Not-Your-Average Low Carb Green Smoothie

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If you’ve ever been on the fence about green smoothies, I encourage you to try this one. Similar to our keto-friendly Brownie Batter Smoothie it uses frozen veggies instead of the commonly used frozen banana. By freezing all of the vegetables first, the “green” flavour is masked a little, and the texture of the blended frozen vegetables becomes deliciously smooth.

Avocado, coconut cream and cashews add to the creaminess and help balance flavours, while the cinnamon and cacao help to flavour the smoothie – instead of anything too “green”, this smoothie is creamy and chocolatey.

While the smoothie gets some sweetness from the coconut cream, pumpkin and cinnamon, you will need to add some additional sweeteners – I find a blend of erythritol and stevia works best.

Note that this recipe serves one, however I cook up a big pumpkin to freeze, as well as freezing a few cut up zucchini and broccoli so that I always have ingredients ready to throw together to make this. It’s a great way to sneak in a few veggies into a quick, filling and refreshing breakfast or snack in those warmer months.

Please note that you need to freeze the veggies in advance. Once you have all the frozen veggies ready, the smoothie only takes 5 minutes to prepare! Low-carb sweeteners can be used to taste.

Nutritional values (per serving, about 1 cup/ 240 ml)

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

• 2 florets broccoli, frozen (35 g/ 1.2 oz)
• 2 slices zucchini, frozen (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• 1 large cube pumpkin, frozen (35 g/ 1.2 oz)
• ¹/₄ avocado (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
• handful baby spinach leaves (15 g/ 0.5 oz)
• 1 cup water (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• ¹/₃ cup coconut cream (80 ml/ 2.7 fl oz)
• 2 tbsp cashews or almonds(14 g/ 0.5 oz)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder (5 g/ 0.2 oz)
• ¹/₂ - 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
• 1 tbsp powdered Erythritol or Swerve (10 g/ 0.4 oz)
• 2–6 drops stevia, to taste

Optional extras:

• 2-4 tbsp grass-fed collagen powder, whey (or egg white) protein powder such as Jay Robb, or plant-based protein powder such as Nuzest (will provide extra protein)
• 1-2 tbsp MCT oil or Brain Octane Oil (will provide extra energy boost and increase the ketogenic ratio)

Instructions

1. Prepare the frozen veggies in advance. Cut pumpkin into 2 ¹/₂ cm x 2 ¹/₂ cm (1 inch x 1 inch) pieces and steam until tender (approx. 20 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place on a lined tray and freeze overnight.
2. Cut the zucchini into 4 cm (1 ¹/₂ inch) slices, and then halve. Cut the broccoli into florets. Spread over a tray, and freeze overnight.
   
   
3. To make the smoothie, place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and process until smooth and creamy.
   
4. Note that this recipe will produce quite a thick smoothie – add more water or unsweetened almond milk to thin as desired.
   
   
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!
   

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, about 1 cup/ 240 ml)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Broccoli, broccolini, fresh
0.7 g	0.5 g	0.1 g	6 kcal
Zucchini (summer squash, courgette)
0.4 g	0.2 g	0.1 g	3 kcal
Pumpkin, fresh
1.5 g	0.3 g	0 g	7 kcal
Avocado, fresh
0.5 g	0.5 g	3.7 g	40 kcal
Spinach, fresh
0.1 g	0.2 g	0 g	2 kcal
Water, still
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Coconut cream, creamed coconut milk (organic, unsweetened)
1.8 g	1.5 g	13.9 g	132 kcal
Cashew nuts, cashews
1.9 g	1.3 g	3.1 g	39 kcal
Cocoa powder, raw (cacao)
0.6 g	0.5 g	0.4 g	6 kcal
Cinnamon, spices
0.2 g	0 g	0 g	2 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Stevia extract (SweetLeaf or NuNaturals, natural low-carb sweetener)
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Total per serving, about 1 cup/ 240 ml
7.9 g	5 g	21.2 g	237 kcal

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