Cucumber Pear Green Smoothie

What you will need

Ingredients

• 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 packed cup baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
• 1 cup chilled unsweetened coconut water
• A few ice cubes

Make it yours

Method

1. 01

   Add the coconut water, lime juice, pear, cucumber, spinach, and hemp hearts to a high-speed blender.

2. 02

   Blend on high until completely silky, adding the ice during the final thirty seconds.

3. 03

   Taste and adjust with an extra squeeze of lime if you would like a brighter finish.

4. 04

   Pour into two glasses and enjoy immediately.

Why this smoothie works

Cucumber is about 95 percent water, so it thins the blend without watering down the flavor, while the pear brings natural sweetness and most of the fiber. Spinach disappears into the green color and adds folate and vitamin K. Coconut water supplies potassium, which is one reason fruit and vegetable drinks like this one score below zero on the PRAL scale.

Hemp hearts are the protein here. Two tablespoons add roughly 6 grams of protein and a little healthy fat, which helps the smoothie keep you full past mid-morning.

Swaps and storage

No pear? A green apple or half a frozen banana works. Swap spinach for kale if you like a stronger green taste, but remove the tough stems first. Plain water works instead of coconut water if you want fewer calories and less sugar.

This smoothie is best fresh. If you need to make it ahead, fill a jar to the very top, seal it and refrigerate for up to a day, then shake before drinking.

Why this combination works

Cucumber is mostly water, so it adds volume and freshness with very few calories. Pear provides gentle sweetness and body. Baby spinach has a mild flavor that disappears behind the fruit, so it is an easy way to add leafy greens. Hemp hearts add protein and healthy fats, and coconut water gives a light, slightly sweet base.

Getting a silky texture

Add the liquid first, then the soft fruit and cucumber, then the greens. Start the blender on low and increase to high. A high-speed blender gives the smoothest result, but a standard blender works if you blend for longer and add a splash more coconut water. Chilling the pear and cucumber in advance means you need less ice, which keeps the flavor from tasting diluted.

Sugar and portions

Blending releases the natural sugars in fruit, and the NHS suggests limiting juice and smoothies to 150ml a day combined. This recipe makes two glasses and uses only one pear, with cucumber and spinach making up much of the volume, so each serving is relatively modest in sugar. Drink it with breakfast or alongside a meal rather than sipping it over a long time, which is kinder to teeth.