Yesterday was just too hot to cook! So I thought I’d make a smoothie. I’ve seen lots of healthy green smoothie recipes on the web and decided to try making my own. I was particularly inspired by some of the recipes I found at Green Smoothies Rule. The recipes I looked at had spinach in them–I’ve never made one with spinach, so I was curious to see how it would taste. I really did like it, and all the ingredients are so healthy and good for you! I read that spinach is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium and other good things. So if you want to make something cool, yummy, and healthy, you’ll want to try this out! There is a very slight spinach taste to this, so if you want less of that, use two bananas in this recipe instead of one (I’m noting that in the recipe, too).

PINEAPPLE MANGO GREEN SMOOTHIE by NancyCreative

Makes about 28 ounces, or 2 to 3 servings

• 3/4 to 1 cup well-packed baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup small chunks of fresh pineapple
• 1 cup small chunks of fresh mango
• 1 banana (use 2 bananas if you want to mask the slight spinach flavor more)
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt or soy yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk or soy milk (if you want a thinner smoothie, use 3/4 cup)
• 2 Tablespoons honey

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until well-blended (you may have to help stir the mixture along with a spoon at first). Serve immediately. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

VARIATIONS: You can substitute other fruits for the pineapple and mango: green grapes, apples, pears, peaches, and/or cantaloupe. You could also add 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado to make the smoothie really creamy.

This is a great, healthy way to start the day or give you some energy in the afternoon!

Have you made any green smoothies yet? Do you have a favorite recipe for one?