30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge FAQ, Shopping Lists & Guidelines

Since 2012, this challenge has been changing lives…

• Experience raw foods in the easiest way possible. All you need is a blender!
• Our recipes are made with simple ingredients, feel free to make substitutions.
• This is not a fast, you can still eat food while you participate!
• We will provide Daily Recipes for Weight Loss, Clear Skin, Anti-inflammatory and Mood Boosting Green Smoothies!

We know that you probably get dozens of emails a day and it can be hard to keep track of the challenge – so we’re rolling out a new and fun way to keep in touch with you!

Want to try it?

It’s really simple to sign up, just click here and follow the instructions.

Here’s how the challenge works:

We’re starting the challenge very soon, so let’s clean house here and make sure you’ve got everything you need to rawk for the next 30 days!

Your challenge: Add one green smoothie to your day, every day, for next 30 days! This is NOT as fast. The smoothie is in addition to your normal diet, though can be used to replace one meal per day if that works for you.

Shopping Lists: Since fresh food doesn’t keep well, we recommend shopping for 5 days of smoothies at a time, based on the shopping lists provided (at the bottom of this post) and starting with your lists for days 1-5 before the challenge starts.

Recipes: During the challenge, you will receive your “Smoothie of the Day” recipe in your inbox, the day before.

We do this so you can make your smoothie the night before, just in case you don’t want to make noise in the morning or have to leave for work very early.

You can store your smoothie overnight in the fridge if necessary, but fresh is best if you can swing it.

Look out for your first recipe on April 30th (you will need to sign up here).

What you will need: All you need is a blender! Recommendations can be found below!

Important note: If you aren’t able to source all of the ingredients on the list, not to worry, you can still participate by blending up whatever you’ve got that is fresh and local in your area! The main aim is to drink one smoothie a day, so don’t sweat the small stuff!

Questions: Running free challenges like this using up a lot of our bandwidth, so, unfortunately, we cannot provide 1-2-1 support. Please refer to this email and then post any unanswered questions in the designated challenge Facebook group and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible, though likely a seasoned smoothie challenge rawkstar will get there first 🙂

Win a Vitamix + 7 Other Amazing Prizes Up For Grabs!

If you would like to enter our competition, you can do so here.

Ingredient substitutions:

If you need to substitute any ingredients based on dietary restrictions or unavailability of a certain item in your area, you are more than welcome to do so!

Here is a quick list of substitution ideas:

1. Bananas/mango/pineapple: All sweet fruits can be replaced with lower sugar fruits like berries, cherries, apples and pears and visa versa. Fruits are interchangeable, so you can mix and match whatever works best for you. You can also use avocado in place of fruit for a more savoury smoothie.
2. Greens: All leafy greens can be swapped out for a different leafy green. For example, you can use 1 cup of kale instead of one cup of green leaf lettuce, or one cup of bok choy instead of 1 cup of kale.
3. Herbs & spices: All herbs can also be swapped out for any other herb or omitted altogether. Parsley is a great substitute for cilantro, but you can also use mint, ginger, turmeric or basil.
4. Celery/Cucumber: Celery and cucumber can be used interchangeably, and if you cannot find either you can use green leaf lettuce or zucchini in their place.
5. Seeds & superfoods: These are optional, so choose whatever suits you best.

FAQ:

Q: What is a smoothie?

A smoothie is a drink composed of blended foods. This means that the foods have been broken down into liquid form, whilst retaining all of their fibre. While the fibre is broken down yet not removed, your digestive system still has some work to do in order to fully break down and digest your smoothie. However, this does not take up as much digestive energy as it would take to eat the produce in its original form. Thus helping free up this energy to go towards other areas of the body. You may find this analogy a little gross, but you can think of your smoothies as being pre-digested for you.

Smoothies are very versatile; you can use greens, other veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, superfoods, protein supplements, herbs, spices…

Q: What is the difference between a juice and a smoothie?

Juices are liquid extractions that have no fibre, and smoothies are emulsions that still contain all the fibre from the ingredients that have been blended. They each have individual health benefits, but for the purpose of this challenge, you will be blending, not juicing.

We have a blog post on this topic so you can read more about the difference between juices and smoothies here.

Q: Can I juice the ingredients instead of blending them?

No. We do not recommend that you juice any of these recipes as they all contain fruit. While natural sugars in fruit are one of the purest forms of energy, fruit is still best consumed with its fibre. The fibre helps to slow the release of natural sugars into the bloodstream, leading to more sustained energy instead of spikes.

Q: When will I receive the recipes?

The recipes will be sent to your inbox, the day before. We will also post the recipes daily in our Facebook group.

Q: What if I don’t receive any emails or miss an email?

Add info@youngandraw.com to your email contacts and check your spam folder.

Unfortunately, no email provider can guarantee 100% delivery rate, so some emails may get lost in transit. If this happens, don’t worry, just go to our Facebook group. All shopping lists have been posted there and recipes will be posted daily.

We have also set up a new system for delivering recipes to your inbox. It’s quick and easy to sign up, you can do so here.

Q: Is the shopping list for 1 person?

Our green smoothie recipes generally serve up about 2 cups of smoothie, which you can enjoy all by yourself or share, as two smaller smoothies, with a loved one! Use your discretion or just double the shopping list. 

Q: Am I supposed to use the smoothies as meal replacements, or can I still eat regularly?

This is not a fast. The smoothie is an addition to your daily diet. You can use it to replace one meal a day if you wish (such as breakfast).

