Taking My Green Smoothies to a New Level—the Vitamix Level
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For years I’ve heard a lot about the Vitamix on different blogs and websites. When I first heard about it, I was like “$450? Well, you have to just be crazy to get that. How can it possibly be worth all that?” And then, I started making more smoothies.
At first, a basic blender was fine. A frozen banana and ice were a bit of a challenge, but protein power and strawberries were a breeze. And then I started getting more adventurous. I started adding frozen spinach…then kale…and then I wanted to add EVERYTHING healthy in. But homie wasn’t playin’ that. (Homeybeing my blender.) And homey burnt out, not once, but twice. So it was obvious I needed to invest in a quality blender.
And then I used the financial thinking that gets a lot of us in trouble: Well, what’s the point of getting something mediocre? I might as well buy the best! Screw the rest!
And so I began my campaign to convince my wonderfully frugal husband that yes, I—no, we!—needed a blender that cost roughly as much as a set of tires for the car. I began with casually mentioning this cool “new blender” that was out there and how it could basically crush rocks. Then, I started complaining a bit more loudly about our current blender. (For the record, I already cussed at it a lot.) I make green smoothies for me and my husband just about every morning, so I had ample opportunity to do this. Next, I began bringing up—usually while eating a big salad for dinner—how awesome raw food is for you and how you can eat SO MUCH MORE produce when you’re juicing/blending whole foods. But, you know, not with a little blender like ours. Like one of those other blenders.
Well, eventually, I got him as excited about the whole dang thing as I was. So much so that he ended up doing his own research, and concluded that, yes, the Vitamix was the way to go. (We could get a juicer, but then you have the pulp to do something with, which just seems like a hassle to us.) Before I knew it, we were striking a deal with ourselves to forgo our usual Christmas presents to help justify such a large purchase. And it is a large purchase. I almost had a panic attack when I pulled out my credit card for it.
After anxiously awaiting its arrival on our doorstep for 10 days, our Vitamix has become an essential part of our food preparation. I used it six times in the first 24 hours I had it—three smoothies, a massive round of mango daiquiris, fresh cranberry salad dressing and chocolate-banana-avocado pudding. In the two weeks I’ve had it thus far, we’ve probably used it two to three times a day, and holy goodness gracious it makes a joke of my previous blender.
I can now stuff it with more kale than my grocery store practically carries. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I stuff a lot of kale in there.
And I make one hell of a green smoothie.
As I go about perfecting my green and kale smoothie recipes, I’ll be sure to share them here, but in the meantime just know that I’m trying it all—grapefruit, pears, carrots, celery, collard greens, almond butter, berries, ginger, liquor. Not everything tastes great together—but it’s still amazingly blended to a consistency that is so smooth it’s almost unfathomable that it was ever anything but a drink. Let alone a cruciferous vegetable.
I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but, for me, the Vitamix was worth every single penny. Some people buy flatscreen TVs. Others buy high-fashion shoes and clothes. I apparently buy blenders. Or, more accurately, one blender (seven-year warranty, baby!).
Do you make kale smoothies or green smoothies? Have a Vitamix? Want to get one? Think they’re ridiculously expensive? Sound off in the comments! —Jenn
Comments
Mmmmmmm, that smoothie looks delish! I have a Vitamix and love it. Like you, I obtained mine through a campaign of cussing at my old blender. (Which totally deserved to be cussed out if you ask me.) I don’t use my Vita three times a day, but I take it out several times a week for green smoothies. I hear good things about the Blendtec as well but I’m thrilled with my Vita. Once you go Vita, you never go back!
I’ve been toying around with the idea of springing for a Vitamix. I agree, regular blenders are good for the basic smoothie, but for root veggies, tough greens, what is a girl to do? I think I’m going to start socking away some $$ to buy one. I LOVE veggies, but this will take my love affair to a whole new level. Please be sure to share recipes. I’m not that creative and it’s always nice to see what others are making.
Could you share a recipe or two for your green smoothies? I have tried to put kale in mine, but I just didn’t like the taste. Maybe I am doing something wrong?
