Full of nutrients and alkalizing goodness, this smoothie will score high on your list even if you are new to the whole "greens" thing. If you are still a little iffy about adding kale to a smoothie just get over it and I promise you will be happy you did. One of my favorite nutrition bloggers, Sarah B from My New Roots can tell you why:

Kale packs more nutritional punch per calorie than almost any other food on the planet. It is chock-full of vitamin K, an essential vitamin for preventing bone fractures, postmenopausal bone loss, calcification of your arteries, and has even been shown to protect against liver and prostate cancer.
Kale is the richest source of carotenoids in the leafy-green vegetable family, making it a top cancer-fighter.
Kale helps to regulate estrogen, protects against heart disease, and regulates blood pressure.

And one of my favorite's:

The calcium in kale is much more absorbable by the body than cow milk (and ounce for ounce, contains more calcium)! This makes it an excellent choice for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, arthritis and bone loss.

So... We all LOVE kale now, right? Moving on...

I came up with this smoothie last week when I felt the need for something light and fruity but satisfying enough to get me through a hard core spin class later that afternoon. It was just right. Not too sweet, nor too "grassy" tasting, this smoothie is also adaptable to your tastes and what you have in the fridge. Maybe you will end up changing the recipe completely and that's great! Spinach instead of kale? Sure! Raspberries instead of mango? Totally! It's all good!

Totally Energizing Kale, Coconut, & Mango Smoothie

Ingredients

2-3 stems of organically grown kale (leaves torn from stems and rinsed)
Juice of 1 lime (or lemon, or both)
1/2 cup mango chunks (fresh or frozen)
1 1/4 cups purified water, Alkaline pure if possible.
1 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp fresh grated
1/4-1/2 frozen banana (omit if you want less sugar content)
1/4 frozen / fresh avocado (optional but adds to creaminess esp. if not using banana)
2-3 coconut milk ice cubes (or 1/4 fresh coconut milk if you have on hand)
1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (I like Sun Warrior brand)
1 tsp spirulina powder (optional - this will amp up your green hue and your superfood power!)

Method

Pour water into a powerful blender (I have the Breville Hemisphere and although not quite as good as a Vitamix, it does a great job and is less than half the price).
Add all ingredients, starting with the kale for best results.
Blend, adding more water if necessary. Enjoy!

This recipe fills two small mason jars so you could share with whoever is lucky enough or save one for later. Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.