Navratri Fasting Recipe – Green Smoothie (with spinach & coconut water)

Creamy, nutritious, and tempting spinach smoothie recipe. It is filling and fulfilling which makes it just perfect for fasting days (and for regular days too). It will keep you full and energetic throughout the day. You can enjoy it over breakfast or lunch. Even if you are not a smoothie person, try this one. It will surely make you one 🙂

Btw do you know that this smoothie is anti-aging too? Spinach (or greens) helps in maintaining the younger-looking skin (ref: How not to die book). Well, now you would not want to miss it at all.

Check out another fasting recipe: Quinoa Pulao, Dry Fruit Milk, Buckwheat Cheela, Beetroot Smoothie Bowl.

Story Time

I was never a smoothie person. I never liked the idea of mixing veggies and fruits together with some liquid and always preferred to eat them separately. But this smoothie changed me. It did not just make me a smoothie person but even Jatin enjoys it a lot. He even tells about it to his family members (my in-laws). I love when he does that. I even made it once for a friend and initially, he was skeptical about it but when he had his first sip, he liked it. He did not just appreciate the fact that he is having fresh green spinach leaves but even asked me for its recipe. It made me very happy.

Since then, this smoothie has become our everyday post-workout hydration drink. I make it almost every day. It keeps us energetic and young. Here. Now you know the secret of my younger-looking skin 😀 This recipe is nutritious, hydrating, and can keep you full for some time. Moreover, it is the best way to include some greens and seeds in your diet. I would highly recommend you to try this.

A Simple Smoothie Guide

Before sharing the recipe, let me first give you an easy guide to making Smoothies. Just by following this guide, you will be able to create your versions of smoothies with your choice of ingredients. The key elements of a smoothie are:

Fruits and Veggies:

1. Add fruits that are more pulpy and sweet like banana, mango, pear, apple, etc. because that will make the smoothie thick and smooth. They also add their natural sweetness to it.
2. Smoothies are a great way to include greens in your daily diet. You can add any kind of green but my favorite is spinach since it doesn’t make the smoothies bitter. Some greens do 🙂 Other veggies that go well in smoothies are zucchini, beetroot, ginger, celery, and carrot.
3. Combine fruits & veggies with similar colors. That is totally optional. But if you like your mango smoothie to be yellow, don’t add spinach or beetroot to it. Add light color fruits like pear or banana so that you get a bright yellow smoothie.

Liquid

1. The liquid is added to blend the smoothie well. You can add any liquid – water, any milk – dairy or plant-based, curd, or coconut water. I prefer oat milk in my smoothies as it gives a better taste to it and feels lighter than the one made with cow milk. I don’t prefer to add water since it dilutes the taste. The same goes for the ice. If you like cold smoothies, just cut and freeze the fruits. That also gives a smoother consistency.

Nuts & Seeds

1. We can easily grab some nuts and eat them but it’s not the same with the seeds. Our body needs it but it keeps getting ignored. Am I right? I think that smoothies are the best way to include all kinds of seeds in your diet. There are plenty of options – chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. So, just throw in what is available and you are sorted for the day.
2. Options of nuts that can be included are – almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, etc. You can even add nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, etc.

Herbs & Spices

1. Herbs and spices are not just for the flavor but they also have tonnes of benefits. they are one of the richest sources of antioxidants. I mostly prefer fresh mint leaves, parsley, and basil. Other ingredients that can be added are cinnamon and turmeric powder.

Sweetener

1. I like my smoothies sweet. Though I add banana, that is not enough for me 😀 Instead of adding sugar or jaggery, try adding dates or raisins. They add an amazing flavor and some sweetness to the smoothies.
2. Use ripe fruits because they add their own natural sweetness to the smoothie.

What food items are allowed (or not) in Navratri?

There are two main food items that are not consumed during the Navratri season – onion and garlic. They are considered Tamsik in nature and hence to be avoided. If you are fasting then consuming lentils, grains, any grain flour like whole wheat flour, besan (gram flour), or all-purpose flour, salt, canned food, and the food prepared using onion and garlic are not allowed. Non-vegetarian food items including eggs are also not allowed. Devotees also prefer not to smoke or drink alcohol during these nine days.

Apart from that, you can consume dairy products like curd, milk, paneer, vegetables like potato, tomato, arbi, cucumber, carrot, bottle gourd, eggplant, etc. You can even consume coconut, nuts, and seeds. Spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, cardamom, ajwain, etc. are also allowed.

Moreover, everybody has their own beliefs and follows their own rules. In my opinion, there is nothing right or wrong, allowed or not allowed. You can simply follow what you want. When I was in the hostel, we used to have food prepared with onion and garlic. That is what has been served to us. So, alter the recipe below as per what you eat during the Navratri season.

What grains (or pseudo-grains) can be consumed during Navratri?

Following grains or their flour can be consumed during Navratri season:

1. Buckwheat or Buckwheat Flour (kuttu ka aata)
2. Amaranth (Rajgira)
3. Quinoa
4. Water Chestnut Flour (singhade ka aata)
5. Samai (samak ke chawal)

Easy Swaps

1. Nuts & Seeds: Add anything that is available.
2. Fruits: Add any fruit of your choice like apple, pear, mango, etc.
3. Coconut Water: Instead of coconut water, you can add water, milk, curd, or any plant-based milk that is suitable for fasting days (almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk). If not fasting, I prefer oat milk. But you can add any milk of your choice.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes. All the ingredients used in the recipe are vegan and plant-based. Another vegan smoothie recipe that you can try is Sunshine Smoothie.

Can we store this smoothie?

You can refrigerate it for a day but I would not recommend it. I would suggest you make it fresh.

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this delicious, gorgeous, and colorful smoothie at home. It is simple, easy, and very tasty. It is filling and light which is just perfect for fasting days. This recipe is good if you want to include some detox recipes in fasting. It is one wholesome, protein-rich, nutritious, and vegan (or vegetarian) breakfast recipe. Do give it a try and I am sure you will enjoy it.

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Happy Cooking 🙂

Love from us

Richa