How to make a green smoothie for dinner?

Can a green smoothie be dinner?

Sometimes, for a light dinner, if it contains more than greens and fruit. Maker and recipe pages agree on a five-part formula: greens, fruit, protein, healthy fat and liquid. Without protein and fat you are likely to be hungry again soon.

A dinner-sized formula

• Greens: 1 packed cup of spinach, or kale with the stems removed.
• Fruit: 1 cup of frozen blueberries and half a frozen banana (one maker’s sample), or mango or pineapple.
• Protein: protein powder, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, silken tofu or hemp seeds. Follow label amounts for powder.
• Fat: a tablespoon of almond, peanut or sunflower seed butter, or some avocado, chia or flax.
• Liquid: about 1 cup of milk, plant milk or water.

Blend the greens with the liquid first, then add the rest, so there are no leafy bits.

Make it more of a meal

• Add rolled oats for fiber and body.
• Eat a slice of whole grain toast or a boiled egg on the side if the smoothie alone does not feel like dinner.
• Drink it slowly or with a spoon instead of gulping it.

Mistakes to avoid

Using only fruit juice as the liquid makes it very sweet. Leaving out protein and fat is the usual reason it fails as a meal. Going heavy on raw greens every day is not necessary; rotating spinach, kale and other greens gives more variety.

Who should be careful

If you take a blood thinner such as warfarin, ask your doctor before suddenly eating a lot more leafy greens, because they contain vitamin K. If you are prone to kidney stones, ask your clinician about high-oxalate greens such as spinach. This is general guidance, not medical advice.