw ingredients into your blender on a whim. Use a recipe or at the very least pull out your trusty measuring cups to help you get the perfect ratio. Blend your smoothie in batches to avoid a chunky smoothie. You want to drink your smoothie, not chew it. Blend your leafy greens with the liquid first, then add the rest of the fruit and other ingredients and blend the smoothie until it is smooth.

4 Ingredient Green Smoothie

Author: Jordan Cord
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

¾ cup frozen banana
½ cup frozen blueberries
2 cups spinach
1 cup So Delicious coconut milk (in carton)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to the blender – you will most likely have to smash it down to get it to fit – then pulse to get it started and blend until smooth.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Category: Drinks

Nutrition

Calories: 250
Sugar: 36 g
Sodium: 69 mg
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 4 g