I regularly read healthy living and what-I-eat-everyday blogs (Meghann, Caitlin, Jenna and Angela are a few of my favs), and the green monster showed up a while ago and became a major craze. Angela even has a website dedicated just for the green monster, which is where I got the inspiration for my own spin on the smoothie.
Obviously, this monster isn’t green, thanks to the addition of frozen berries. My usual way of making the monster is without the berries, though, so it always has a nice, deep green color to it. I remember the first time I made a green monster, I was skeptical that a drink with so much spinach could taste good, but PLEASE believe me, it is delicious and the spinach is unrecognizable. The best place to buy organic spinach is in the big plastic containers at Costco, but Trader Joe’s sells it too, in bags. For the protein powder, I’ve found the best to be at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and we prefer chocolate, but vanilla works fine. Alex loves them as well, and gets a little sad if he sees me drinking one without making him his own They are very versatile drinks and can be adjusted to whatever fruit you happen to have on hand. You can also add other “mix-ins”, like peanut butter, granola or yogurt. And it is chock full of nutrients and vitamins- you really can’t go wrong here. Green Monster Movement gives great recipes and can provide you with the perfect foundation to making your own customized monster smoothie!
Heather’s Purple Monster
1 frozen banana
2 cups organic baby spinach
3/4 cups cold water or milk
1 1/2 to 2 scoops protein powder
1 cup frozen berries (optional)
Cut up frozen banana into small chunks and place in the bottom of a blender. Add the spinach to blender, followed by the water or milk, protein powder and frozen berries. Blend on high for about 2 minutes, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour into a large glass, add a straw if you like, and drink up all those vitamins!