Veganiac

7-night free trial · MindShift Mentors

Knowing what to eat was never the hard part

Doing it on a Wednesday is. Guided audio for the half of it nobody writes recipes for, from the creator of Cognitive Pattern Reprogramming.

Try 7 nights freeShow me how it works

7 nights free · no card required

Recipes · · Recipe

Trish's Soothing Green Smoothie

Two glasses of green smoothie on a white bench, one being picked up

By Trish Tucker-May, Registered Nutritionist

I put together a smoothie guide for my clients because so many of them told me the same thing: they would make a smoothie to be healthy and then spend the morning feeling bloated. It does not have to go that way. In my experience the usual problem is the kitchen-sink approach, where six fruits, three greens and every powder in the cupboard go into one glass.

This is one of the simpler recipes from that guide, and it is the one I point people to first.

MindShift Mentors · 7 nights free

It’s 9pm and you’re not even hungry

The kitchen light goes on anyway. Fifteen minutes of guided audio a night, aimed at the pattern rather than the willpower.

Try 7 nights freeThat’s me, most nights

Why fewer ingredients

A smoothie that has too many different foods in it gives your gut a lot to deal with at once. When clients strip it back to a liquid, one or two plant foods, a healthy fat and some protein, many of them find it sits far more comfortably. As digestion settles, you can start adding more fibre and more variety. Everyone is different, so start simple and see how you go.

What you need

Serves 1 to 2.

  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • ½ cup spinach
  • 1 scoop plant protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • A dash of ground ginger

How to make it

  1. Put everything into a blender, liquids first.
  2. Blend until smooth. A high-speed blender gives the silkiest result, but an ordinary stand-up blender does the job if you run it a bit longer.
  3. Add more water if you like it thinner, then drink it straight away.

Making it work for you

  • Feeling cold that morning? Add a warming spice. Ginger is already in there, and cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric or a pinch of cayenne all work. Start with a dash and build up to half a teaspoon.
  • Run warm? Swap the ginger for something cooling, like fresh mint or a little cardamom.
  • Want it simpler still? My easiest version is 1½ cups of plant milk or water, one fruit or vegetable, half an avocado or a teaspoon of coconut oil, and a scoop of plant protein.
  • No protein powder? Three tablespoons of hemp seeds do the same job.

Use organic produce where you can, and if a smoothie still does not agree with you, it is worth talking to a health professional rather than pushing through.

About Trish

Trish Tucker-May is a Registered Nutritionist, a member of the Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (UK) and the author of Nourish Your Gut For A Positive Menopause. She works with women over 40 on gut health and hormonal balance. Read more on her expert page, or find her at www.trishtuckermay.com.

Results vary from person to person. Nutrition information on Veganiac is general in nature and is not a substitute for advice from your GP or an accredited practising dietitian.

  • smoothie
  • gut health
  • vegan breakfast
  • trish tucker-may

Keep reading