Grow Your Own Smoothie Ingredients

Boost the flavor and nutrition of your diet by planting a smoothie garden.

My friend Jaime started a smoothie garden trend in her neighborhood and we thought you might like to join in on the fun. She grows kale, spinach, Swiss chard, beets and cilantro to include in her favorite smoothie recipes.

She removes the stems of the kale and Swiss chard and uses both the greens and colorful beet roots.  Her go-to recipe is a mixture of 2 large handfuls of greens, 1 cup frozen berries, ½ frozen banana and 1 cup of water or coconut water. Add more liquid to create the desired consistency. You can also add hemp or flax seeds.

Small space gardeners can grow all these ingredients in containers on a balcony or deck.  Those with more space may want to grow extras to freeze and use when the garden season has ended.

A bit more information: Here are a few more tips from Jaime, a working mother of three energetic boys. Add the greens to water first, blend those up really well, and then add in the rest. Pour into a mason jar and away you go!  Or make a smoothie bowl instead. Just add more banana for a thicker consistency, pour into a bowl, add berries, granola, etc. It’s an easy way to get lots of fruits and veggies in. “The boys love them - we have one every morning,” said Jaime.

Tags

spinach swiss-chard kale beets cilantro

Related

Video

Storage Tips for Keeping Herbs Fresh and Flavorful

Audio

Cilantro

Audio

Storing and Preserving Herbs

Audio

Grow Your Favorite Recipe

Article

Plants to Consider When Companion Planting