I myself don’t have a really good blender YET, but I borrowed my grandpas juicer and I have been using that and adding spinach to my juice in the morning. I will have to try kale soon and see how that works.
I enjoy making green smoothies for breakfast in the mornings. My current blender was made to crush ice, but after having it for several years, it is starting to get very temperamental with it and threatening to not crush it at all. I’m not quite at the point where I’m cussing at my blender, but I am definitely hoping for a Vitamix in the future. Oh, the fun I’d have with one!
I love love love adding spinach to my smoothies! I have yet to try the kale. I should probably invest in a vitamix too. I have a regular blender that’s working fine for now…but it may be reaching its end.
Great blog post, Jenn! We’re so happy that our machine is treating you well. Thank you for sharing your Vitamix story with your readers. We’ll post this on our Facebook page and share with our Twitter followers as well. We can’t wait to see the recipes you come up with along the way!
My Vitamix was the best money I ever spent. The cookbook alone that comes with it is phenomenal. I bought mine on QVC, so I got to pay it in 5 payments, so it didn’t “appear” to me to cost as much because it didn’t hit me all at once. I completely own it now, and I too make all kinds of things in it, homemade hummus, homemade peanut butter, gazpacho, a chocolate “pudding” with prunes that is FABULOUS!
It really is the best investment, if anyone is toying with the idea of buying it, I say go for it. You won’t regret it.
Before I even got to the husband part, I first had to wrap the purchase around in my own head because my smoothie maker did a pretty good job. I started feeling the benefits with the ingredients that I could use. Now, I want to use some harder to grind fruits and veggies. So, I have justified the purchase. Next up was to convince my husband. I succeeded! My Vitamix comes this week!
Question: When you use oranges, grapefruits, and the like, do you put in the peel, too?
Awesome, Kerry! When I do apples and pears, I include the skin. But for oranges and grapefruits I don’t. Not sure if others do though and like the taste? I know there is good nutrition in the peel!
–FBG Jenn
I find my vitamix to be a breeze. I dont really use it for smoothies that much, but, It does make wonderful mixed cocktails. I love the wet chop method for cole slaw, and the dry chop method for other things. I also have used it to make bread and it makes an amazing loaf of wheat bread! Once you learn how to make things in it, you wont buy things like bread crumbs, salad dressings, or frozen yogurt. You can make it yourself and it is so much better.
Congratulations on your purchase!!!
My friends and family thought I was CRAZY when I splurged and bought my Vitamix. That was two years ago and I still use it up to five times a day making green smoothies, hummus, nut butter, salad dressing, ice cream and soup! Love this machine!
Are you willing to share your recipe for banana avocado chocolate pudding? That sounds awesome!
The banana avocado chocolate pudding recipe came with my Vitamix actually, but it’s basically: 1 avocado + 1 banana + 2 T raw cocoa powder + a little drizzle of agave. So tasty!
–FBG Jenn
I’m actually drinking a Vitamix-made fruit smoothie right at this exact moment! I’ve had my Vita for 4 years and I don’t know what I would do without it. It gets used a minimum of twice a day (fruit smoothie for breakfast and fresh vegetable juice with my lunch). I make salad dressing, mayonaise, chopped or pureed vegetables for soup, bread dough, ice cream… It was absolutely worth every penny.
I don’t own a vitamix but i would sure love to have one! I am considering purchasing one for my bday this year. I have burned out 2 blenders and am currently borrowing a $13 blender from a friend to make my daily green smoothies, surprisingly it’s doing a decent job, but I would love the smoothness of a vitamix! I use fresh collard greens in my smoothies now, I de-stem them, roll the leaves up, then slice into thin ribbons and keep them in a bowl in the fridge so i can just grab a handful during the week to toss into my blender or juicer. I like to save the kale yummy massaged kale salads!
