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One of the greatest challenges of a raw diet is to ensure that an adequate supply of the necessary vitamins and minerals are consumed. This is synonymous with the consumption of a plethora of greens. Personally, I do not find any appeal in eating chard or kale by the handful – in other words, I consider myself above the Australopithecus in our proposed evolutionary tree. Although I was not one of those children who had to be prodded into eating those “green vegetables” with promises of dessert, my adult palate tends to shun greens that are not covered with tangy dressings.
The solution is to work with the fine art of blending. In my college past, a blender served one purpose: to mix fruity drinks that were garnished with umbrellas, plastic swords, and cherries. Imagine my surprise to learn that this common kitchen device could be used to prepare healthful beverages as opposed to liver torture!

My green smoothie adventures began on a rough note. When I first started experimenting, I simply blended everything I could possibly find that fell under the produce umbrella – overripe fruit, copious amounts of green leafy vegetables, sprouts, legumes, carrots, and even the odd onion or two. This lent itself to some rather dubious results of ghastly colour, texture, and taste. In conclusion, or perhaps exasperation and disgust, I decided to apply the KISS principle. With regards to cosmetics, less is usually considered to be more – perhaps the same conclusion could be applied to these loathsome green drinks?

A short time after this, I invented the perfect slime. At the time, I was dating a gentleman with two lovely young daughters. Being typical young girls meant they were picky young girls. Trying to feed them vegetables was akin to stuffing an elephant through a lifesaver candy – no go. I concluded that the best possible way to trick them into eating those hated greens would be to hide them within something beautiful and appealing.

Applying the KISS principle, I began with a handful of organic baby greens and alfalfa and pulverized them in a cup of water in the blender. A bright green juice was born. Into this mix, I introduced three bananas. The taste was appealing, but not yet delicious. The colour was still bordering on electric. After a pint of strawberries was added, I knew I’d found the winning combination. Muted pink, milkshake-sweet – I knew it was a winner. The girls loved it and nicknamed it “Slime”.

Strawberry Slime

-1 cup of water
-1 handful of mixed baby greens
-½ cup of sprouts
-3 bananas
-1 pint strawberries or more – leave leaves on if strawberries are organic

Add water, greens, and sprouts into the blender. Mix until the greens have been fully masticated into a bright green juice. Add bananas and blend until the drink has a smooth and even consistency. Add strawberries and blend until fully dissolved.

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One word of warning: greens that are not fully masticated will result in the experience of a cow chewing its cud. While perhaps appealing to some, it is probably easier to trick your picky children and husbands into consuming their daily allotment of green healthiness by burying them within a delicious beverage that is both palatable and texturally pleasing. When done correctly, it is quite possible to have a healthful meal posing itself as a dessert in disguise!