My Go-To Vegan Green Smoothie

Smoothies can be a great way to get plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. I don't do lots of smoothies when flaring because I find they can be too tough to digest (unlike juicing, smoothies still contain fiber but it is broken down with blending somewhat).

However, when I'm feeling well, they're a great option and I still find it much easier to drink a smoothie than to eat the vegetable whole. Because of medication or no medication, I can guarantee if I eat a bowl of spinach, my body will not digest it and it will make a reappearance in the toilet bowl the next day!

Digesting fruits and veggies with Crohn's or ulcerative colitis

Therefore, I tend to add a small amount of green veggies to my smoothie to make them a little bit healthier. I use a NutriBullet for this smoothie but any blender will do. If you haven't got a blender, I'd 100% recommend getting one because they're ideal for making soups (which I do live off when flaring) and smoothies. There's something very satisfying about watching those veggies blend up into a format my gut can handle!

I'd also recommend making your smoothie prep as easy as possible or you'll get out of the habit! Pre-prepared chopped bags are great and lots of these can be put in the blender straight from frozen.

In terms of the recipe, I am also dairy-free so I use almond milk, but feel free to make this with regular milk if you prefer. I then mix a banana, some tropical fruit (either some pre-chopped mango or 1 kiwi), a little spinach, and avocado (again you can get this frozen pre-chopped), and a tablespoon of peanut butter (great if you're trying to increase your fat intake). I use fresh spinach leaves, oe you could cook the spinach for a few minutes in the microwave so they're that little bit softer before blending.

Green smoothie recipe ingredients

• 200mls of almond milk
• 1 banana
• A handful of spinach
• 1/2 avocado (or buy this frozen and pre-chopped)
• 1/4 mango (I use pre-chopped bags for ease of use) or 1 kiwi (whichever you'd prefer)
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

How to make this green smoothie

To make, simply throw all of your ingredients in the blender and blitz for 30 seconds! You can also use an ice cube if you prefer super cold smoothies!

A note: This smoothie is best served as soon as you make it. If you like to batch prep, you can chop your banana, fruit, and veggies and pop them in freezer bags. That way, you simply need to empty from the bag into the blender, add your almond milk and peanut butter, and blend!

Also, the high fat in this recipe comes from the avocado and peanut butter, but these are both good fats!

Crohn's and ulcerative colitis recipes

When it comes to cooking with IBD, we're all working from a different set of ingredients. Food sensitivities and dietary restrictions vary greatly from person to person, and there is no one diet recommended for Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Check out our full list of recipes for more ideas – all from people who cook, eat, and live with IBD!