I too had some difficulty spending such major cash on a frickin’ blender, lol! Then I discovered that I could purchase a REFURBISHED Vitamix direct from the manufacturer and still get the full 7 year warranty + free shipping – that was the tipping point for me! I’ve had it all of 3 days now and the difference between it and my old blender is phenomenal – even my machinist husband is Very Impressed with the power of the Vitamix! Loving my green smoothies even more now that they’re truly SMOOTH, lol…
Just finished my breakfast smoothie! My recipe includes 2 raw home grown eggs and kale (or collards, chard, spinach, beet tops). I add a half a slice of organic lemon including the peel and seeds. Plus stevia to taste since I am trying to lose weight. My men get the same basic recipe with the addition of an apple with peel and seeds, frozen banana, peeled, and a few sections of orange minus the peel. Experiment with the amount of banana needed depending on ripeness.
It is not hard to make one batch for all of us by mixing the eggs(2 per person), lemon and greens first. I then pour a third of the mixture into my glass and set it aside. Finally I add the sweet fruits for the guys and theirs comes out like a milkshake! (These 2 are NOT veggie lovers but do like the smoothies.)
I do know that raw egg is frowned upon by some but highly recommended by Dr. Mercola. Water must be added if the eggs are not used.
Over the last year of smoothie drinking daily, I have noticed new hair growth! Enjoy those Vitamix smoothies!
My husband saw an infomercial for Montel’s Healthmaster Blender and asked me to research it and get it if it was good. We needed to incorporated more veggies into our diets. So after a little research I KNEW i NEEDED a VITAMIX!!! But the price put me off a bit. The next month I was walking in Costco’s and they were giving Vitamix demonstrations and had the 5200 on special. I didn’t even stop to listen to the presentation! When I saw the price I grabbed it and ran to the register. My husband still frowned a little when I told him how much it was, but I told him he was off the hook for an anniversary present so he was all smiles. I USE MY VITAMIX every single day!!! I gave my Oster blender away and I have 5 friends who purchase a Vitamix because I kept going on and on about how great a machine it is.
Buying my Vitamix was the best money I have ever spent, and yes I wanted one for twenty years and couldn’t rationalize spending that much money! Wow, I wish I had bought it twenty years ago!! I have lost 4 sizes and am eating healthier than ever!! Green smoothies are the Best!! My favorite is 1 cup of grapes(green or red), 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple, 2 cups of fresh spinach or more, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup of ice!! Amazing, and even my 4 year old and 17 month old grandboys love it!! Now that is amazing!! Kale is stronger but I have finally come up with one I like and it is: 1 cup of grapes, 1 orange, 2 cups of fresh kale, 4 fresh strawberries, 1/2 banana, 2 teaspoons of flax seed, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup of ice!! Really good!!
I have owned one for over 5 years now,make daily green smoothies,protein smoothies ,Cheez sauce,salad dressings,raw veg soups,bread crumbs from fresh bread,nut butters,fruit sorbet,puddings,raw veg or raw fruit juices, and the list goes on..It is worth EVERY penny!!It is my most used kitchen appliance and is still used 3 plus times daily.Can’t recommend it enough,I bought mine at Costco.
I feel your love of the vitamix. I too went through the pains of parting with all that money for a blender? I could buy a lot of stuff with $500 . I looked at blendtec and it was a tiny bit cheaper and looked like it had more power but I researched a long time and decided vitamix was the IT blender that I had to have. I thought about the ninja but knew it couldn’t be as good. I had already started on green smoothies with a blender I got at cvs for free with my extracare bucks and thought it was great until I started making the green smoothies. I thought they were good for a while but after a while I got tired of chewing my smoothies and finding lumps in them. It would take me so long to make them because I would have to struggle trying to get the lid on right. For some reason it would not cooperate with me. I finally had it one day and said I’m getting the vitamix and justified it by saying it was the same week as christmas, my 52nd birthday and my 30th anniversary. I used my christmas bonus for it. I love my vitamix for making me healthy and saving my life. I have lost 10 lbs since last month and have never felt better. I love you vitamix.
Some of my fav smoothies are :frozen banana pieces,a orange peeled but with seeds,Suger free vanilla almond milk,1/2 cup egg beaters,raw greens eg kale,spinach.Blend.Another is suger free vanilla or chocolate almond milk,cinnamon,1 tsp coffee or substitute,raw coconut,flaxseed,whey powder,ice.For a snack I like my suger free almond milk with raw nuts blended in[a regular blender cannot blend raw nuts smooth]For soups,I use no salt fat free chicken broth or water or low salt tomato jus,any choice of raw vegs,some reduced fat cheddar or lite laughing cow cheez wedges,some herbs and blend till smooth and HOT.It also makes lattes,frappucinos..
