“Green Drink”

When people reach for their morning coffee or diet bubbly, the Zinkes reach for Green Drink! It’s a staple in the Zinke household. We drink it every morning. If I could, I would hook myself up and take it intravenously. From the looks of it, most folks wouldn’t touch this stuff. Don’t be fooled, this green goo is oozing with nutrients and a surprising flavor of pure delight. I’d call it magically delicious! I believe I heard Rick recently comment, “Our kids are going to be drinking this every morning!” (No doubt about it: our kids will each get their own shot of green drink before running out to the bus stop!)

So, here is what goes into our green drink:

1 orange, peeled

1 small apple

1 small raw carrot, chopped into smaller pieces

2 cups (two big hand fulls) raw spinach

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 Tbsp raw wheat germ*

1 Tbsp whole flax seed*

1 tsp vanilla

A couple handfuls of ice

Add to your vita-mix or blender, in this order: 1/2 cup of cold water, orange, spinach, apple, carrot, and strawberries. Puree. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Share with your neighbor. Serves 2 generously.  The more frozen fruit you use, the less cold water you will need.  

The main reason for green drink is to get our daily allowance of Fruits and Veggies, simply put. It’s easy and it’s tasty!  The USDA recommends 5 cups total of fruit and vegetables a day,  for adults.

There are many variations of green drink. Our favorite is the combination of fresh mixed berries, spinach and orange juice. It turns out different every time.  Sometimes it’s brown, other times it’s a purple-reddish color. Our green drink changes everyday, depending on the fruit and vegetables we have on hand. Sometimes we add frozen peaches, fresh kiwi or banana. I like to toss in a tomato and cucumber. Whatever you decide to add, be sure to use spinach and an orange or orange juice. “Vitamin C in orange juice changes the iron (spinach) to its non-oxidised state (haem iron) – which is much more readily absorbed than the oxidised iron (non-haem iron).” The fat comes from the flax seeds and the wheat germ. It’s healthy, unsaturated fat, so drink up!

The food label for this green drink recipe:

*Wheat Germ is only 2.5% of the wheat kernel. It contains 23 nutrients, and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain! Seriously, this stuff is amazing! It contains around 28 percent protein and has more protein than can be found in most meat products. It contains more potassium and iron than any other food source. Also found in great quantities are riboflavin, calcium, zinc magnesium and vitamins A, B1 and B3. Another important vitamin found in wheat germ is vitamin E. Wheat germ has been found to be very beneficial in order to keep the body in tip top condition. I love the sweet nutty flavor of wheatgerm. It goes well with yogurt for an added boost of nutrients. It’s best stored in a glass jar in the refridgerator. Health Food stores carry wheat germ and flax seeds in the bulk section, for pennies.

*Flax seeds: Omega-3 fatty acids. What does this mean? I am glad you asked! In short, “They are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body.” Read this article that contains a great overview of the wonderful omega-3 fatty acid flax seed. Use ground flax seed “meal” for full benefits, as the body doesn’t breakdown a whole flax seed.