Green Sneaky Bean and Winter Fruit Smoothie

by Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

December 19, 2012 • 2 comments

Smoothie satisfies, even in the off-season

Clean Eating Smoothie

Usually I don’t bother with creating smoothie recipes. If you stick to the basics—bananas, summer berries, milk and yogurt—you’re bound to have delicious success. But how about during the winter months when fresh, local, seasonal fruit is more difficult to come by?

I recently visited my good friend Vanessa for the holidays at her northern California home and she whipped up vegan, clean eating smoothies each morning for breakfast. While they were delicious, they required a special bean-based protein powder. I’m not one to excel at using up an entire vat of protein powder before it expires, or ever, really. I suffer from self-diagnosed FADD (Food Attention Deficit Disorder) and tire quickly of the same flavors. But it got me thinking, what if I used rinsed, canned white beans for added protein instead? The key is identifying the best amounts of sweet, acidic and fruity ingredients to create perfect harmony with the beans.

Kale is oh-so-trendy at the moment and rightfully so, with its plethora of disease-fighting nutrients. The fruits disguise the fact that you’re drinking your salad from a glass.

I’m also fond of swirling in nut butters for added satisfaction these days. Are there any other ingredients that you use that do the trick?

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Green Sneaky Bean and Winter Fruit Smoothie

6 ounces (177 ml) lowfat milk

1/4 cup (62 ml) orange juice

1 cup (67 g) thinly cut kale

1 orange, peeled and chopped

1 small pear, cored and chopped, skin-on

2 medium kiwis, halved, scooped from skin and chopped

1/2 cup (128 g) canned Northern or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup (15 g) loosely-packed Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 teaspoons (12 ml) agave nectar, or a bit more to taste

6 ice cubes

Place the milk and juice in the blender and then add the remaining ingredients. Puree on low speed for a few seconds until it is whirling smoothly and then turn up to high speed until bits of kale have become specks, about 1 minute.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Makes 2 servings, 13 ounces (383 ml) each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 230 calories, 2 g total fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 165 mg sodium*, 4 mg cholesterol, 49 g total carbohydrate (9 g fiber), 9 g protein, 14% DV iron, 22% DV calcium, 122% DV Vitamin A, 233% DV Vitamin C.

*Rinsing the beans will further reduce the sodium content.

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Sneaky Bean and Kale Smoothie with Winter Fruits

By Michelle Dudash, Chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Published: December 19, 2012

• Yield: 13 ounces (2 Servings)
• Prep: 10 mins

Healthy bean and kale green smoothie

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (177 ml) lowfat milk
• 1/4 cup (62 ml) orange juice
• 1 cup (67 g) kale thinly cut
• 1 orange peeled and chopped
• 1 small pear cored and chopped, skin-on
• 2 medium kiwis halved, scooped from skin and chopped
• 1/2 cup (128 g) canned Northern or other white beans rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup (15 g) loosely-packed Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons (12 ml) agave nectar or a bit more to taste
• 6 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Place the milk and juice in the blender and then add the remaining ingredients. Puree on low speed for a few seconds until it is whirling smoothly and then turn up to high speed until bits of kale have become specks, about 1 minute.
   

• Course: Snack
• Skill Level: Beginner