Vanilla Kale Smoothie
Description
This is my new favorite green drink! I've had it the last few days for lunch and it is DELISH! Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense antioxidant-rich foods that we can consume, so it is great to include it in your regular diet. This is a yummy way to eat your kale. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Vanilla Kale Smoothie
1 cup fresh coconut water (young coconut)*
1 - 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
1/3 Vanilla Bean (or 1-2 tsp. vanilla)
2 + Cups Kale (de-stemmed)
2 - 3 Frozen Bananas
Methods/steps
Blend coconut water, chia seeds and vanilla bean in a blender. Add kale and blend well. Add Bananas and blend until creamy. If you want a sweeter drink, add one or two pitted dates (soaked in water for 1 hour & drained to make it easier to blend). I like to allow the coconut water and chia seeds to sit for a few minutes after blending before adding the remaining ingredients. I find that this creates a creamier texture.
Additional Tips
*While it is best to make this with fresh coconut water, you can substitute packaged coconut water. I find the packaged coconut water to be a bit less flavorful and of course it contains less nutrition. Fresh is always best (you know I just had to say that).
If you prefer to make this recipe lower on the glycemic index scale you can substitute apples or another low glycemic index fruit for the bananas. This changes texture a bit, but is still a yummy drink.