I’ll be honest – I’ve never been one to eat enough fruits and (especially) vegetables in a day, so I love smoothies for this reason. Smoothies are such a great way to incorporate some more fruit and veggies into your diet, without it feeling like a chore.
My rule of thumb when I’m making mixed smoothies is that you should be using more vegetables than fruit. I like to use just plain water in my smoothies too so that it doesn’t get too sugary, (I’m not a fan of coconut water personally), but I’ll still put int a little bit of juice for taste.
We have a Farm Boy minutes away from our house, (if you have never experienced a Farm Boy before, I’m sorry for your loss – they are kind of like Whole Foods) and they have the *best* fresh produce section.
On top of that, one of my favourite things about Farm Boy is that they they try to use local farmers for all their products. (I say try, because it is Canada after all and they can’t always get what they need around here!) My second favourite thing about them is the large variety of gluten-free products they carry (including fresh cakes!) and how literally all of their products are labeled clearly if it is gluten free, even at their salad and soup bar, Farm Boy kitchen products, deli counter, etc.
I used to make smoothies just using frozen fruit before, because it was more convenient and cost effective but ever since Farm Boy opened up around here I have to admit that nothing beats using fresh, local produce.
- 1/2 Large orange, pealed and sliced
- 3 Small to medium sized carrots
- 2 Slices of lemon, rinds off
- 1/2 Cup cucumber
- 1/3 Cup water
- 2-4 Fresh mint leaves
- 2-4 Fresh parsley leaves and stems
- 1/2 Tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
- Splash of orange juice
- Toss it in a blender, blend and enjoy! You can alter the quantity of spices, fruit, veggies, etc to suit your liking.
- Serves 1 to 2 people depending on serving sizes
Do you guys ever put carrots in your smoothies? This smoothie has kind of become one of my favourites, and I never thought a smoothie with carrot in it would. It’s surprisingly citrusy and the mint and cucumber just go so well with the orange and it’s incredibly refreshing (and cooling!) – perfect for Summer!
Feel free to share your smoothie recipes with me if you have any in the comments!
