Need a healthy hack? Try these 2 new smoothies to kick off summer

Sometimes they taste good, too.

My sister and I laugh because I’ve always looked at smoothies as purely a vehicle for greens and veggies, so I sometimes end up drinking things that, well, taste really bad.

One time when she was visiting, I decided we both needed a vitamin boost, but I was low on ingredients. I usually look for things like kale, carrot, cucumber, celery, maybe some plain yogurt, on top of whatever fresh fruits are on hand. That day, I had none of that. So, I ended up blending a bag of spinach, water and a handful of frozen pineapple. It was terrible. We drank it, though, with an odd sense of pride and a good laugh.

Needless to say, I won’t be sharing that recipe, but I’d like to offer up two others that taste better and still have the healthy stuff.

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The first recipe is my go-to these days. The yogurt gives it a little extra density, so it’s slightly more filling and well-rounded. My preference is to use water as the blending liquid because, unlike other options, there are no downsides. Extra water can basically always do us some good, while the sugar load in juice or extra ingredients in various milks, can be less ideal.

The second recipe is my sister’s favorite right now. It’s inspired by our misadventure. She found herself in a similar situation at home and realized that if she just added banana to the mix, things worked out much better. This makes a small, very green, very spinachy drink, but it has a nice flavor.

So, without further ado, here are the recipes. They aren’t fancy but they’re easy and healthy, refreshing for the summer, too.

Marci’s Smoothie du Jour

Blend the following until smooth and well-combined. Add additional water as needed:

2 generous, overflowing cups (or handfuls) of baby spinach

½ banana

1 cup frozen berries

¼ cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup water

Blair’s Smoothie du Jour

Blend the following until smooth and well-combined. Add additional water as needed:

½ banana (she uses a full one, I like half for this recipe)

3 generous, loosely packed cups/handfuls baby spinach

1 cup frozen mango (or pineapple)

½ cup water

Marci Izard Sharif, an author, yoga teacher, meditation facilitator and mother, writes in Feeling Matters about self-love, sharing self-care tools, stories and resources that center around knowing and being kind to yourself.