Certain unromantic things come with adulthood: putting away one’s laundry, paying one’s taxes, drinking one’s spinach.
Certain amazingly romantic things come with adulthood: eating a giant bowl of popcorn with truffle oil for dinner, painting one’s shoes in gold glitter, falling asleep on the couch while bingeing on episodes of The Shield.
It all balances itself out, and… if I might say, the scales definitely tip to the positive end when it comes to adultland.
This week is all about balancing the scales and putting things in order. I’m knocking things out, big and small (seriously though… mostly small). I’m hanging pants on hangers. I’m putting clean laundry away like a grown-up. I’m ingesting coffee and gin, generously and separately, because I can (and I’m worth it). I’m drinking my greens, all proper-like.
I’ve also eaten my weight in white chocolate chunks. All I needed was an excuse to buy a bag. This really is so dangerous.
Just look at all this health! Greens on greens. Fruit: squared. Seeds and magic powder.
This is a feel-good situation. Different from the feel-good nature of cheesecake, but similarly profound.
Let me tell you about the extras we’re working with.
Barley Grass, Wheat Grass & Alfalfa from Amazing Grass. It’s like adding a green powder bull dog to your body and health. Bull dogs are the picture of ferocious health… right? Single serving packets are also available. Rad.
Maca Powder is derived from a Peruvian root. I like it for its mind and body energy boost. It also help with stamina if you’re the type of person who likes to go nutso in spin class (like me). Someone described maca powder as ‘nature’s viagra’ which is exactly the way NEVER TO DESCRIBE ANYTHING EVER… please and thank you.
Chia Seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, protein, and fiber. All good things! When the dry seeds are combined with liquid they acquire a slightly gelatinous coating. Weird and awesome.
These are optional, but really powerful additions to our smoothie.
The fact that we’re drinking spinach is also good enough for government work. ‘Good enough for government work’ is such a mom expression.
It’s like the heavens are shining down on our glass of health.
This smoothie is green without tasting terribly green. It’s thick and sweet thanks to the bananas. The kiwi adds a tartness and mouth-pucker that only kiwi can give provide.
Truth be told, I kicked off this smoothie with a big cup of creamy coffee. That’s just real life.
Spinach, Kiwi & Chia Seed Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
For the Smoothie:
1 1/2 cups almond milk, cold
1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen
1 ripe kiwi, peeled, cut into chunks
Awesome Extras:
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons wheat grass powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon maca powder
In a blender, combine almond milk, spinach leaves, frozen banana chunks, and kiwi chunks. Add some of the awesome extras if you’re so inclined. Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
113 Responses
So clearly it took me years to realize I need smoothies in my life let alone put spinach in them. Thank you for this recipe! Good spinach smoothies can be hard to come by but I’ve been enjoying this on a regular basis.
Am in Nigeria, how do I get the maca powder?
Hi Joy,
This is a wonderful recipe. I loved this so much that I featured it in my best of post 33 HEALTHY Green Drinks For St Patrick’s Day.
All credits are given to you and linked back to this page.
Have a fantastic day!
Katherine from GreenThickies.com
Did not have maca or wheat grass powder and added a half scoop of vanilla protein powder. Love it!
What does this list of ingredients target
health wise?
Just made this smoothie as a post workout recovery treat (I had Chia on hand to add, like you suggested) – super delish! Ice cold makes it even better!
Has anyone calculated the calorie value for this smoothie yet?
So I saw chia seeds in my local produce store and my first thought was, “Super food green smoothie!” I’m so glad I bought them and tried this recipe, it’s delicious and SOOOO good for you! I had strawberries instead of kiwi which totally mussed with the color but still made it tasty. Now I’m thinking of using half an avocado in my next drink… mmm with mango as the extra fruit. Thank you Joy for all of the inspiration! :)
What are the stats on the spinach, kiwi and chia seed smoothie? As in calories, fat, etc.?
I love the idea, thanks for sharing. Here’s a great tip from me – Chia seeds absorb liquid, adding them to your favorite smoothie can be a great way to get the fiber and protein you need in your diet. When adding chia to a smoothie recipe, first pour water into your blender and add the chia directly. Let the chia absorb some of the water for 5 minutes. This will activate the chia and turn it into a gel. Then proceed by adding your favorite fruits and vegetables (for green smoothies).
It’s fantastic!
Thanks for sharing!
