Dish of the Week: Green Smoothie

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 Anna’s green smoothie is a quick and easy way to add a serving of vegetables to students’ daily diets.

By Anna Hecht

What’s green, tasty and surprisingly sweet? It’s my go-to, grab-and-go breakfast smoothie, of course. Packed with nutrients, this satisfying smoothie is easy to make and is a lifesaver for students — like myself — who are not exactly morning people. 

For those who have seen me slurping down a suspicious looking green concoction in class, my sincerest of apologies. But I have to say, this nutritional smoothie is worth the horrified, “what-the-heck-is-that” stares that I get on a daily basis.

What makes this smoothie so great is the extra daily serving of vegetables that it adds to my diet. Chock full of kale and spinach, incorporating these leafy greens into your breakfast smoothie is a great way to trick your taste buds into getting some added fiber and calcium.

My absolute favorite thing about this smoothie is how quick and easy it is to make in the morning. In about three minutes time, I can have all of my ingredients in the blender, mixed up and in my to-go cup for class. To speed up the preparation process even more, I often place the kale, spinach, flaxseed and Chia seed in the blender and store it in the fridge overnight. Then, all I have to do in the morning is add in a half-cup of Greek yogurt, half of a frozen banana and water prior to mixing.

If anyone wants to add some additional flavor and sweetness, the recipe ingredients are fairly flexible. I frequently add in blueberries, raspberries, honey or agave nectar. And for a flavorful twist, try swapping out the plain Greek yogurt for some vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt.

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon flaxseed

1 tablespoon Chia seed

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup kale

1/4 cup water or milk

1 teaspoon Vietnamese 

cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients together

in blender

2. Blend until smooth

3. Enjoy!

Anna is a junior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].