Green Monster Smoothie: A Growing Trend in the Health World

by She FIt on August 10, 2009

In honor of my previous post on smoothies, I thought I would take it upon myself to try the newest craze I’ve been reading about. Green Monsters. These smoothies are made with a key ingredient, kale or spinach.

I know, I know! Gross, right? Well evidently all it is all said and done, you can’t even taste the spinach. You simply combine spinach or kale with your favorite fruits and voila… you have a Green Monster.

Angela over at the Oh She Glows first started this craze. Evidently these smoothies are suppose to give you huge benefits. Increases Energy levels. Decrease consumption of oils and fats in your diet. You start craving more veggies and less sweets… now that is what i need. I have a huge sweet tooth! You can read more about these healthy drinks HERE.

So, I woke up this morning excited to try it out. After my 5 mile run I thought a Green Monster Smoothie would be a perfect way to refuel and start off my day

. . . hmmm

Lets just say, my first attempt this morning didn’t go as planned

I pulled out all my ingredients…

1/4 cup strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

2 cups spinach

1 cup Almond Milk

I don’t know what happened with the spinach, but it is way too chunky! Maybe it was due to the fact that I used frozen spinach or the blender was messed up? I don’t know. It just wouldn’t blend and now I sit here chewing on my drink.

Any suggestions?

For those of you who have not tried a Green Monster Smoothie, head on over to Angela’s site. She has tons of great recipes to try. Hopefully yours won’t be so chunky like mine

And for the Pro Green Monster Smoothie Makers out there, leave your favorite recipe in the comments section for all of us newbies to try out.

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Tagged as: Dessert, Drink, food review, Fruit, Green, Green Monster, Green Monster Smoothie, Health, Healthy, Kale, Recipe, review, smoothie, Sparkpeople, Spinach, Vegetables, Weight Watchers

{ 48 comments }

1 Dawn August 10, 2009 at 10:29 am: Yay! So great that you finally tried it a green smoothie!
Hmm I’m not sure if that’s the reason why it was so chunky but I do know that I use fresh spinach and I never have that problem.
I’ve also heard that steaming the spianch before putting it into your smoothie is actually more beneficial as it makes the nutrients and anti-oxidants easier for our body to absorb.
2 Lara (Thinspired) August 10, 2009 at 10:38 am: Frozen spinach is the problem, I think! I hae only used it once and it just turned out horrible. Fresh spinach really does make a difference. I think it might be because the frozen spinach is really compacted, or perhaps because of the freezer taste. You can’t taste fresh spinach and it blends like a dream!
3 Angela (Oh She Glows) August 10, 2009 at 10:47 am: I have heard mixed things about frozen spinach so that could be it! Try fresh next time.

Also, I use the ‘liquify’ setting on my blender and I let it blend for a good 2-3 minutes until it is smooth. It shouldn’t be chunky at all (esp. with spinach because it blends so much better than kale).

Also, blueberries and strawberries can taste very tart in GM’s. I suggest trying the Virgin Green Monster recipe found here: http://www.greenmonstermovement.com/recipes

GOODLUCK! It will get easier, trust me. My first ones were so gross!
4 Angela (Oh She Glows) August 10, 2009 at 10:47 am: oops sorry the recipe page is here: http://greenmonstermovement.com/?page_id=39
5 Kimberley August 10, 2009 at 10:58 am: My green monsters usually come out purple because I use berry pomegranate juice instead of milk. I usually like pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, spinach, the juice and sweetener.

I have also frozen it and eaten it like sorbet. Delicious!
6 Alison August 10, 2009 at 11:25 am: Yup, I only use fresh spinach too. And I definitely let the blender go and go and go until it’s smooth and liquidy!
7 Jessica August 10, 2009 at 11:26 am: Ah very awesome!
per your smoothie, you probably didn’t blend it long enough or your blender was not powerful enough to blend properly
fresh spinach works best but if you use frozen, try defrosting it.
-muffy
8 janetha August 10, 2009 at 11:41 am: haha, i was laughing at the chewing on the drink comment. i would for sure use fresh, not frozen, spinach. i think that will help. looks like lots of people have already said that! i often add spinach and kale to my protein shakes, so they mainly taste like protein powder but the greens do give it a hint of flavor. good luck in your future GM endeavors!
9 Gina August 10, 2009 at 11:43 am: I’ll be honest, I’ve never made a green monster, but I’ve heard about them numerous times. I buy frozen spinach all the time and I know that when I cook it all the liquid accumulates after it starts to melt. In my opinion I would cook the spinach before putting it in the blender, since you added a lot of extra water by using the frozen spinach!
10 Low August 10, 2009 at 11:49 am: Oh, I love green monsters! Maybe you needed to use a little extra almond milk since you used so much fruit/spinach. I hope the next attempt goes great!
11 Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope August 10, 2009 at 12:51 pm: 1) Use soymilk instead of Almond milk. Honestly, I hated almond milk the first (and only time) I tried it in my green smoothie. It definitely did not mix well.

