Frugal Babe’s recent post about green smoothies inspired me to pull my blender out of storage. Honestly, I’m not ready to drink spinach and kale, at least not yet. I figured I’d start with the fruit versions first and work my way up to the hard-core green ones as time progresses. My first smoothie concoction consisted of:
- 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
- 6 frozen, organic strawberries
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1 teaspoon honey
I’m very conscious of the food I purchase and I try to buy organic or locally grown produce whenever possible, but my local stores didn’t offer organic blackberries. I know that all produce does not have to be grown organically. For example, experts often say there is no need to buy organic bananas, because the outer peel protects the contents of the banana from pesticides.
On the other hand I know that some fruits absorb large quantities of pesticides. Strawberries top that list, so I allowed myself to spend more money purchasing Nature’s Promise organic strawberries.
According to the article, Organic Food: Is it Worth the Money?, shoppers should spend money buying organic versions of the following fruits and vegetables:
- Apples
- Cherries
- Grapes, imported (Chili)
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Spinach
On the other hand the following fruits and vegetables are more resistant to pesticides and may not be worth the extra money:
- Bananas
- Kiwi
- Mangos
- Papaya
- Pineapples
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Onions
- Peas
Needless to say, in the next round of smoothies I may replace my blackberries with bananas.
Over time, if you add a smidge of greens here and there, you won’t even notice them in your smoothies. And, they offer so much extra help with loads of phytonutrients and minerals.
I love them and found myself adding more and more over time.
Cheers!
Not sure but INVESTING in the Organic Produce Industry (perhaps by buying stock in Whole Foods) can be a great BOOST to YOUR bottom line!
I’ve been drinking them for almost a month now and they’re pretty good – I put half a bunch of spinach or kale or celery in and, with a banana or two and some fruit, they taste very smoothie-y. I even used the green tops off radishes once and they were good. I was quite surprised. š
I only buy organic, unless I am buying local (or at the farmers market) – in which case they are likely grown organically anyway. I notice a difference in some things, not in others. But I decided a few years ago that I had to be willing to spend money on the things that I consider really important – and food happens to be one of them – and could economize in other areas to make up for it. It’s also interesting that as a society, we used to spend a much higher percentage of our income on food, and over the years, that has shrunk more and more, and food becomes the part of the budget that seems to be the easiest to cut. I decided that I had to be willing to give up other things instead.
Thanks for the mention! I’m glad that my post inspired you. I’ve found that with fruit in the mix, the greens taste just fine. I’ve even started adding avocado, green beans, zucchini, etc – we don’t notice a difference in taste, and I love how healthy I feel after I drink it. Have fun with it!