Green Smoothie (For Beginners)

There are A LOT of recipes out there for Green Smoothies.  I decided to try this recipe by Vitamix* because in their description it says, "a great starter recipe for those who are new to Green Smoothies."  We are definitely new since none of us have tried a Green Smoothie.

I'm not telling anyone that there's spinach in this smoothie.  Let's see if my family can guess the "secret" ingredient. :)

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 cup green grapes
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (I used canned)
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1/2 ripe banana, peeled
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice cubes
Directions
1. Place all ingredients into your blender's container in order listed and secure lid.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve immediately 
Makes about 2 glasses

Adapted slightly from vitamix.com

The Results...
I didn't say a thing about the spinach in this smoothie.  Of course when I handed them their smoothies, they asked what was in them. My reply was, "banana, grapes, pineapple (all things they like) and a secret ingredient.  Can you guess what it is?"

Everyone finished their smoothies, but no one could guess the secret ingredient.  Not even my husband.  My son guessed kiwi---wrong!  They were surprised when I told them about the spinach.  The ripe banana and pineapple were the strongest flavors.

My husband thought it was pretty good.  My teenage son didn't mind drinking it.  My oldest daughter was a little suspicious and gave this smoothie only 2 stars (out of 5).  My little 5 yr. old and toddler loved this smoothie.  My toddler drank all of her smoothie and then climbed up on the table and tried to sip any leftovers out of the cups left there. :)

This was a great way to sneak some fruits and spinach into the kids' day.  They get a tasty smoothie and I know they are getting some extra vitamins and fiber.  Win! Win!  I will make this again, especially for my two youngest who don't always eat their veggies.

*I am not being paid by Vitamix.  I don't even own a Vitamix blender.  I just thought this would be a fun recipe to try and add some more fruits and veggies into my family's day.

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