2) Set to a higher setting than “blend” for the first 30 seconds or so (I use “liquify”) and work my way down to “blend.” Once you are on blend, blend it for about 3-5 mintues. Also, shake the blender a bit while it’s blending just to make sure everything makes it to the bottom.

3) You MUST try using a banana as well. I never have a smoothie without it. It definitely gives it a thicker, smoothie texture.

4) Try freezing the blueberries and strawberries the night before as well as 2-3 ice cubes. If you don’t want to freeze the fruit, add in 5 ice cubes.

5) Although this probably won’t do much to help the texture, I always throw in a tbsp of nut butter (I use MaraNatha raw almond butter). You can barely taste it, but it adds so much!

Be sure to try out a few of the recipes on my page, and just remember to keep blending!

xxoo
Heather
12 Dave Fannin August 10, 2009 at 1:00 pm: You have to use fresh spinach for sure.

Im so sick of seeing these things everywhere- tifood blogs get so repetitive
13 Shannon, The Healthy Beach Bum August 10, 2009 at 1:03 pm: Never tried one can you believe it?!?! I alwayssss forget to buy spinach Heather’s tips seem to be amazing though! I’m sure you’ll get it down next time
14 Johanna B August 10, 2009 at 1:47 pm: My favorite is Polly’s (Yoga is Yummy) recipe. Very simple.

1 frozen banana in about 6 pieces
1 c Almond Breeze vanilla
3 handsful of raw spinach (I use baby spinach)
3-4 ice cubes

Blend til it’s all one beautiful shade of green.
15 Special K August 10, 2009 at 1:51 pm: I like GMs with more protein, and don’t use spinach in them due to the supplement I put in (Microlife Reds or Greens). If you subscribe to my blog, I’ve got a giveaway soon for them!
16 Rhonda August 10, 2009 at 3:02 pm: I use almond milk in mine and they blend just fine, it’s the frozen spinach… go get some fresh stuff! It blends much better!
17 Jody - Fit at 51 August 10, 2009 at 3:09 pm: I have always eaten my greens.. just never been a green smoothie person… I will think about it for now!!!
18 Alison August 10, 2009 at 3:12 pm: Thanks for the comment on my blog! Do you live in Phx?

I’ve only made a green monster once. It tasted really good but had the texture of soft ice cream. I think it was because the fruit was frozen. If I’d thawed it first, the texture would have been better. Plus my blender is cheap.
19 kay (eating machine) August 10, 2009 at 3:37 pm: I add a little bit of yogurt, milk, fresh baby spinach, whatever frozen berries I have (the berries being frozen help make it more “smoothie” like to me), a tablespoon of flax (healthy fat and fiber), and if I’m making it a meal I put in some protein powder.
My fiance, who hates a TON of things, loves them!
20 Diane, Fit to the Finish August 10, 2009 at 3:48 pm: I know I’m in the minority, but I have to admit I haven’t triedthese yet! I read about them, and say “Yes, I should try that.” But I haven’t yet. I will this week!
21 Natalie August 10, 2009 at 3:51 pm: I bet it was the frozen spinach.

I haven’t had a “green monster” but the shake I drink has spinach in the mix, plus tons of other goodies like spirulina & wheat grass. Plus it tastes like a chocolate shake…i LOVE it
22 Miz August 10, 2009 at 3:58 pm: why am I so stuck on your comment today? and so surprised that you are (your words ) a pessimist at heart!

Love,

MizAlwaysUseFreshGreens!
23 Lainie August 10, 2009 at 4:10 pm: Oh no! Green monsters really are delicious…I’m guessing the frozen spinach was the problem! I usually add unsweetened almond milk and raw spinach to my blender first, and blend, blend, blend for a long time. Then I add whatever else I want…I like to ensure no chunks Good luck!
24 Nicole Antoinette August 10, 2009 at 4:11 pm: I would try processing the spinach and making a nice, creamy puree out of it first. Once the spinach puree is done, put it in the blender with other ingredients and see how that works. Betcha that’ll help!
25 Irene aka FitHungryGurl August 10, 2009 at 5:08 pm: Hi!

I just started reading your blog so I was surprised to find a Green Monster smoothie recipe. I am going to have to try this and relatively soon. It sounds incredibly healthful.
26 lisa August 10, 2009 at 5:18 pm: thanks for the comment on my blog!!

i still haven’t been brave enough to try a GM! Kudos to you!
xo
27 Sophia August 10, 2009 at 5:37 pm: I’m a bad blogger. I still haven’t tried these famous Green Monsters…smoothies itself is not appealing to me, and neither is the thought that is it blended with all those greens…I think I’d rather chew them with seasonings, not drink them!
28 christine August 10, 2009 at 5:41 pm: I’ve been seeing green monsters on various blogs too !! I really want to try one but my blender is broken and I haven’t bought a new one yet! Once I tried using a food processor..but the blades wouldn’t cut the kale ..and there were chunks of kale..bleh. Have you tried Amazing meal? I really like that stuff…but its so expensive!!
29 Lori August 10, 2009 at 5:53 pm: I like the green monster – blended up really well certainly you cannot taste the spinach (or chew it LOL).

