Vitamix users, or similar product users and juicers - HELP!

[cindyleigh]

Today is my second day trying out this kind of blended "green" drink.  Since I never seem to be able to get my servings of fruit and veggies in, or fiber for that matter, this seems like a good approach.

I don't have a Vitamix but I have a decent Osterizer blender (wedding gift 10+ years ago). 

Attempt #1:
1 carrot
1 banana
1 kiwi
scoop yogurt
~1/3 cup high fiber cereal

it was quite clumpy and chalky ....but marginally edible

Attempt #2
small handful of mixed greens
1 carrot
1 apple
much smaller scoop of yogurt
a bit of honey
and water - probably 2 cups

it was better at first, but by the time I got in my car and hit the road (I was planning to drink it on the way to work) it had separated a bit and was foamy on the top and watery on the bottom.

Are you supposed to drink this immediately?  Even using the Vitamix will the ingredients separate?  With Attempt #2 I drank 1/3 immediately and it was pretty good but the separated stuff was NOT very tasty. The top part tasted like veggie baby food and bottom liquid portion tasted like honey in lukewarm water.

I'd like to include fiber but maybe the dried cereal isn't a good idea.  How about adding Metamucil or some other dietary fiber?

Do you need to add some kind of fat or oil to make it more like an emulsion?

[merigayle]

hmmm. i would try grinding the cereal before adding the wet ingredients, so it is like flour, that is what i do with oatmeal.

Yeah, drink the drinks immediately. You can also get a blender cup, which is a big cup with this metal ball thing inside that when you shake the cup it mixes your drink. I find the more cold, the better. Spinach worked for me, but kale was still too bitter.

[radial]

Blenders like the Vitamix and Blendtec do a much better job of pulverizing things than the old Osterizers.  So, it might very well be an equipment issue.  Meri's suggestion to do things in two stages is a good one.  If I put flax seeds in a smoothy, I use a few pulses of the blender to turn them into flour before adding the soft/wet ingredients.  If you just threw them in with everything else, I think you would be picking whole flax seeds out of your teeth all day long. 

[Run Amok]

A carrot, apple, and cereal are definitely going to add a lot of bulk. I haven't done well with apples in my smoothie. My green smoothie is usually a bannana, frozen berries, yogurt, two big handfuls of spinach, and then water to thin to my desired consistency. I do sometimes at wheat bran for add'l fiber. This is all about 300cal. I have a pretty good blender, but I think you really need smething like a vitamix to get things like carrot and apple really smooth.

[cindyleigh]

Thanks!  Maybe once I blow the engine on the Osterizer I can get a Vitamix (its my birthday in May).  They are shockingly pricey!

On a "green smoothie" website lots of folks recommend adding protein powder.  Have you all tried Whole Foods 365 Whey Protein Powder?  It has good reviews.  Can't I buy already ground flax seeds?

[RioG]

You can buy ground flax

[RioG]

And I really want a good blender so I can jump on the green smoothie thing. For now if I stick to berries, banana and baby spinach my little thing does ok.

[radial]

Have you all tried Whole Foods 365 Whey Protein Powder?  It has good reviews.

I've got a tub of it in the pantry.  Works great in smoothies. 

[rocketgirl]

Thanks!  Maybe once I blow the engine on the Osterizer I can get a Vitamix (its my birthday in May).  They are shockingly pricey!

On a "green smoothie" website lots of folks recommend adding protein powder.  Have you all tried Whole Foods 365 Whey Protein Powder?  It has good reviews.  Can't I buy already ground flax seeds?

I don't know anything about brands or anything, but a friend added chocolate protein powder to waffles, and that was ok.

[merigayle]

I got the Vitamix a t Costco. It turned apples into liquid (cored).  DD always wants one in her smoothie.

[all-smiles]

That amount of vegetables/fruit is going to require a lot of water or it will be way thick or separate; if you do them that think you have to drink pretty quickly.  I had good success with portioning everything out and freezing; much better success with cold or frozen stuff plus it allowed me to break up the fruits and veggies into better serving sizes.

