1. They can be really tasty - most of the time adding a serving of veggies doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the smoothie (at least not in a bad way). It's also the only way I can get vegetables into a certain picky 2-year-old I know.
2. No matter what the recipes say, and no matter what ugly color your smoothie ends up without it, under no circumstances should you put a beet in your smoothie. They taste like dirt, and they make your whole smoothie taste like dirt.
3. When in doubt, keep blending. It's hard to get into the "smoothie" mode if you are chewing up little bits of spinach with every... sip?
4. I'm not into the protein powder thing - it's weird and I'm not a fan of the texture. We really like chia seeds around here, though - a natural complete protein that also serves as a thickener. So I usually throw in a half tablespoon of those.
5. Other than that, they tend to be pretty forgiving. Put enough fruits and juice/yogurt in and they end up alright - I usually use carrots, broccoli, or spinach.
This is the best recipe for a green smoothie I have found so far -- I really do enjoy it. Serves two.
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup coconut water, filtered water, or fruit juice
2 handfuls spinach
2 kale leaves
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple (I use frozen mango and pineapple chunks)
½ orange , peeled
1 banana
I don't always have all those ingredients on hand, so I have tried a bunch of substitutions. The original version is still best, but the others have all been good, too. In spite of my vocal distaste for kale, it actually doesn't affect the flavor of this much. However, if you don't have a high-powered blender, the kale can leave little stringy things in your smoothie, so I usually substitute in some broccoli. I have also put in an apple instead of a banana, or strawberries (tops on, as long as they aren't starting to wilt) if I don't have an orange.
