This Trick Will Make Your Green Smoothies Perfect Every Time
Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard, the creators of Simple Green Smoothies. (Photo courtesy of Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard)
Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard are the women behind Simple Green Smoothies, a hit Instagram account and website that spawned a No. 1 bestselling book of the same name in 2015. They share smoothie pictures and recipes with their nearly 400,000 Instagram followers, many of whom post photos of their own smoothies, inspired by the account. Their recipes are nourishing and fun, turning what could seem like a punishment (let’s be honest, we’ve all seen a truly depressing green drink) into the kind of habit that makes you feel good all day long.
Yahoo Health tapped them for their best smoothie-making advice, and also to learn what made them fall head over heels for the healthy drinks.
(Photo: Instagram.com/SimplyGreenSmoothies)
Yahoo Health: Why green smoothies?
Jenn: I remember when I had my first green smoothie and thought, “There is no way blended spinach can taste good.” Well, I was surprised— it was love at first sip. And from that moment, I realized that healthy could actually taste good. I didn’t have to sacrifice taste to eat something that was good for me.
Jadah: As a mom with very little energy, I started drinking one green smoothie a day as my breakfast, and in three months I lost 27 pounds. I look at weight loss as a happy side effect to the many other results I experience from green smoothies –– my favorite results being a natural energy boost and craving healthier foods.
Jen: I’ve always imagined myself as an active, energetic mom— and I finally have the energy to be that. I’m training for my fifth marathon right now, the Disney World Marathon. I know if I wasn’t fueling my body with green smoothies I wouldn’t be able to do the long runs. It’s also been a blessing to be able to create a business from something that I was personally passionate about. It’s allowed me to work from home and be there for my kids before and after school, which is really important for me.
Top three smoothie ingredients — go!
Jadah: Spinach, mango, and chia seeds. Spinach is the mildest tasting leafy green, so it’s super beginner-friendly. Mango really sweetens the smoothie, and it’s also very filling because of its high fiber content. And chia seeds are always my go-to superfood boost because I get the perfect blend of a plant-based protein and healthy fat, which allows me to make my green smoothies a meal replacement.
Jen: Spinach, lemon, and peaches. Spinach is my go-to leafy green— it blends super well and doesn’t overpower the fruit flavors. Adding a squeeze of lemon helps brighten up a green smoothie and pulls out more of the natural flavors found in the fruit. And I love the flavor of a peaches, so adding them to my smoothie always makes me happy. They are also a lower-glycemic fruit, which keeps the sugars lower but the taste high, especially with a squeeze of lemon.
Should I drink smoothies in the winter, if it’s cold where I live?
Jen: It can be hard to want to drink something cold when you’re already shivering. I get it! I personally lean toward room-temperate smoothies in the colder months. I’ll use fruits that stay out on the counter— like bananas, tomatoes, pears, and oranges. I’ve also fallen in love with veggie-based smoothies, which I warm up and add a dash of cayenne pepper to, in order to kick it up a notch.
What if you need something to chew? What’s your favorite non-smoothie snack?
Jadah: I’m pretty obsessed with clementines. They’re like mini oranges, and I can eat five of these in a row. They’re easy to peel, easy to take on-the-go, and are so sweet and tangy.
Jen: I’m addicted to the Wonderful Salt & Pepper Pistachios. They are SO good! I leave a bowl out on the counter and munch on them throughout the day when I need a little protein-packed pick-me-up. I’m warning you— they are insanely addictive!
What’s the top smoothie mistake you see people make?
Jadah: People get super ambitious and want to add a lot of leafy greens in their first go, which makes their green smoothie taste like grass. When you first begin to blend green smoothies, we encourage you to follow our Rawkstar Formula for the perfect ratio of not too sweet and not too bitter. We want you to fall in love at first sip, so no lawnmower-tasting smoothies allowed! The starter formula is 60 percent fruit (three cups), and 40 percent leafy greens (two cups), blended with two cups of water –– this serves two people. Once your tastebuds adjust to drinking spinach and kale, feel free to customize the formula by adding more leafy greens to your recipe. If you think the smoothies taste too sweet, decrease the amount of fruit you put in them.
Jen: Chunky green smoothies happen a lot. Most people add all the ingredients to the blender at once, and hit blend. But this actually makes it really hard for the blender to puree everything, and you’re left with leafy chunks. We always recommend that you blend your leafy greens with your liquid base first. Once you can see all the leafy chunks are blended up, then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. This will help you get a creamy green smoothie every time.
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