If there is one thing I know is off putting to my clients, it is when I am sick.
I do not blame them. They are in pain and looking for empathy and the last thing they want is to see me coughing and spluttering.
Unfortunately, like many people at this time of year, I have been fighting off a lurgy. There are no sick days for legal practitioner directors so I have had to find a way to soldier on.
I have introduced Renee, our paralegal Melina and our Counsel Graham to the wonders of green smoothies. I do not claim they have magical healing properties beyond the usual undisputed value of fresh fruit and vegies but OMG they make me feel better when I am lethargic. Best of all, I can sip on one while I am working or walking between appointments so it is like a healthy fast food.
If you have never tried one – give it a go! They are very tasty and it is just a matter of finding a combination that works for you. Here are some of my favourite green smoothies in Brisbane.
- Brisbane Square Farmers Markets
I cannot work out what this market stall is called but they are there every Wednesday when the markets are on. The Green super smoothie is my husband’s favourite ever green smoothie and I have been known to drop one off to him in his office across the road when I walk past. You can see them whisking the smoothie up so you know there is nothing in it but fruit and vegies and then they pile it a mile high with pieces of fruit. I usually ask them not too because it is too difficult to eat the fruit and walk at the same time but David loves the extra fruit to nibble on through the afternoon. This smoothie has a reasonably high fruit content so it is a good one to try if you are new to the green smoothie concept.
2. Kiss the Berry
There are a few Kiss the Berry stores around. One of them is very conveniently located downstairs from our Brisbane office but I have also been to the one at South Bank. I see from their website that they have stores in the Gabba and Burleigh as well.
The Green-a-Colada is to die for. The passionfruit makes this a reasonably sweet smoothie but it is very thick so I am sure it has a high vegie content as well. These were the green smoothies that powered our trial team recently and Graham and Melina were both first time green smoothie drinkers. They both loved it and were pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was.
3. Milk Ashgrove
Milk is a bit of a weekend favourite with my family. It is just outside Woolies so we can pop in before going grocery shopping. Milk is one of the few places that manages to keep everyone happy. It has traditional favourites like bacon and eggs and ham and cheese croissants but they also manage to have a very good green smoothie as well. It changes from time to time and at the moment it is based on mango. Although mango is not my favourite fruit, it gives the perfect texture and the flavour is subsumed by the other fruit and vegies so it is worthwhile trying a green smoothie even if you do not necessarily like all of the ingredients. They also get top points for presentation.
4. Boost Juice
Boost needs no introduction. It is everywhere. I have had a few meetings in shopping centres lately and it is almost inevitable that there is a Boost around. The Boost Green Eden Super Smoothie is probably not my favourite but it gets points for being readily available. You can see them making the smoothie so you know that it is made on actual baby spinach leaves and not green powder (you need to watch for that – it tastes horrible and I have my doubts about its nutritional value) but the vegetable content seems a little skinny and the ice content is very high. Nonetheless, this is a reasonably tasty green smoothie, my kids love it and it is definitely healthier than most of the other food court options.
5. My own recipe
If you are lucky enough to have a blender/food processor strong enough to cut through ice, as I do, the cheapest way to indulge in green smoothies is at home. I have experimented with various combinations and this is definitely our family favourite:
kale, cucumber, mint, apple, ice and a splash of coconut water.
The ice smooths out the kale so that there are no annoying little flecks and it is a smooth semi-sweet drink. Mint makes the world of difference and has enabled me to cut the fruit content down to one apple between four of us without the kids being any the wiser that I have effectively just given them salad for afternoon tea. I sometimes sprinkle chia seeds on top so there is a little protein if I am having it as a liquid lunch.
So there you have it. There are many more and sometimes I am happy to have some very tart green smoothies with a low fruit and high vegie content but these are not the ones to start your green smoothie journey.
Enjoy.
