green smoothies- they're core!

Hi everyone!

My name is Katie, and I'm Patti's daughter-in-law. Patti invited me to contribute to her blog and I'm really excited to put some of my favorite recipes up. I hope you guys like them as much as I do!
I'm doing the core plan, so most (if not all of my recipes) will be core. I will also try to note the points values, too, when I can.

To start today: Green Smoothies! Or any smoothie, really , but they're more fun when they're green . Try not to be scared! This is an easy way to get in your fruits and veggies. I like them for an afternoon snack.

Easy as pie: fruit + leafy green + water or ff yogurt: toss in a blender = green smoothie! Generally I think these run 3 or 4 points apiece, but all you have to do is count what you toss in.

A few suggestions:
banana + 1 C. strawberries + 1 C. spinach, washed
banana + apple + 2 large kale leaves, stems removed
strawberries + ff yogurt + leaf lettuce

You can start with just fruit and yogurt if the green stuff freaks you out. It really does taste good, though! If you're feeling courageous, experiment with your fruit/greens ratio- you'd be surprised how many greens you can stuff in...A little milk is nice too, and some ice cubes can make it a little thicker. (They're a little hard on my blender, but Patti has no problem with hers.)

Feel free to also experiment with vanilla, cinnamon, stevia extract, or other spices/sweeteners for a little extra something.

One last suggestion- if you have the WW smoothie packets and you found them a little chalky like I did, try mixing them with a ripe banana and the same amount of water or milk. The banana adds the creaminess I think they're missing, takes care of the chalkiness, and adds a fruit to your health guidelines in place of a dairy serving. You'll get a couple of extra grams of fiber, too. I particularly liked it with the chocolate and the caramel latte mixes. (Also, if you mix water with the banana, it's the same number of points (3 total) as if you used only milk, for those on Flex.)

Happy blending!