Smoothies are a great way to get through hot summers -in my opinion- and also a great way to use my garden's produce :) I usually go for a few strawberries (which until this year have always just grown in my yard), a banana for sweetener, a little milk, some ice, and a WHOLE lot of spinach. My sister introduced spinach smoothies to me a few years ago and though I was VERY VERY skeptical -after trying one I was instantly hooked! It really depends on what type of spinach I use but my home grown stuff has always been fantastic for smoothies!
Now comes the debate
Kale vs. Spinach
-while I lean toward spinach because I use it in SO many things, kale isn't bad at all and infact there are many up-sides to using kale. For instance: Spinach is a cool weather plant and will most certainly be out of my garden by July, kale is much more heat tolerant and can be grown all through the heat of the summer. Then there's the nutrition side to it
| 28 GRAMS SPINACH (1 LOOSELY PACKED CUP) (%RDI) | 28 GRAMS KALE (1 LOOSELY PACKED CUP) (%RDI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 6 | 14 |
| Total fat (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 22 (1%) | 12 (1%) |
| Carbs (g) | 1 | 3 |
| Fiber (g) | 1 | 1 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 1 | 1 |
| Calcium (g) | 27.7 (3%) | 37.8 (4%) |
| Folate (mcg) | 54.3 (14%) | 8.1 (2%) |
| Iron (mg) | .8 (4%) | .5 (3 %) |
| Magnesium (mg) | 22.1 (6%) | 9.5 (2%) |
| Manganese (mg) | .3 (13%) | .2 (11%) |
| Potassium (g) | 156 (4%) | 125 (4%) |
| Vitamin A (g) | 2,625 (53%) | 4,305 (86%) |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | .1 (3%) | .1 (3%) |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 7.9 (13%) | 33.6 (56%) |
| Vitamin K (mcg) | 135 (169%) | 229 (286%) |
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