I love using protein powder and pumpkin and honey. Yum!

Fresh spinach or very lightly steamed spinach only.
30 Kailey (PB swirl) August 10, 2009 at 5:55 pm: I stick to a basic GM with 1 frozen banana, 2-3 cups of spinach, 1 cup vanilla almond milk and maybe a scoop of protein powder.
31 Sagan August 10, 2009 at 6:23 pm: Weird! I bet it definitely was because the spinach was frozen. I have a mediocre blender and I’ve made a green monster before and it worked fine with fresh stuff.
32 Christina August 10, 2009 at 7:12 pm: I’ve never had that happen before – weird! I think it’s definitely because you used frozen too. Try cooking it first next time, or just buy fresh. I added a beet to mine once and it was really good, and I don’t even really like beets!
33 Mia {runs & rests} August 10, 2009 at 7:22 pm: I’ve seen the GMs in blogs but have never tried making myself one. I think I prefer eating my greens. But banana smoothies are my fave so this could be something I might try.
34 Andrea@WellnessNotes August 10, 2009 at 7:38 pm: I have read sooo much about green monsters but have still not tried them. But I will try Angela’s “beginner’s recipe” soon! I’ll let you know how it goes…
35 Beth August 10, 2009 at 7:53 pm: Oh so sorry it didn’t work out! Ew…I’ve only used fresh spinach and it has been smooth every time…Hope it works better next time!
36 Cammy@TippyToeDiet August 10, 2009 at 8:09 pm: Thanks for posting the issues you had with it. I probably wouldn’t have thought about the need for fresh.
37 Kristen @ Simply Savor August 10, 2009 at 8:29 pm: I just started using frozen spinach in my green monster smoothies and had the same thing happen! at first i was completely grossed out, but it actually started to grow on me. I think eating it thicker and with a spoon made me feel more satisfied afterwards. Hope your next smoothie comes out better!
38 Whitney August 11, 2009 at 2:31 am: Thanks for visiting my blog! The lemon + blueberry combo is delish! I’d definitely try it (you could probably use lemon zest, too!). As far as your spinach issue: why not quick steam some in a pot before adding? Or just have it raw, but I’d image a the steamed would be less clumpy than the frozen? I may try this =)
39 healthy ashley August 11, 2009 at 6:37 am: EWW!!! LOL! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you!

Definitely use fresh spinach. I buy the 2.5lb. bag of spinach from Costco and pack the greens in!

Try again- they’re awesome!
40 Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) August 11, 2009 at 11:59 am: Hi, thanks for visiting my blog!

I haven’t tried making those smoothies yet, but it sounds like everyone has really good tips! Good luck!
41 britt August 11, 2009 at 2:53 pm: oh my! that definitely doesn’t look like the green monster i drink every morning. it must be the frozen spinach. try 1 cup milk (i use almond milk), 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, fruit (frozen banana is my favorite), 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and cocoa or chocolate protein powder. so yummy!
42 CaSaundra August 11, 2009 at 5:22 pm: I still haven’t jumped on the Green Monster bandwagon–I eat waaay too much spinach as it is
43 Meghan @traveleatlove August 11, 2009 at 5:43 pm: I definitely prefer fresh baby spinach + Chocolate Amazing Grass Superfood, chocolate or cappucino soymilk, a frozen banana, shredded carrots, and a few strawberries. Delish! There are SO many combinations to try!
44 Amy August 12, 2009 at 6:47 am: OK… i’m trying this week. never tried a GM either! Our blender is so loud and noisy.. definitely need earplugs!
45 coco August 12, 2009 at 11:12 am: My favorite combo is the simplest: steamed spinach (for calcium loss concern), frozen banana and almond milk! YUM~~~
46 Haleigh August 12, 2009 at 6:36 pm: The best combo for a newbie is definitely 1 frozen banana, fresh spinach (lightly steamed), and vanilla soy milk… when I first started drinking them I also added stevia but now I can make mine bitter and be satisfied with that, just take it slow! Good Luck!
47 Rickyrae August 13, 2009 at 3:41 am: LOL! Thanks for checking out my blog! I can’t wait to see how round 2 of the ‘green monster’ goes… If you have some success, I may just get brave enough to try…
48 Martica October 15, 2009 at 8:44 pm: I love green smoothies!! I use fresh spinach leaves and I’ve never had a crunchy smoothie. My favorites are:
banana, mango,o.j.
I also love to add a tbsp of peanut butter once in a while. Tastes soooooooooo good! I’m so hooked on these.