Howdy from one day cold and the following hot, state of Texas
This has got to be the most interesting smoothie I have ever seen. I usually stick to the fruit realm only but this one has an awesome combination of flavors and who doesn’t love a good “magic powder”. Great website too by the way!
Just a message of love: I love you, Joy the Baker. (You, and the yummy things you incite me to produce from my oft-neglected kitchen.)
i appreciate you!
This is totally waking me up in the morning. Totally.
i love your smoothies! so great for january…
For more information about chia seeds, and some recipe ideas, check out my website: http://www.chiativity.org
Love the combo you’ve created. Been chugging my share of smoothies since last year. Only way I can really get any fruits/veggies in my body.
Hanging up pants? Ugh! I’ve been known to march into work with many a crease in my pants. But, hey if you can do it, I can. Hmm. does laying them over the chair count? Happy New Year. Keep the great recipes coming.
Is that straw a birch tree?! omg your smoothie is like an upside down tree! <3
oh, i do love me a green smoothie! and i’m totally digging how you cut up those kiwi. (does it make me a little nerdy if i spent entirely too much time counting the sides so as to identify the shape?)
p.s. my father-in-law says “good enough for government work” …like…alot. of course he did work for the government for 35 years, so….takes one to know one?
Hey Joy,
I love your blog :-). I’ve been popping in and out for about a year now. It’s always a pleasure to read.
One thing I gotta say (and I don’t mean to be a nob or anything) but it’s kiwifruit, not kiwi. A kiwi is a small flightless bird from NZ.. or the colloquial name for a NZ’er.. like me :-). LOTS of kiwifruit are grown here and exported, that’s how they got their name. I’m not sure why but in North America, for some reason, it gets shortened to ‘kiwi’.
Anyhow, it’s a small itty bitty thing but, for some reason, I felt like I had to say :-).
Angela
Looks yummy! Nature’s viagra!!!! HAHAHAHA So wrong but so funny.
This is getting added to my smoothie line up asap! Cannot wait to try it!
I will try to fit this smoothie in after I make literally EVERYTHING from your cookbook since I finally got it yesterday. It’s amazing!
This looks great. I’ve been noticing a trend in green smoothies suddenly and I want them everyday! I just wish spinach came in bulk and had a longer shelf life. I also had to laugh out loud at your maca comment… I had just read about it the day before and was interested in trying it. I did find myself hedging at the “natures viagra” description… but was piqued by the “it tastes malty” description. I will give it a try!
I was so surprised when I first had spinach in a smoothie. You can’t taste it at all. This looks delicious!
what substitution can be made for the barley/wheat grass powder? can’t can’t can’t do those because of gluten issues….. spirulina powder maybe? dang, i want this stuff…..
looks so delicious, I love smoothies.
This is exactly something I would make for myself! Nice to know that other people think the same way :D
I want to make smoothies so bad! Think a food processor would work the same?
I love love love chia seeds. There are so many health benefits but I also love the texture. Have you ever had chia seed pudding? I put chia is pretty much everything for that added crunch!
Nature’s viagra eh? Hehehehe! I am not normally a huge green smoothie/juice kind of girl, but I want this. This would be so great for lunch or an after-workout boost.
Ooh, I’ve made this exact smoothie a lot before and LOVE it! (minus the wheatgrass and maca powders and chia seeds … I keep it simple) Sometimes I put a spoon of peanut butter in there so I have enough oomph to keep me going until lunch. Yum! This is also top notch with a pear instead of the kiwi.
Brilliant and healthy! Thank you for helping me stick to some new years resolutions instead of tempting me with butter today… I just can’t stay away from your site!
i’ve gotta jump on this chia seed train. banana and spinach are a given in my smoothies, but those little seeds are just what i need to waken things up!
i chase my coffee with a smoothie almost every morning, so i get it. ;)
Looks healthy and delicious!
I was at a dinner party the other night and all maca powder was the hot topic of the night…
yikes!
Joy, I love coming to your site for the rad advice on life that I feel my sister should be giving me. Loving your work as always.
– Sarah
Oh no. Now i feel bad. you’ve got super health goodness in your breakfast. And I just had banana maple syrup milkshakes for breakfast. with ice cream. They were darn delicious though. There’s always tomorrow right?
