Fighting Inflammation with Green Smoothies – 3 Recipes to Try!

If you haven’t yet tried green smoothies, you’re missing out on a great way to pack nutrient-filled leafy greens into your diet.

If you’ve got a good blender, green smoothies are fast and convenient (I can’t say the same for complicated salads or kale chips, which require too much forethought and prep time on a busy Monday morning). So dust off those Vitamixes and let’s get blending!

Improving psoriasis symptoms and overall health

Leafy greens include all sorts of wonderful things like kale, collards, Swiss Chard, microgreens, arugula, parsley, spinach, and many more. Leafy green vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Calorie for calorie, there is simply no more nutrient-dense food on the planet. In addition, the science is in on leafy greens, they are ultra-powerful inflammation fighters.

For those of us with psoriasis and other autoimmune/inflammatory conditions, reducing inflammation in the body is key to improving symptoms and overall health.

Make them from home!

Some leafy greens do better in smoothies than others. Greens like spinach and Swiss Chard barely impart any flavor to your smoothies. For me, kale is in-between, and I can add a few big leaves before I start to taste it.

Collard greens and parsley you’ll taste right away! Keep this in mind as you ease yourself in. I’ll also say that most of the green smoothies I make either have bananas or mangos, as this gives a great creamy consistency; frozen coconut chunks, chia seeds, avocado, or nut butter can help achieve the same goal.

None of these smoothies contain added sugar, but if you need them sweeter, throw in a few dried dates. Finally, feel free to adjust the amount of liquid in the recipes below to achieve your desired consistency!

Parsley power smoothie

Parsley is one of the most nutrient dense leafy greens there is. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of great ways to get parsley into your diet, and it’s usually sidelined as a garnish.

Parsley may pop up in chutneys, pestos, and tabbouleh salad, but none of these come together as quickly as our Parsley Power smoothie. This smoothie has a bright, tropical flavor with a parsley twist, and if you weren’t convinced that parsley and fruit could go well together, I challenge you to give this a try. The dried acai berries give this smoothie an extra antioxidant punch.

• 2 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup loose leaf spinach
• 2 tbsp dried acai berries
• 1 cup coconut water

Mint chocolate smoothie

In my opinion, mint is one of the most undervalued green smoothie ingredients. It adds a wonderful, fresh taste, and it’s dead easy to grow in the backyard (just watch it doesn’t take over everything).

The next time you’re craving something sweet after dinner, reaching for this chocolatey treat instead. The fat from the coconut milk and the cocoa powder will keep you full longer, and the hemp hearts add healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

• 1 large banana, peeled
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/3rd cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp hemp hearts
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Green burst smoothie

The double green power of kale and Swiss Chard combined with the tropical flavor of pineapple and the spice of fresh ginger is what makes this smoothie one of my favorites.

If you’re looking to kick the anti-inflammatory power up a notch, throw in 1 tbsp of turmeric (just make sure to wash your blender well after so it doesn’t stain!).

• 1 large banana, peeled
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 cup fresh kale
• 1 cup fresh Swiss Chard
• 1 inch nub of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1/2 cup of ice

Optional:

• 1 tbsp turmeric (for some anti-inflammatory power)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed (for some healthy fats)

If you have a favorite green smoothie recipe, please share in the comments!