My morning smoothie consists of hemp seed, 1 date, 1/2 organic lemon (peel included), a scoop of Amazing Greens, a cup of coconut water, a handful of ice and the green of the day. I mix it up on the greens…some days baby kale and spinach, other days mache and arugula, other days…you get the picture. Of course, all ingredients are organic and of course, it is all whipped together in my Vitamix. I love it and it will go with me, even when I downsize my home.
It also makes the most decadaent smooth milkshakes ever.
How many other regular blenders make fresh soup and also heat it in the same container? none.
I love, love, love my Vitamix! Expensive, yes, but so totally worth it! QVC allows you to do a payment plan, so that helps!
I’ve had my Vitamix for 3 years now and still use it 6-7 days/week for green smoothies.
I vary the fruit & veggies, but keep coming back to a couple of favourites:
Berry-Kale Smoothie
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries or mixed berries
2 cups kale and/or spinach
1/4 cup yogurt or kefir
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 Tbsp soy lecithin
1 Tbsp oat bran
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp psyllium husk
Water to desired thickness (at least 1 cup)
After blending, add 1 scoop vanilla whey protein and blend on low speed until mixed or if you want to skip the protein, add a bit of stevia or other sweetener.
You can skip the seeds/supplements if you want to (those are the ones I add), but honestly, you don’t taste them at all. Sometimes I’ll add a carrot or an apple or pear and a small piece of ginger to kick it up a notch. It’s pretty hard to mess up this basic recipe.
Another favourite:
Mango-Kale Smoothie
2 cups frozen mango
1/4 cup yogurt or kefir
2 cups kale and spinach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup water (or as desired)
Hi Jenn I like your story & the comments. Well i do like to make smoothies too using frozen fruit like blueberries,blackberries,strawberries,etc & using yoplait varieties! I did make a milkshake once using choclate fudge ice cream & skim milk,it was good too! I made it in a reg blender which is pretty powerful! I also used to have a ninja the first one that came out on tv. It was pretty powerful too just like on tv ,My ex made smoothies in it as well it worked well for two months then it went out,so i ordered another but it didn’t work at all,so i just got my money back & got the reg blender for 15.00. But i’ve been still craving to get the vitamix every since i heard about it & saw the demo on their website! But like everyone else the cost got me especially since i’m on a fixed income,but since i saw the demo again on QVC & saw that they still had the 5 easy payments for 75.00,i said this is doable so on feb 1st i bit the bullet and ordered me one ,its on the waitlist though! I’m just hoping & praying it comes in on the first when my money comes in & they check my card early that day because my money goes fast because i defitinely want me a vitamix i’m already in love with what i can do with it like make ice cream,smoothies,most importantly veg.& fruit juice because i need an easier way to get more fruits & veg. in for myself,my eight year old son ,because he doesn’t like most veg ,like me & for his dad .We all just want to get more healthier & i thought this whould be a good way to accomplish that goal! Plus i like Jack Lallanes juicer,but i feel the vitamix is the way too go! By the way i’m getting the 10 in one vitamix with the 48 ounce jar, the base is red! Do you know if i can put a lot of fruits & veg. in the 48 ounce pitcher? & do you have any recipes for fruits & veg. drink? Plus some recipes for a healthy or decadent milkshake?
Love my vitamix. Love love love. I use it pretty much every day; not only for smoothies but for waffle batter, or soup, or healthy hot chocolate, or “ice cream”. One of my favorite things to do is blend spinach into whatever wet ingredients I’m using (for waffles or soup or quick breads etc.) and then cook/bake normally. It ends up tasting basically the same, sometimes having a slight green tinge, and being extra healthy! I balked at the price too, initially, but I think getting it was a great decision. Our family is healthier because of it.
