Winning the lotto and retiring to Maui might be easier than getting my adolescent daughter to eat more vegetables,

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1 TOP TEN GREEN SMOOTHIES JJ VIRGIN, CNS, CHFS Winning the lotto and retiring to Maui might be easier than getting my adolescent daughter to eat more vegetables, someone recently confessed. It isn t just kids and teenagers; adults aren t hopping on the veggie wagon either. That we aren t meeting our 10-daily quota becomes unfortunate when you consider the nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants leafy and cruciferous vegetables offer. I have an easy dare I say, sneaky solution: Slip em into your smoothie. I can already hear readers protest. Ewww, combining kale with cacao nibs? Seriously, spinach with vanilla protein powder? I ll pass. Don t knock it till you ve tried it. You won t taste the greens, and slipping them in to an already-nutrient dense smoothie majorly steps up the healthiness factor while meeting your veggie quota. If eat your vegetables becomes civil war with your kids or even significant other, these 10 recipes will help keep the peace. Easy to make, delicious, they keep you full and burning fat for hours, all while effortlessly providing a serving or two of leafy greens. The only trouble will be deciding which one is your favorite. We even slipped in a Bonus ICE CREAM recipe for you! Enjoy! Copyright 2015 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Photos for illustration only.

2 Coconut Lime Smoothie makes 1 serving 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla All-In-One Shake 1 serving JJ Virgin s Extra Fiber 1 scoop Green Balance 8-10 ounces So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk ½ avocado 1-2 cups spinach 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest In a blender, blend together all the ingredients until smooth. Lean and Green Smoothie Adapted from The Sugar Impact Diet, Grand Central 2014 Makes 1 serving 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla All-In-One Shake 1 serving JJ Virgin s Extra Fiber ½ small avocado 2 cups baby spinach 1 tablespoon cashew butter (or almond butter) 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 8 10 ounces So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened cashew milk (or unsweetened almond milk) 5 6 ice cubes Blend all ingredients until smooth.

3 Veggie Extravaganza Smoothie Adapted from The Virgin Diet Chai Recipe Contest, contributed by Tonya Ricks 1 serving JJ Virgin s Chai All-In-One Shake 1 cup So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk 3/4 cup pumpkin puree or 1 cup butternut squash 3/4 cup raw broccoli 1 cup fresh kale Add ice to desired consistency Optional: cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, 1/8 teaspoon Virgin Sprinkles Super Greens Smoothie Makes 1 serving 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla All-in-One Shake 1 serving JJ Virgin s Extra Fiber 1 4 small avocado 2 cups baby spinach 1 to 2 tablespoons JJ Virgin s Green Balance 1 2 teaspoon JJ Virgin s Virgin Sprinkles 1 8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 10 ounces So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Coconut Milk 5 or 6 ice cubes In a blender, combine the shake mix, fiber blend, avocado, spinach, Green Balance, Virgin Sprinkles, cinnamon, coconut milk, and ice cubes. Mix on high until smooth. Thin with cold water, if desired.

4 Green Coconut Protein Smoothie Adapted from The Virgin Diet Cookbook, Grand VCentral 2014 Makes 1 serving 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla All-In-One Shake 1 cup So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk 1 cup baby kale or baby spinach 1/4 small ripe avocado 1/4 medium apple, peeled and cut into chunks 2 teaspoons chia seeds 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract 1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water Combine the shake mix, Green Balance, coconut milk, kale, avocado, apple, chia seeds, coconut extract and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Mix on high until smooth. Thin with additional cold water if desired Zesty Cool Cucumber Smoothie Adapted from The Virgin Diet Shake Booklet, contributed by Vicki Parry Serves 1 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla or Chai All-In-One Shake 1/2 cup So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk 1/2 cup water 1 cup fresh spinach 1 cup peeled and chopped cucumber 1 teaspoon chia seeds 1/2 teaspoon flax seeds 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground Celtic sea salt (optional) 2 drops hot sauce (optional) 1 cup ice Combine all of the ingredients but the ice in a blender, and blend on high until the drink is smooth. Pour the drink over ice into a glass OR add the ice to the blender, blend until smooth, and pour into one 12 ounce glass.

5 Green Chocolate Almond Smoothie 1 serving of JJ Virgin s Chocolate All-In-One Shake 2 teaspoons JJ Virgin s Extra Fiber 1/2 ripe avocado 2 cups baby spinach 2 tablespoons almond butter 8-10 ounces So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened almond milk 5-6 ice cubes Blend well - for a crunch, top with cacao nibs! Red & Green Smoothie Adapted from The Virgin Diet Chai Recipe Contest, contributed by Kathy Hendricks Serves 1 1 cup So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened almond or coconut milk 1 serving JJ Virgin s Vanilla or Chai All-In-One Shake 1 chunk red cabbage (about 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup spinach leaves 3 baby carrots 4 ice cubes Blend and enjoy knowing you get a lot of antioxidants in the veggies too!

6 Green Coconut Chai Morning Zen Adapted from The Virgin Diet Chai Recipe Contest, contributed by Lisa Debolt Branstool Serves 1 PRE-PREP: Make unsweetened coconut milk and almond milk ice cubes and keep in a Ziploc bag in the freezer so that they are always available. PREP: 8-10 ounces coconut water 1 organic green tea bag At night before going to bed; Brew a cup of green tea using coconut water instead of plain water. I just heat the coconut water and toss in a green tea bag. Then cover and refrigerate overnight. (If you use the Nutri-bullet or Magic Bullet, just make the coconut green tea in the bullet cup and place on a lid and pop in the fridge until the morning.) IN ThE AM: Add these remaining ingredients to your green brewed coconut tea. (Remove the tea bag) 1 cup spinach, about a good handful 3 or 4 coconut milk ice cubes (pre-prepped) 1 serving JJ Virgin s Chai All-In-One Shake 1/2-1 teaspoon chia seeds If more liquid is needed top off with some coconut milk. (I usually need to add a little.) Blend until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon, or Virgin Sprinkles

7 Veggie Lunch Delight Adapted from The Virgin Diet Chai Recipe Contest, contributed by Vicki Parry 1 serving JJ Virgin s Chai or Vanilla All-In-One Shake 1/2 cup So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk 1/2 cup water 1 cup fresh spinach 1/8 cup celery, chopped 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped 12 cherry tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped) 1/2 teaspoon freeze-dried dill 1/8 teaspoon dried cilantro 1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, plus more to taste (see Note) 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste (see Note) 1 cup ice Combine all of the ingredients but the ice in a blender, and blend on high until the drink is smooth. Pour the drink over ice into a glass OR add the ice to the blender, blend until smooth, and pour into one 12 ounce glass. Note: Add additional salt and pepper to your taste; lightly sprinkle on top or blend into the shake. Coconut Chard Ice Cream Adapted from The Virgin Diet Chai Recipe Contest contributed by Sandy England 1 serving of JJ Virgin s Vanilla All-In-One Shake 2 cups So Delicious Dairy Free unsweetened coconut milk 5 leaves of chard (stems removed) 1 tablespoon almond butter 1 vanilla bean scraped, or 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract OPTIONAl: 1/8 teaspoon Virgin Sprinkles if necessary Pour into your ice cream maker until it freezes, about minutes! If too soft, place ice cream in container and put in freezer to firm up.