Cucumber, Green Apple & Lime Smoothie

January 1, 2023

Smoothies are such a great way to enjoy your fruits and vegetables and as long as you have a blender (it doesn’t even have to be a fancy one!), you can make yourself a healthy and delicious treat that will fill you up and leave you feeling both satisfied and refreshed.

Each one of the ingredients in this cucumber, green apple and lime smoothie bring their own health benefits and delicious flavors to this delicious drink. While doing some research on the ingredients, I found that…

Cucumbers are packed full of antioxidants and 6 ounces of cucumber only has about 22 calories
Bananas contain manganese, potassium, Vitamins C and B6
Greek yogurt offers protein, probiotics and calcium
Granny Smith apples add natural sweetness along with fiber and Vitamin C
Limes contain flavonoids, which are the antioxidants that strengthen collagen
Fresh ginger can reduce inflammation, stimulate circulation and calm your digestive system
Spinach contains so many vitamins that I would run out of space listing them all!
Cilantro has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties
Coconut water is loaded with potassium and contains electrolytes and manganese
Flax seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein

… and with these healthy ingredients, we are about to make one really delicious smoothie.

Let’s get it started…

I want to start by saying that I do not like adding ice to my smoothies. Ice can really water the flavor down and can also be too much texture for some of the lower powered blenders. Now, I do love a nice high speed blender, but not everyone has a need for one! So, what are you supposed to do if you don’t have a particularly powerful blender, but still want that thick, super cold feel that ice adds to a smoothie?

Freeze some of the fruits and vegetables! Yep! This is one of my all time favorite smoothie tips. Just slice up some of the ingredients, pop them in the freezer for an hour or so and they will not only add great texture to your smoothie, but even as they soften up, they will never water your great smoothie flavors down.

To get this smoothie started, peel and slice one large cucumber and one large banana. If you want to freeze them, place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze them for about 60 minutes before making your smoothie. I like this smoothie using fresh or frozen bananas and cucumbers, so whatever you have time for will give you a great result.

In addition to the cucumber and banana, you will need 5 ounces of plain or vanilla greek yogurt, 1/2 of a granny smith apple, 1 lime, 2 cups of fresh spinach and some coconut water or orange juice for thinning the texture.

Depending on what you have on hand, I also love to add a 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger, a small handful of fresh cilantro and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds, but these ingredients are optional.

Add 5 ounces of greek yogurt, 1/2 of a granny smith apple cut into cubes, the juice from 1 lime and 2 tablespoons of whole flaxseeds into your blender and pulse until the apples are broken up.

Add the fresh or frozen cucumber and banana and pulse until they are also broken down.

Finally, add the ginger, 2 cups of spinach, a handful of cilantro and a splash of coconut water or orange juice into the blender and blend until smooth. Add more coconut water or orange juice (or both!) until your smoothie achieves your preferred consistency.

Look at how beautiful that color is! A gorgeous bright green with the occasionally little flax seed speckled throughout. So inviting and a perfect way to start your day, recharge after a workout or just cool off on a hot afternoon.

The cucumbers and banana are mild in flavor, but add great body to the smoothie. The green apples and lime add great tartness and the spinach tastes so fresh. With such amazing flavors and so many health benefits, this cucumber, green apple and lime smoothie is one to definitely keep on your breakfast recipe list.

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