I have had mine for 3 years, thanks to my dad. He bought I and neve used it, so it was collecting dust. He gave it to me, and who am I to turn down a $450 blender? So, green smoothies left and right, protein smoothies, nut milks and nut butters. I love it!
Our Vitamix is AMAZING. I got it from QVC.com on easy pay. For those of you not familiar, you pay equal payments that are not interest or credit based. You get your Vitamix as soon as you pay the first payment. I would never have been able to afford it otherwise!
You might want to check out E3Live or BrainON for your smoothie. I make smoothies every day and the E3Live is such an awesome way to get all of the nutrients you need. Also, it really helps to curb your appetite! 🙂
I finally got my vitamix & I’m in LOVE!
Thanks Jen!
Yay! What’s your favorite thing to make so far, Scooter?
I just bought the vitamix 750…..Big investment, but who cares it’s for my Health….I can not believe all the awesome things you can do with this thing. I just keep getting on the internet to get new recipes. I LOVE this machine.
Even though my stainless steel version from twenty years ago still works, I wanted the 7500 upgrade from QVC’s Today’s Special Value. The model is more powerful and quieter than the previous models; plus it had 5 easy payments.
I love the Berry-Kale recipe mentioned above; after drinking it for 3 months, I lost 10 pounds and lowered my cholesterol. Eventually I want to try Dr. Oz’s famous green drink. The Vitamix is an awesome machine; your health is worth the investment.
I couldn’t agree more, El!
–FBG Jenn
My favorite Kale Smoothie: A large handful of kale, about 3/4c nonfat milk, 1/4 banana, about 1T honey, about 1T fresh peanut butter (made from fresh peanuts in the Vitamix). Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until smooth, add about 1/4 ice and blend again.
Great article about an easy way to get more veggies into your diet. Most people balk at the idea of eating lots and lots and lots of kale. Having the right blender to make a green smoothie is really important. Thanks for sharing.
I just bought my vitamix and have used it every day since delivery. I experiment with new smoothie combinations every day and came across a fabulous green mixture the other day. A cup of greek yogurt. Some pineapple. A big handful of green mixture (kale, collards, spinach, etc). A handful of fresh grapes. A handful of grape tomatoes. Half an avocado. Some ice and ice water. I was shocked at how yummy it turned out and it fits into a 16oz cup perfectly. I have owned this for about two weeks now and I am in love with it. What a fabulous way to get more fresh fruit and vegetables in my diet.
I debated over the Vitamix, but after doing my research I decided the Vitamix was a bit over the top financially for me. So I got the Ninja Ultima (which was under $300). Everything I read said it was the next best to the Vitamix, and I’m seriously in love with it. My last blender was lucky if it made it through a single ice cube before the ice cube melted from the blender overheating, this one I can let it run for a couple minutes and it is good to go. I’ve blended soups in it as well, and it works brilliantly, but I use it daily for smoothies. I haven’t tried celery yet (so please share a recipe if you have one that uses that! Cause I have a bunch, and I need some new uses), but other than maybe needing an extra 30 seconds, I have no doubt it will cut right through it. Plus, it has these fantastic single serve cups that came with it–so you can pour out two to-go smoothies, or you can use one with the blade attachment and make a single smoothie (I usually drink more than one of the cups, so I need to use the mongo part to make them in the mornings) or if I’m feeling lazy I use it to chop up some peppers, mushrooms, and/or onions that are going into dinner. It’s not ideal for that, but it gets the job done or at least makes it easier and faster than chopping them myself!
My husband bought me abprofessional Vitamix, the quiet one, and spent over $1000 on it. I love it so mucht hough and travel with it as its quiet enough to use in your hotel at 4 am without waking the neifhbors
Baby
I’ve had 2 Vitamix blenders actually! And they are ridiculuosly expensive indeed. My fitrst one had factory issues and they promptly sent me a new one (i think they have a 7 year warranty) That’s why i got 2 🙂
But besides all this, best blender i’ve ever had. I see the high price as an investment.
Agreed that the vitamix does an amazing job of completely blending greens – in blender you usually end up with green flecks. I also add a bit of lemon to cut the greenness of a green smoothie.
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