How to make a Green Smoothie ~ an uncooking video

I am just starting my grocery list to begin the elimination diet. In this recipe, like many of the smoothie recipes, kale is always used. I am truly not a fan of kale (no matter how I've tried to be!), though I could probably eat it disguised in a smoothie. However, spinach is on the YES list for Phase 1, and I do very much love spinach--is there any reason spinach cannot or should not be substituted for elimination diet recipes?

So cute! I love the way your boys run the vitamix like pros!

This video with your two boys is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I have just purchased a Vitamix and they demonstrate how easy it is to use and Tom shows that you can't pack too much in, the more the better! Amazing. Way to go.

I try to make green smoothies using a blender, but for some reason the pulp and the water always separate, which makes it not that fun to drink. I have to keep stirring it to keep it blended. What can I do to avoid this? Thank you! Your video inspired me, and I want to try again. :-)

Can you tell me if this fruit smoothie will spike your blood sugar. Have you tested your blood sugar after drinking the whole thing? Thanks so much, it look yummy!

Thanks everyone for your very sweet comments. This was a spur of the moment video for us as I was really wanting to get outside and not deal with anything but enjoying our time in the warm sun. The boys hopped up on a stool next to Tom one by one - this was not staged! I was just going to shoot Tom making the smoothie. We did edit out one meltdown from one of the boys as they both wanted to turn the dials but there wasn't room. All in all I think it turned out and we will do more (not from sunny Hawaii though).

We packed our vita-mix in two separate suitcases. The base was wrapped in a plastic bag and packed in between clothes in the large suitcase. The wet container we wrapped in a large beach towel which we stuffed inside of it first then wrapped it around and around. We just packed it in between clothes in a medium-sized duffel bag. It worked great!

Laura - I will definitely look into the closed caps for future videos, thanks so much for mentioning it! This was our first video and we didn't even think about it. I am sure there is a way to add that option.

Ana - Please know that we shot this video in Hawaii where all of these fruits and greens were local (and inexpensive). I don't think I have ever bought passionfruit, guavas, or starfruit here in Washington or anywhere on the mainland. We were simply testing the waters, so to say, in producing short cooking videos. We rarely have time to do that here at home. Since there has been a great response to it we hope to do more in the future with local foods. Here in Washington we make our smoothies from apples, pears, frozen berries that we picked over the summer, and greens from our garden. These are very budget-friendly smoothies since the ingredients did not travel very far. Thanks so much for your comment as I imagine you are not the only one with this question. :)

This smoothie sounds delicious. It really does. Passionfruit is one of my favorite fruits of all time. However, I just have to say that even here in California with our incredible access to fresh produce, making this smoothie would be ridiculously expensive. A single passionfruit is almost $2 here. I have bought your cookbook and like a lot of your recipes, but I do think that as long as we equate good food to expensive food there will be a lot of people eating poorly. I'd love to see your recipes created with a closer eye towards budget.

Your boys are so cute I smiled the whole time. The video is good to and the smoothie sounds good. Thanks for all that you two do to help us eat healthy.

So sweet with your boys!!! Love that yall are teaching your kids such healthy living!

Wow, this sounds SO good. Your boys are adorable.

I love the video! Granted, with the Vitamix, making green smoothies is pretty straight forward--just throw it all in there and blend until it's like a smoothie and stop before it's hot soup. D. loves to "drive" the Vitamix too. I often tease that people sometimes spend a lot of money on their fast cars, fast computers, fast airplanes, or whatever their "fast" hobby might be. I have a fast blender! It's my all-terrain speedy kitchen vehicle.

One day someone came to our house selling vacuums. I explained that I detested vacuuming and that if he were selling something like a fast blender, I might be part way interested in his demo. Vacuums, not so much!

We also have a blender dance that I started when D. was little and showing signs of not being too terribly happy with the noisy machine. So, now she drives the fast machine and dances. It's a lot of fun.

It's good to know that you can turn it off when it's on high--usually I go backwards down the steps. Turn off the high, wind down the knob back to low and then off. I guess as long as one remembers to do that before you turn it on again, all will be well.

Oh, what a long post! Had to add to the praises of the Vitamix and the lovely helpers making the smoothie! :-). I too am surprised that you managed to take it with you--and managed to not forget any children (or any of their luggage!).

Love the green smoothie video!! The boys are such great helpers too. We use peaches, frozen and fresh all the time in our smoothies, or sometimes pineapple or mango - all are great. Plus - I have not been sick one day all fall or winter- must be the smoothie effect!!
I hope you have more cooking videos too, I just love to watch those little angelic faces of the boys as they help! Great Job to the Whole Life Family!
~Deb

Deb

What an awesome video guys and a fantastic way to get so much of those incredible dark green leafies into those adorable boys.

I think I know what the girls are going to have for breakfast tomorrow!

Thanks for sharing. The video really shows how easy it is to eat (and drink) well.

This is me again. I noticed that you could turn on the closed captions ( since I am deaf-- and use CC when my family watches tv) but there were no words to be seen. Do you think it is possible to add closed captions to your future videos? I have friends who would use it.

Thanks!
Laura

Hi! That was JUST lovely! to get to see your beautiful boys! I smiled all the way through this video, too!.. I loved how the little ones JUST could NOT wait to turn on the blender! Your video is SO clear..Looking forward to a few more!

Tonight I made the beet-kale-feta salad.. and it was SCRUMPtious! I have made this many times, too..

smiling..

Laura

Adorable! OK, so a Vitamix is so easy to use a 27 month old can do it. What a great way to get in your veggies with kids and adults who eat like kids. I just got my first Vitamix last week and I'm loving my green smoothies. I wish mine came with a trip to Hawaii!

I can almost taste how amazing that smoothie is, but I have to say—it's those two little boys that I could just eat right up :-) You must have to kiss their cute little cheeks like 500 times a day! They are so adorable!

XOXO, Kelly

It is our last day in Hawaii and we've been living off of smoothies for the last week! Thanks so much for this recipe - it will be wonderful to make it when we get home for a healthy reminder of a great holiday. Cheers!

It was so much fun to see your family - well, part of your family, anyway - in action! I imagine the VitaMix came along in your carry-on, that's what I would do! if someone really wanted to earn a killing, they would make a VitaMix suitcase. I think I may have to try modifying an old suitcase to be VitaMix friendly. :) THanks for sharing, I wish I could eat all that fruit!!!! xoxo Kim

Great video! So fun to see the little ones involved in cooking...or uncooking, I should say! I, too, am curious about your method of transport for the Vita-mix. I'm always worried that it will break in my checked luggage!

I loved watching this video. Your boys reminded me so much of mine 2 years ago. It is very encouraging to see people staying committed to healthy eating while on vacation.

Yayyyy for green smoothies and delicious tropical fruits! Please do tell me how on earth you guys packed your Vitamix?! I would like to do this but am afraid of it being ruined in transport! It's so heavy!

I smiled all the way through this video of yours! Lots of people just don't realize that if you let kids participate in making healthy meals, they like doing it and grow up with good food knowledge and cooking skills. As you show here, even a 2-year old can help prepare meals. They love it when they participate like this and are more likely to enjoy what many kids turn their noses up at (kale, spinach, etc.). Good job, Whole Life Family!

Melissa