More often than not our excitement for the healing properties and good-for-you benefits of our first green drink overrides our fear of drinking salad through a straw - until we taste it.

If the thought of a green drink makes you turn a little green in the face, you're not alone.

Fear not! I have five tips that will help you ease into green drinks. The key is to combining ingredients that complement each other and taste great.

Tip #1 - Use mild greens to start.

Get to know your green veggies before adding them to your green smoothie. Take a taste of each before you put it in the blender - if it's too strong when it's plain hold off on adding it - blending it will amplify the flavor (not mask it as most people think). Spinach has a very mild taste and is excellent for green smoothie beginners. Cucumbers are mild and add volume to your drink. Work your way up to the stronger flavors of dandelion greens & cilantro; your threshold for strong flavors will increase over time.

Tip #2 - Add low-sugar/high antioxidant fruit for flavor and sweetness.

Berries and stone fruits (e.g. nectarines) are low in sugar and big on flavor. Adding a 1/2 cup of this type of fruit will give your smoothie a great flavor and extra healing power.

Tip #3 – Know that texture matters

This is often the most neglected aspect of preparing any food at home. Play around with different textures of blending your green smoothie to understand what fits your palate best. If you like a creamy smoothie, add 1/2 of an avocado or 1/2 of a banana and blend on high. (Note: be careful not to blend on high too long as the friction of the blender can heat the produce and kill some of the nutrients.) If you like it thinner, add more water or nut milk. Play with it until you find what you like.

Tip #4 - Work up to superfood add-ins.

I like to think of a green smoothie as mostly greens, a small amount of low-sugar fruit and a few tablespoons of any superfood added in. Use mild flavors if you're just starting to explore green drinks and experiment with stronger flavors as you go. Chia seeds, flax seeds and coconut oil are all mild in flavor and are excellent additions to your smoothie. Maca and goji berries are superfood superstars but have strong flavors. Find a smoothie recipe that you like then add in your extras one at a time to get to know what flavors you like. Over time you'll be able to tolerate and grow to like the stronger flavors.

Tip #5 - Chill out.

Adding a few ice cubes will do wonders to helping you like your green smoothies (and green juice too). I've found that most people like the flavors of green smoothies much better when they're chilled.

The Green Base

Add 2-3 large handfuls (about 2-3 cups) of leafy greens to the blender. Spinach has a mild flavor so start there if you’re a newbie. Kale, collard greens, chard, romaine and green leafy herbs like cilantro, parsley and mint are all great. There are hundreds of

types of greens out there–try any of them and mix things up to find flavor combinations you like. I usually end up using what was a good price at the store that week and what I have left in the refrigerator. Cucumbers are also a fantastic green addition to your smoothie for both their high nutrition content and high water content (the green peel is excellent for you, but peel it if it’s not organic).

The Fruit

Add about a cup of fruit next for extra antioxidants, texture and flavor, because let’s be honest, a green smoothie can end up tasting like a blended salad. Greens on their own are wonderful and do taste delicious, adding the fruit just sweetens it up, adds more flavor and packs in more nutrition. Berries are low in sugar and high in flavor, while 1/2 a banana or 1/4 of an avocado will give your smoothie a super creamy texture. I also find that 1/2 of a banana really sweetens the entire drink. A half teaspoon of citrus zest will add amazing flavor, and a squeeze of citrus juice will amp up the immune boosting properties of your smoothie. Keep your green smoothie to at least double, preferably triple, greens to fruit ratio to keep the sugar content of your drink low and reasonable (no blood sugar spikes here!).

The Nut Or Seed Superfood Add-In

Next into the blender: add a tablespoon or two of a nut or seed superfood add-in to for even more nutrition and a little bit of good fat. Some of the nutrients in plants, specifically vitamins A, K, E and D are fat soluble, meaning they need to be accompanied by some fat to be absorbed properly. (Another reason fat-free salad dressing is the devil, but that’s another post for another day.) Adding in flax seeds, flax oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds, raw almonds or raw walnuts accomplishes that. Each of those things are full of good omega-3 fats, protein and tons of other nutrients as well. (Quick note, this should be a tablespoon or two, so about 6-8 nuts. No need to be adding 1/2 cup of nut butter or handfuls of nuts to your smoothie, too much will slow down your digestion.)

The Liquid

Add 1/2 – 1 cup purified water, coconut water or unsweetened nut milk to help the blender work it’s magic and turn your smoothie into a drinkable texture. Add more purified water as needed to blend.

The Extras

If you need a little sweetness to make it palatable, try adding a tablespoon of organic raw honey (keep it raw to keep the enzymes and nutrients in tact) or a few organic (pitted) dates. Just be mindful of how much sugar you’re adding. 6-10 drops of liquid stevia will also sweeten it up a bit without adding any extra sugar. Also feel free to add in any more veggies if you’re feeling adventurous and the spirit moves you (broccoli, anyone?).

The Method

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend away. You may need to pause and push the ingredients down a few times to help your blender along.

Green Smoothie Recipes

Raspberry Green Smoothie Recipe

2 large handfuls of baby kale
1 handful of spinach
1 cup raspberries
1/2 banana
1 tbsp flax seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened nut milk or purified water
1/2 cup ice

Method: Wash all produce. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add more water if needed to blend. Stir in open capsule of HUM probiotic before drinking if desired.

Green Goddess Smoothie Recipe

5-6 large romaine leaves
1 cucumber
1/2 avocado
1 green pear, stemmed and seeded
1/2 banana
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut water
1/2 cup ice

Method: Wash all produce. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add more water if needed to blend. Stir in open capsule of HUM probiotic before drinking if desired

The art of a smoothie

Wholesome Holiday Table