Green Smoothies US$1.99 Rating 8/10
Green smoothies are not the exclusive domain of the raw food movement, but I first learned about them while researching an article for Health Post.
With the knowledge that green vegetables give you the goodness without the sugar load from fruit, I was so inspired by the tales of weight loss and of feeling full all morning and energised all day, that I started having a green smoothie of my own design every morning. I have not been disappointed but, after some months, need a bit more variety.
Raw Family's Green Smoothies app is a treasure trove of recipes including some for facials - aloe, avocado and cucumber - and some to benefit pets (fish oil, water, olive oil, catnip and wheat grass). You can browse the recipes for people, or search by ingredient or by category.
In the introductory guide, Victoria Boutenko - who wrote both the app and the book Green for Life - advises: 'Learn to prepare a really delicious green smoothie so that you are always looking forward to the next one.' This is a good suggestion, as many of us might find the taste of blended green vegetables alone to be too 'green'. However, a little banana or apple hides that green taste surprisingly well.
The recipe categories, such as Savoury Soups or Green Puddings, help dispel any mental blocks you might have about drinking green vegetables. After all, gazpacho is a chilled soup enjoyed the world over, and you just need to add chilli or ginger if you want to heat it up.