Thursday, September 17, 2009

{KALE LEMONADE}



This drink is basically the same as this one, but we now make it green every time. The kids love it, and my husband and I really like it too! You can't tell from the picture, but the top foamy part is a really pretty bright green also, so it seems so festive and fun. For some reason the kale doesn't really change the taste, so I figure it might as well be added for the nutrition.

2 c. water
1 c. ice
juice from 3-4 lemons (or limes)
1-2 big kale leaves (or a couple handfuls of spinach)
1/2 t. stevia (or slightly less)

  • Place all ingredients in blender
  • Blend on high for about a minute (I just push the whole juice button on my Blendtec)
  • Add about 2 more cups of water or crushed ice (go by taste- you can't add all the water needed at the beginning or the blender will overflow)
*To make sure this stays like lemonade instead of a smoothie, I don't add so many greens that it makes it thick. It stays thin and gets blended well enough that the color is the only way you know there were veggies added.
*Lemonade isn't super healthy if a ton of sugar is added, which is why we use stevia. It is not artificial and a lot of people actually think there are health benefits to using it. It is so sweet, you just need a portion of the amount you would use of normal sugar. Here is a link where you can purchase the very pure, concentrated kind. One ounce of it lasts me at least 3 months, so it really isn't very expensive when you consider how little you need to use. You can also buy stevia at normal health food stores, but it is not as pure and concentrated, so you need to use more. I think the cost probably equals out in the end.
*Kale is a nutrition powerhouse that has tons of vitamins, it's very high in calcium, and is about 50% protein. It's also a good source of omega 3's. It is great in smoothies and a great addition to any diet for optimal health.

9 comments:

Sabrina said...

I am lurker on your blog, striving to learn how to cook / eat w/o meat and milk products. Thank you all for sharing your tips and recipes.

I have a couple of questions regarding stevia. I've read a bit about it before, but have yet to try using it. On the website you linked to where you buy stevia, which product do you buy? Also, if trying to convert a recipe from sugar to stevia, how do you know how much stevia to use?

Eliza said...

Sabrina,
I'm glad you found the blog- feel free to ask questions anytime!
If you go to the stevia link, any that say "white extract powder" is what we use. It's way less expensive to buy the bigger amounts, but you might just want to try it first with a small bottle. It looks like the smallest they offer is 2 ounces, which would last forever! When I'm using it in recipes, I usually use about 1/4 t. to 1/3 t. in place of 1 cup of sugar. If it's something that the consistency matters (like cookies), then I start with only replacing half the amount and see how that works before replacing more (if it calls for 2 c. sugar, I'll put in 1 c. sugar and 1/4 t. stevia).
In my opinion, Sucanat and Evaporated Cane Juice are also slightly better options than normal white sugar, and they are a 1=1 ration for replacement (I use sucanat to replace brown sugar and evaporated cane sugar for white sugar). They can be bought at any health food store.
I hope that helps- good luck with your cooking!

Toni Dee! said...

I am so going to try this! We have loved kale in our smoothies, but the kids are getting a little bored. Also - we think Kabe might be allergic to wheat . . . any ideas on going gluten-free?

miss you neighbor!

Eliza said...

Toni-
Hi! Luckily none of us have wheat allergies, so I haven't had to be wheat free. Lori Beard is pretty much gluten free so she probably has good ideas and I'm sure she'd love to talk to you. I know it's helped her tons to cut out all that stuff! I had a friend here whose family was sensitive to wheat, so they used spelt and it was pretty easy for them to switch over. Good luck!

Eve said...

Can I substitute baby arugula for the kale, do you think?

Rebekah said...

i'm sure any green would work. it'll just alter the flavor slightly. let us know how it tastes!

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