Just another quick entry recipe for a green smoothie. In terms of the longevity of the contents of your fridge leafy greens are usually the first to go. There are ways to make them last longer but realistically they will only last a week and a half max. In order to get the maximum amount of time out of them there are ways to slow down the wilting, decomposition process.
The best thing I can recommend is going to a farmers market to get your greens, not only do you cut out the cooperate middle man but you will have a wider selection and most of the leafy greens you get will still have their roots attached, meaning they are still alive to an extent.
Once you get your greens home here is what I do.
You will need: Paper Towels, leftover plastic bags, and extra large zippy bags
1. Rinse the veggies and lightly shake the excess water off.
2. If the roots are still attached, take one of the plastic bags, drizzle a little bit of water into it, and wrap it around the root of your green. Either tie it up tightly, or use a rubber band. You don't want water leaking everywhere.
3. Wrap your veg in paper towel. Ideally layering it in between leaves, however I find that a few layers just around the exterior will suffice, you are trying to slow down the decomposition, not mummify it.
4. Place the wrapped veg, root first into a large zippy bag. This neatens the whole thing up so you don't get a wad of damp paper towels, loose leaves and leaked water puddling in your fridge. Don't zip up the bag! That it how the veg get slimy, they still want a bit of air to breath.
This does take a bit of extra time, but it does save money and help you get the most of your greens.
That being said, If you do find your greens are getting a little limp and can't find the motivation to prepare them... SMOOTHIE TIME!!!
This smoothie comes with added iron. In terms of easy ways to get iron when living on a plant based diet, spirulina and spinach are in the top five, however, for many the prospect of eating a bucket of spinach in your salad or downing a heap of spirulina tablets can seem daunting. I recently invested in a container of dried spirulina as I was becoming really concerned that I had an iron deficiency. It only cost $30 for 300 grams from a discount health food shop. Which when you think about it is going to last longer than 3 kg of meat.
The second issue with iron is absorption. Iron that comes from non-animal based sources is called non-heme iron. It is more difficult for the body to absorb which is where vitamin C comes in, which can direction enhance your iron intake. So with that little pearl of wisdom. Here is the recipe
Get Your Iron On Smoothie
Serves 1 very hungry vegan
1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
1 tbspn spirulina
250 ml pure coconut water (you can use tap water, I just like the flavor and the added nutritional benefits)
(If you have a crappy blender like mine, chuck these four in first and blend until smooth)
1 banana
1/2 pear
1/2 small avocado
200 ml Orange juice
Blend until smooth and serve in a massive glass :D
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Peace,
Kaitlin
