How to Drink Your Greens

How to Drink Your Greens

Girl Drinking Greens Blend

Many people assume a green juice is for other people. They claim they don’t like veggies. They fear the poison-colored concoction will taste even worse than it looks. They think die-hard green juicers seem nutritionally elitist and willing to compromise their taste buds in the name of super fuel.

While there is definitely a spectrum of green -- from beginner to advanced -- there is a place for you somewhere along the line. I promise. And I’m encouraging you to join the party, because nothing bad happens when people add more whole green foods to their diet. Nothing. Zilch.

There are a few ways to go about getting more greens into your diet, and I promise they’re way easier than you think. Best part? You don’t even need a fork. You only need a straw.

Here are three ways to drink your greens …

1) Hop on the green juice train. If you want to make your own juice, you’ll need a juicer but not necessarily the fanciest one on the market. Juicing is a process that extracts the liquid from whatever you put in it, and it leaves all the pulp out of your cup. The pulp is full of beneficial fiber, but if pulp isn’t your thing, you still get plenty of vitamins and minerals from drinking just the juice. Not into cooked broccoli, kale, collards or spinach? You may like them better in a raw juice. Sometimes the flavors are milder when raw and combined with other ingredients.

Immediately after the juice is made, it starts losing its nutritional powers, so you’ll want to grab a straw STAT. Green juice is sensitive to time (how long from when it was made until it is consumed), temperature (heat can diminish some of the vitamin potency) and storage (air and clear glass containers can also make the juice less potent). But even not-so-fresh juice is better than no juice at all, so don’t let this deter you. Just make sure to put in the fridge and drink within 24 hours if you’re not drinking as soon as you make it. Here’s a great beginner recipe if you’re just getting your feet wet:

Keri’s Beginner Greens Juice

● ½ head of romaine lettuce
● ½ cucumber
● ½ cup spinach leaves
● 1 green apple

Clean all produce well. Toss in the juicer in order and drink immediately.

2) Get your smoothie on. If you don’t have any more room on your kitchen counter for yet another appliance, then your handy blender is waiting for you to let it make a smoothie. A blender can’t separate the pulp from the juice, which is why by definition smoothies are thicker and well, smoother. The smoothie crowd is just as cool as the green juice crowd, and some would even argue smoothies are even healthier than juices because of that pulp stuff I mentioned.

My formula for the perfect smoothie is incredibly simple … 1 cup milk (cow’s, nut or seed-based milk), 1 fruit, a handful of greens, 1 healthy fat, an extra (call it a flavor wild-card) and protein powder.

One of my fave healthy fats is coconut because it’s loaded with health-promoting properties, flavor and, of course, healthy fats. The fat in coconut is mostly MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) and although they are a type of saturated fat, they are not the same saturated fat as you’ll get from say fatty meat.

3) Add a green supplement to your drink. Think green juices and smoothies too much work for you? I’ve got you covered. At Life’s Abundance, we’ve created a Greens Blend that is jam-packed to the brim with nutrients. All you have to do is mix with water. Yep, it’s that easy. Add a scoop to water and mix. The Greens Blend is made of organic greens (picked at peak nutrient density) and an organic mushroom blend for overall health. The best part? It doesn’t have that I-just-ate-dirt-from-the-yard taste. It has a yummy, berry flavor. You can add to water, your morning smoothie, baked goods like zucchini muffins or even to yogurt. Most important, just drink up. Greens are the master of the health universe. 

Salad Keri Glassman MS.RD.CDN

Comments (13) -

  • Kris Leaver

    3/22/2016 6:23:54 AM |

    I have been drinking Green Smoothies for the past 2 months.  Adding the Greens Blend makes me feel that I am getting the best nutrition possible!

  • Connie Todd

    3/22/2016 12:44:14 PM |

    I love the green juice.  So glad you are part of the team Keri.  Thanks for keeping us healthy.  I am now using your recipes and my nutrabullet!!!

  • Megan Smith

    3/23/2016 4:33:18 AM |

    I'm so glad to see this article.  I have the greens blend and have been wondering how to use it.  I have mixed it with water, but now think I'll also add some greens mix to my next smoothie.  I also like the idea of putting it in other foods, especially for parents who are trying to increase the nutritional value of their children's meals.

  • Aimee

    3/23/2016 3:08:53 PM |

    I started drinking green juices this winter and am loving it! I add turmeric and ginger to mine for extra antioxidants.

  • Crystal Davis

    3/24/2016 11:57:37 AM |

    So excited to offer these products to clients.  I absolutely love this greens blend.  It takes great and I'm drinking 1-2 servings a day!

  • Rebecca

    3/28/2016 6:20:42 AM |

    Hi keri,


    I have been drinking green machines for years. I'm happy for the company! I just started a month ago, with Jane's Fish Oils and feel honored how hard Dr. Jane has worked, to perfect her products. thank you for your knowledge as well!


    Best regards,
    Rebecca Rubens

  • Elena

    3/31/2016 12:12:24 PM |

    I'm loving adding the greens blend to my protein shake! Thanks!

  • Laura

    4/16/2016 3:34:07 PM |

    Thank you for the beneficial article! Greens are so important, and adding them to smoothies or juicing them is such a great way to add them to our diets.

  • Scarlett Kelly

    4/16/2016 4:14:25 PM |

    I have only recently tried the greens blend and I'm seriously hooked..  This is the product I've been wishing for for a long time.  ( my kids would have appreciated me having this a long time ago too! Lol)

  • becca hewit pickel

    5/8/2016 8:56:03 AM |

    I love the Plant Protein powder as an addition to my morning smoothie... Just recently incorporated the Greens Blend. Amazing! This article has excellent info that I can't wait to share!

  • Cheryl Bohonyi

    11/22/2016 10:15:44 AM |

    Love the greens blend. We add it to our morning smoothies!

  • kim gardner

    4/25/2017 11:39:40 PM |

    I take the greens daily in my shake but they are good enough to use in just water without an icky taste!!  

  • Moira

    5/7/2022 1:17:17 AM |

    Love the Greens Blend! I mix it in my Plant Protein Mix as a smoothie, or drink it hot, like matcha. Delicious and versatile!

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