[cindyleigh]

Attempt #3 was much better. 

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (Whole Foods brand)
1 tblspoon ground flax seed (Whole Foods brand)
1 med carrot
handfull of mixed greens
1 kiwi
1/2 cup frozen fruit
blob of yogurt
a few almonds
about 6 oz water

I blended the carrot and almonds first, then added everything else and blended longer, 1 min or so.  I put it into an insulated travel thing and it kept nice and cool and didn't separate on the drive to work.  Next time I'll skip the almonds, they didn't quite blend in well.  I could go with more greens and less frozen fruit (although it was very tasty this way).  I suppose I should figure out the calories.

Most mornings I have toast or cereal for breakfast and I am really hungry by 11:30 or so (and if I have lunch that early then I am too hungry at dinner and eat too much).  Although my stomach was rumbling even after I drank this, once I got absorbed in work I didn't really get hungry until 1pm and I held off until 1:30 for lunch.  I think the extra fiber and protein help.

I couldn't find Kefir at Whole Foods last night ...but I'd like to try that or some probiotic yogurt once my current tub is used up.

I could taste the vanilla from the protein powder but it wasn't too overwhelming.  They don't seem to have a plain flavor, just vanilla or chocolate.

[merigayle]

You are gonna want a vitamix soon

[Courtney]

You are gonna want a vitamix soon

I made a smoothie on Saturday after I got mine, and it was just frozen berries, yogurt (greek), a little lemon juice for a kick, and water, and it was awesome.  I was amazed at the difference in consistency of even those things that in my old blender.  SO smooth.  I bought spinach to try in there, but since I was testing it out, and DH wanted to try it, I didn't put it in this time.  Next time for sure.  I'm also going to add some oats for fiber. 

I bought bananas, too, so that I can make up some banana fro-yo type stuff.  Meri, you've done that, right?  How does it work?  Do the bananas need to be frozen? 

[nadra24]

I made a smoothie on Saturday after I got mine, and it was just frozen berries, yogurt (greek), a little lemon juice for a kick, and water, and it was awesome.  I was amazed at the difference in consistency of even those things that in my old blender.  SO smooth.  I bought spinach to try in there, but since I was testing it out, and DH wanted to try it, I didn't put it in this time.  Next time for sure.  I'm also going to add some oats for fiber. 

I bought bananas, too, so that I can make up some banana fro-yo type stuff.  Meri, you've done that, right?  How does it work?  Do the bananas need to be frozen? 

I think if you don't freeze the bananas, you end up with banana baby food. 

[Run Amok]

I bought bananas, too, so that I can make up some banana fro-yo type stuff.  Meri, you've done that, right?  How does it work?  Do the bananas need to be frozen? 

You can also do this with other frozen fruit like berries, peaches, etc.

[Courtney]

I think if you don't freeze the bananas, you end up with banana baby food. 

  That would make sense!

In the cookbook there are recipes for sorbet and stuff, yum!

[cindyleigh]

Well, I calculated the calories this morning and it is a bit high - 430 calories ... I made a whole blender full (two solid servings ...and I drank both).  But I can work on paring this down.

This morning's smoothie:

2 medium carrots (70 cal)
2 cups mixed greens (20 cal)
2 tbls ground flax seed (80 cal)
1 scoop whey powder (80 cal)
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (80 cal)
1 cup mixed frozen fruit (100 cal)
2 cups water

I harvested a bunch of chard from my garden and chopped that up ....NOT baby chard, this is mature chard ...chopped up ribs and all.  Also harvested beet tops.  All that went into my "green salad mix" tub.  Then in an inspired moment I planted some kale and spinach next to the chard so in a few months I should have a little "smoothie" garden to harvest greens.  I had to yank the fennel to make room ...but I never use it.

[merigayle]

Yes, peel and cut the bananas before freezing. I also took frozen mango and a little almond milk and it was like mango froyo. Yum

[RioG]

God i want one!