Greens and green smoothies are something almost everyone starts thinking about when early spring arrives. What makes them so special? Which greens should we eat, and how should we prepare a green smoothie properly? When is the best time to eat them, and what benefits can they provide for our bodies?
We discuss all this and more with nutrition expert Gintarė Jonaitytė .
Green foods and nutrition: could you tell us more about this? Why are they important for the human body? Which nutrients do green fruit and vegetables contain?
Green fruit and vegetables contain many beneficial nutrients, including fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamins C and K, folic acid, carotenes and omega-3 fatty acids.
The nutrients they contain may help reduce blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol and reduce damage to the body. They may also support normal digestion, strengthen the immune system, improve vision and lessen the harmful effects of free radicals.
Including green fruit and vegetables in your diet can be very beneficial. Remember that your diet should contain foods of different colours to provide a wider variety of nutrients.
Which greens would you recommend including in an everyday diet, and why?
You can choose cultivated greens such as different leafy lettuces, spring onions, radish greens and spinach.
You can also use wild greens such as ground elder, nettles, dandelions, quinoa, clover and plantain leaves, as well as culinary herbs such as mint and its relatives, peppermint and spearmint, parsley, celery leaves, lemon balm and coriander.
Remember to include variety rather than limiting yourself to a few familiar ingredients. Experiment, discover new flavours, pay attention to how you feel and enjoy them.
In spring, many people start thinking about cleansing their bodies. Perhaps this is influenced by the feeling of freshness and renewal that comes after winter. Could you share which greens help cleanse the body?
All foods with a bright green colour help cleanse the body. Slightly bitter greens such as ground elder, nettles and dandelions are particularly suitable.
If you cannot gather them in nature, dried and ground herbs are also a good option. They can be purchased from farmers or manufacturers such as Urbanfood.
What are green smoothies? What makes them special, and what benefits do they provide?
Green smoothies are mixtures of greens, fruit and/or berries with liquid, intended to support well-being and help prevent illness. They have a bright green colour, which is why they are called green smoothies.
They are a quick option for busy people. They can be prepared very quickly because the ingredients only need to be washed and blended. Green smoothies help you feel full and, most importantly, are easy on the body.
Green smoothies can supplement the diet when someone does not eat or cannot eat vegetables for some reason. They may have difficulty chewing, find the texture unpleasant or lack the time to prepare a salad.
In these cases, favourite fruit and berries can be quickly blended with vegetables or herbs that the person may enjoy less when eaten on their own.
What are good ingredients for green smoothies? How much of each ingredient should we use?
Greens. The more, the better!
Fresh fruit and berries also provide a real vitamin boost. You can add different vegetables, including beetroot, celery, carrots and pumpkin, as well as hemp or amaranth seeds and culinary herbs.
I recommend choosing seasonal ingredients grown in Lithuania because they are best suited to our bodies.
Frozen ingredients can be used during the colder months. I encourage everyone to prepare supplies while produce is in season. When that is not possible, choose processed Lithuanian ingredients that have been dried, frozen or ground.
If you are preparing a green smoothie for the first time, try a ratio of 60:40. Use 60% fruit or vegetables and 40% herbs or leafy greens.
A smoothie prepared using this ratio should contain a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Its flavour should also appeal to most people because herbs and greens can have a slightly bitter taste that may take some time to get used to.
You can gradually increase the amount of greens, but use moderation and avoid adding too much. Prepare a smoothie that tastes good and is pleasant for you to drink.
Do you have any additional advice for our followers?
I recommend including greens in your meals at least at lunchtime and drinking a green smoothie at breakfast.
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, which cleanses the body of carcinogenic substances and medicine residues and stimulates blood production.
Chlorophyll strengthens the immune system, provides energy, renews red blood cells and increases haemoglobin and iron levels in the blood. It is therefore beneficial for people with anaemia, women during pregnancy, women recovering after giving birth and breastfeeding mothers.
Eat a wider variety of greens rather than limiting yourself to the most popular options, such as nettles, spinach or cabbage leaves.
I think almost every garden contains grape, turnip and cucumber leaves that could also be used.
Could you share some of your favourite green smoothie combinations?
Of course. I strongly recommend trying a few combinations that I particularly enjoy:
- Blend 250 ml of almond, oat or coconut milk with 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds, 1 teaspoon of amaranth flour and 100 g of spinach. You can add half a banana or apple, cinnamon, blackcurrants, chokeberries or other berries for flavour. Fresh berries are ideal, but frozen berries or berry powders can also be used. Add honey if desired.
- Place 1 banana, a generous handful of spinach, ground elder, dandelion leaves, nettle leaves and 6–8 dates in a blender. Add water and blend everything together.
- Another good combination that should appeal to almost everyone includes a handful of spinach, half a kale leaf, several mint and basil leaves, a piece of ginger, 1 pear, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of detoxifying mix powder and 1 cup of water. Dandelion leaves, nettle leaves and ground elder can be added separately instead of the mix. Blend everything together and enjoy.
These are only a few examples of how different fruit, berries, greens and vegetables can be blended with water or any plant-based milk of your choice.
A green smoothie gives you the freedom to be creative. It is a quick snack and an easy recipe that is enjoyable to prepare and drink and leaves you feeling light afterwards.
During early spring, I encourage you to go out into your garden as often as possible, gather different greens and prepare a morning smoothie.
Remember that greens have their highest nutritional value while they are still young and small. Gather them before they become overgrown.
You could also sow wild nettles, ground elder and calendula alongside your usual lettuce leaves. Remember to try a wider variety of culinary herbs too, such as spearmint, peppermint, coriander or another herb that you have never grown or tasted before.
What would you like to wish our readers?
My life motto is: “The driving force of life is love for life itself.”
Accept, let go and appreciate what LIFE gives you. These phrases inspire me and encourage continuous personal growth and positive experiences.
I share them with you and hope that we can all discover small things in everyday life that allow us to love life even more.
Gintarė is an accredited plant-based nutrition expert. Her studies include the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and Stanford University’s “Child Nutrition and Cooking” course in the United States.
She promotes healthy living and a slow, natural lifestyle and works as a lecturer. She initiated Ann Wigmore health clubs in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys, creates plant-based recipes and concepts and completed practical training at the Living Global Center in Sweden.
Gintarė is the director of the public institution “Tobulėju Visą Gyvenimą” and the founder of AMBERVITA, the first school of conscious nutrition and harmonious living.
Gintarė Jonaitytė leads practical classes on conscious nutrition and plant-based food preparation. She also runs seminar series such as “Living Food and Its Effects on Health” and “The ABC of Plant-Based Food” and provides individual and group consultations on supporting health through plant-based nutrition.
“Every encounter with food in the kitchen, whether creating new recipes or meeting and advising another person, is a separate and enjoyable page filled with colours, experiences, changes and LIFE!” says Gintarė.
