Have you ever noticed dandelion greens in your yard? It turns out dandelion isn’t just a weed that needs to be pulled! This wild green makes an excellent addition to your daily smoothies like this Superfood Detox Smoothie. It will help you to detoxify your liver, speed up your fat-burning metabolism and regulate your blood sugar levels. Dandelion is also really high in essential vitamins and nutrients such as iron, which is excellent if you live a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. How to get the best dandelion greens: If you harvest wild dandelion leaves, be careful where you pick them. Parks and roadsides are often contaminated with pesticides, industrial waste and animal wastes. If your lawn is natural and pesticide-free, you will have no trouble finding fresh dandelion leaves there. If you’re not accustomed to bitter greens, pick the young light-green leaves. These are more tender and sweet than the older ones. You can also ask for organic dandelion greens in your local health food store or farmer’s market.
Superfood Detox Smoothie
SERVES: +/- 5 cups
EQUIPMENT: blender
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cup of water
1 ripe mango
2 large ripe bananas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons of goji berries, soaked
1 tablespoon of maca powder
1 teaspoon of spirulina
2 large handfuls of dandelion greens
1 large handful of other leafy greens: kale, spinach, radish greens, chard…
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine water, mango, bananas, goji berries, Maca powder and spirulina in the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add dandelion greens and other greens to taste. Blend again.
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
- Green smoothies make an excellent start of your breakfast! If you don’t have enough time in the morning to prepare your smoothie, make it at night, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and take it with you to work or school the next day.
- Not so fond of super sweet smoothies? Add ¼ or ½ peeled lime for extra freshness.
- Still getting used to the bitter taste of dandelion greens – or want to make this smoothie kids-friendly? Replace 1 handful of dandelion with 1 extra handful of sweet leafy greens such as spinach.
Now I would love to hear from you! What’s your favorite combination of fruits & leafy greens in a green smoothie? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.
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