I love this! I have been looking for new ways to make green smoothies. Sometimes I get sick of the same old, same old. :)
I love me a green smoothie, but can’t do banana. The thickness and kind of dry taste it leaves doesn’t do it for me. But I love adding the thick part of coconut cream, some berries and chia seeds.
Amazing smoothie goodness.
I’m glad someone else is eating their their weight in chocolate. You’re inspiring me that I can eat healthy at the same time though… rice krispy treats for breakfast, green smoothie for lunch!
Sounds awesome, I will try this! Just what I need to get over this darn flu, and start the new year off on a better foot. Yay health!
this looks so tasty! i agree all about the balance. . . .
I’m so bummed – I could not pin this :-(
Anyway, love the combo .. of banana, spinach, kiwi which I’ve made many times .. but haven’t added the powder greens or maca.
Monica
here I thought I was the only one to make my popcorn with truffle oil, it’s addictive!
Green – you got to be seen in Green (Sorry – “The Wiz” just popped in my head)…. Green smoothies make all things right!! I always drink a green smoothie after my bacon…
You had me at “green without tasting terribly green”! Always looking for the ways to use tons of chia seeds that my husband bought and doesn’t really use anymore. This is perfect. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you.
Great sneak peak of you shoes but is it really safe for you to be standing on that stool to take that lovely photo?
i wear a harness. (not really…)
Wow… this certainly is an interesting combination! All healthy and wholesome for the New Year… good incentive to try it, thanks!
I don’t think I’ve ever had kiwi in a smoothie. I need to try that!
This looks amazing. I guess I’m becoming the sort of human who uses Amazon to order maca and alfalfa powder? I’m into it.
Also, nature’s Viagra —- HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
i totally feel you about the amazon stuff. i try to find all of this stuff in the bulk bins at the nature stores. i really do.
i’m always looking for ways to mix up my green smoothies. this looks awesome!
I must be some kinda fool because I’ve never thought of kiwi when making a smoothie. This looks like a vision of health!
I love Amazing Grass powder! It really does something magical. And I love the weird-awesome gelatinous thing chia seeds do when they absorb liquid. It’s like a super healthy tapioca.
totally like tapioca!
Lovely birch straw!! Green smoothie? I don’t know… Joy, really? Oh, okay. It has to be good when you post it. Maybe I give it a go.
really…
I recently bought a bag of chia seeds, but haven’t tried them out yet. This may give me the final push to try them out in a smoothie…love the idea of almond milk and kiwi as well.
That birch straw is too cute, btw.
-m
wow-not sure where I will get my hands on any of the seeds/powder-but this is WHAT I NEED to start the year
My local Winco has chia seeds in the bulk bin section (next to the cinnamon and other spices). So if you know a store with bulk bins, you may find them there (whole foods maybe?)
At Winco they are like $7.00 a pound which is SUPER cheap because these things weigh nothing (the bag I get ends up costing me around $1.00 and lasts over a week). I like to get them and mix them into my yogurt in the morning. They have a nutty almost like poppy seed taste and I like the texture they add, plus they make me feel like I’m making a super healthy choice.
Try Amazon – cheaper than Whole Foods :)
I’ve never had a green smoothie proper before. Not one like this at least, although you’re right, kiwi is really nice in smoothies! I’m going to pin this for when the temperature rises a bit. Smoothies in winter give me the chills just thinking about them! The green looks irresistible though, a definite try is in order. Never seen Chia seeds before though.
that looks like a lot of health in one glass. I’ve been scared to try some of those ingredients, but maybe I need to bite the bullet and just do it :)
I’ve been making green smoothie’s every weekend. Kale is my weapon of choice. I love them! This looks like another great combination and I have chia seeds lurking in my cupboard. :)
Ooo this sounds really interesting! I really want to start making green smoothies but never know where to begin, this may have just kick started me – thank you!
Jodie xx | Future Freaks Me
I’m sure this is delicious and it would even fit in with our vegan diet, but I just can’t get my head around drinking spinach yet! Will put it on my to-do list for 2013…”drink something green”.
you should totally try!
This looks wonderfully delicious and I need to try it ASAP.
The kiwi slice in the first pic is just jumping off the screen at me. The smoothie looks and sounds perfect! Maca & chia, two faves that I haven’t had since about 2010 and need to bring them back!
You’re so rad I can’t even stand it. Coffee and green smoothie? You are my soul sister.
x missdottidee.blogspot.com
balance!