Healthy Vegetable Smoothie Recipes

3 Broccoli Smoothies

Since the announcement that broccoli is the new super-food to fight heart disease, we decided that it was time to find some tasty broccoli smoothies to add to our recipe collection. Here they are:

Traditional Broccoli and Cabbage Smoothie

This smoothie is a real vege bonanza, with cabbage and celery to add to the healthy green vegetables.

• 2 cups of chopped raw broccoli
• 1/2 cup of chopped raw cabbage leaf
• 6 inch of chopped celery
• 3/4 cup of apple juice (or 21 apple, cored and peeled).

Add all the ingredients into a smoothie blender and whizz them up. Add water if required.

Broccoli and Grape Smoothie

• 1 cup of chopped raw broccoli
• 1 cup of seedless grapes
• crushed ice

The ice is optional if you want a fresher, cooler taste. Blend and drink.

Broccoli, Leek and Spinach Smoothie

• 2 cups of chopped steamed broccoli
• 2 cups of steamed leeks (steam for about 9 minutes)
• 1 cup of fresh raw spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 3/4 cup of water or apple juice or coconut milk

Blend all the ingredients and drink. This can be hard to blend, add apple juice or coconut milk to help liquidize. This smoothie also acts as a great energy drink, as ll the vegetables will quickly replenish glycogen in the muscles after training.

Beetroot Smoothie Recipe

Beetroot helps to increase stamina so is great for all endurance athletes. The spinach will give you an additional recovery boost. As with all smoothie recipes, you can modify the portions of each ingredient, although obviously beetroot should remain the key ingredient in this one. Add the following ingredients to your smoothie blender:

• 1 raw beetroot, peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• A large handful of torn spinach leaves
• 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped root ginger
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• some crushed ice

Blend the ingredients and then drink immediately. All smoothies should be drunk as soon as possible after preparation to ensure that nutritents are not lost.

Spinach Smoothie Recipes to Build Muscle Like Popeye!

Popeye used to eat his spinach straight from a can. However, we now know that fresh spinach is best, and drunk in a smoothie form means that they nutrients can get into the blood much quicker to do their work.

If anyone doubts that Popeye’s muscle building snacks were just fiction, then please note that scientists Rutgers University (research published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) discovered that spinach contains steroid-like compounds that accelerate the growth of muscle tissue.

In experiments, the magic chemical called phytoecdysteroids sped muscle growth by approximately 20%. To save time munching through a bag of spinach, down a large spinach smoothie instead!

Spinach, Fruit and Nut Smoothie

• 8oz mixed berries
• 4oz baby spinach
• 3/4 cup of grape juice
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2oz cashew nuts

Spicy Spinach Smoothie

• large handful of spinach
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 mango
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Spinach and Peach Smoothie

• 5 juicy peaches, stoned and chopped
• 2 large handfuls of spinach
• water

All of these smoothies are simple to make, full of energy and will help your muscles grow (but maybe not as quickly as Popeye’s). Ensure that fruits are all well ripened and add more water if required. If it sticks to a spoon it is too thick! This could be the first ever Popeye Diet to his the internet!