We’re 11 days into Green Smoothie April and my favorite smoothie so far has been my green ginger creation. I’ve made it three times now and I have the recipe just right and ready to share with you!

What I love most about this smoothie is that it’s almost more like a green juice in consistency and the ginger and lemon balance it out nicely to give it kick and zip without it being too sweet from the fruit. While this is a simple smoothie it’s full of ingredients that pack a nutritional punch.

Let’s start out with what powers up this smoothie…the greens!!!

Dole just released a new line of “Power Up Greens” to help provide consumers with a nutrient dense blend of greens that can help amp up the amount of greens in your diet while helping with health and diet goals. The three Power Up blends are Baby Kale, Baby Kale & Greens and Spring Mix & Greens. They can easily be tossed into many different recipes ranging from salads to smoothies to stir fries and more. Dole offered to send me a variety of these new greens to help Power Up my Green Smoothie April Challenge!

I used the Baby Kale & Greens Mix in my Glowing Green Ginger Power Smoothie.

This mix features baby kale, baby spinach, baby red chard and baby green chard. These are all greens that I regularly use on their own so it’s nice to have them all in one blend.

Benefits of greens: 

– Full of vitamin K which can help protect your bones from osteoporosis and prevent inflammation
– High levels of vitamin A which maintains healthy skin and good vision
– Vitamins C & E to protect all the cells in your body from stress and injury
– Packed with B-vitamins such as folate which promotes heart health and prevents birth defects
– The USDA advocates eating leafy greens: “Because of their high content of antioxidants, green leafy vegetables may be one of the best cancer-preventing foods. Studies have shown that eating 2 to 3 servings of green leafy vegetables per week may lower the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancer. These same antioxidants have also been proven to decrease the risk of heart disease.”
– High in fiber
– The baby greens feature a mild taste that is nearly undetectable when used in smoothies

Benefits of ginger:

– Alleviates symptoms of gastrointestinal distress
– Relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract
– Safe and natural nausea relief, even for pregnant women and children
– Direct anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger contains a compound called gingerols that can alleviate pain from arthritis

Benefits of lemon:

– Alkalizing for the body and help restore normal pH
– Full of vitamin C
– Stimulates the liver
– Cleanses the bowels and helps with digestion
– Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds

Benefits of pineapple: 

–  High in vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium
– Contain manganese which helps build healthy and strong bones
– Anti-inflammatory properties
– Help digestion

Have I convinced you yet that you should drink one of these in the morning to get your day off to an awesome start. SO MANY good things for your body! Bonus, it’s portable and easy to take on the go. Throw it all in the blender and then hit the road!

Glowing Green Ginger Power Smoothie
(Peanut Butter Runner Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 large banana
2 cups DOLE POWER UP Baby Kale & Greens Blend
1/2 teaspoon finely minced or grated fresh ginger
1 quarter of a lemon, squeezed
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup dairy-free milk (soy, almond, coconut, etc)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend at high speed for at least one minute to full incorporate mixture and break down ginger.

Yield: 1 serving

What’s your favorite way to get your dark leafy greens in? 

Ginger…love it or leave it?