We recommend you still eat regularly and ensure you are getting sufficient calories to meet your personal needs. We hope that you’ll choose real, whole and organic foods as much as possible.

Use the recipes on our website for fun ideas, or check out our 30 Day R.E.A.L. Food Meal Plans for “done for you”, Nutritionist & Doctor approved high-raw eating plans.

Q: What if I don’t like an ingredient or can’t find it where I live? Can I alter the recipes?

Feel free to make ingredient substitutions. If you can make ‘like for like’ swaps, that would be ideal. For example, swapping a leafy green such as spinach for another leafy green such as kale. Or a berry for a different kind of berry. At least, swap a green for another green, rather than a fruit. Otherwise, just make it work whatever way you can. Substitution suggestions can be found just above the start of this FAQ.

Q: Can I make my smoothies in advance and store them?

Yes! Smoothies are best stored in an airtight glass jar in the fridge, away from daylight and heat. Since smoothies still have their fibre, they are not as susceptible to oxidative damage as juices are, however, they should be consumed within 24 hours. Ideally, as soon as you make them.

If you want to make them further ahead of time, you can prep the ingredients all at once (washing, peeling where necessary and chopping) then storing them in a freezer bag in the fridge. One freezer bag per recipe. That way, you can have as many prepped smoothies as your freezer can fit!

Or, if you want to really save time, you are best off making each smoothie and then freezing them and consuming them as they thaw.

Q: How can I prep for the week?

Prepare all produce (fruits and greens) by washing, peeling where necessary and then chopping. Divide ingredients as per recipe and then store in freezer bags in the freezer. Now you can grab that day’s bag and make fresh in no time! We’d recommend adding in herbs, nuts, seeds, superfoods and any protein powders fresh to the blender.

Q: Can I use this as a smoothie cleanse?

This challenge is meant to encourage you to include one green smoothie into your diet every day for 30 days. It was not intended to be a complete program or cleanse. If you would like a complete program you can check out our 21 Day Raw Food Reset and Cleanse and our 30 Day REAL Food Meal Plans.

Q: If I’m pregnant/nursing or have a health condition, are there any ingredients to watch out for?

Yes. Whether you are pregnant/nursing or have a health condition we recommend that you avoid potent herbs or superfoods that you’re not sure about and suggest consulting your care practitioner before making dietary changes.

In particular, if you are pregnant/nursing you should omit cilantro and parsley. You can read more about that here: Why You Should Not Detox During Pregnancy or Nursing

Q: When should I drink my smoothie? 

You are free to drink your smoothie whenever fits best with your schedule. You can have it along with any one of your meals, you can use it to replace any one of your meals, or you can have it as a snack in between meals. Do what works best for you.

Q: How many smoothies can I have a day?

For the purpose of the challenge you just need to have one smoothie a day. If you are really enjoying the smoothies you can certainly have more than one in a day, just remember to eat a balanced diet as well!

Q: What if I can’t drink it all? 

If you can’t drink all of the smoothie in one go, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for later.

Q: Can I add my own superfoods, supplements or protein powders?

Yes – we just recommend that all are plant based and free from artificial sweeteners, wheat/gluten, whey and dairy. We recommend the brands Vega and Organifi and shopping at Thrive for all other health foods.

Q: Can I freeze bananas?

Yes – You don’t have to freeze your bananas if you don’t want to, but we find it adds a nice cold and creamy texture, while breaking down some of the starches. It’s a handy way to preserve fruits that go bad quickly. You can simply peel your banana and toss it into the blender, or if you’d like to freeze it, just peel, (chop up if you have a small blender), place in a freezer bag for future use. Just remember to peel your banana before freezing it!

Smoothie Additions:

Superfoods and protein powders are a nice extra addition to smoothies. They are entirely optional but can give you that extra boost.

Our advice is to try it out and see how you feel.

Hemp Seeds: These work so well in smoothies. Start with 1 Tbsp and work your way up to more if you wish! You don’t have to grind them like you would with flax seeds before you add them to your smoothies, they can go in whole. Both hemp and chia seeds are complete proteins and are packed with essential fatty acids, which aid in brain function, are anti-inflammatory and help to nourish the skin.

Ground Flax/Linseed: Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and fibre, these are well known to be great for digestion as well as skin and hair condition. They are also one of the more affordable ‘superfoods’.

Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are a true superfood. Oddly, they are members of the mint family but they taste totally neutral. This makes them a very versatile food.

Chia seeds contain a high concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids, making them one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in nature, as well as being great for the brain. These tiny seeds are also a complete protein, meaning that they contain all 8 essential amino acids that your body cannot synthesise on its own, and must get from food.

Maca: Maca root has been prized for generations as an energy enhancer and mood stabiliser. It’s a nutritionally and powerfully complex with life-giving (and beauty-enhancing) ingredients like phytonutrients, amino acids, vitamins and fatty acids. Plus, there’s an abundance of trace minerals and phytohormones

A Tsp/5 gram is a good place to start with maca and can lead to benefits such as skin strengthening, mood balancing, energy increases, better sleep, increased memory, anti-aging and endurance increase.

Note: If you have thyroid disease you may want to avoid maca. Maca root is high in iodine and glucosinolate, which is not ideal for this condition, so check with your physician first.

Goji Berries: Known as the “herb of longevity”, Goji Berries were a fundamental part of Li Qing Yuen’s longevity formula, a man who is said to have lived to the age of 252. Myths aside, goji berries have been regarded as a superfood in Asian culture for several thousand years.

Goji Berries are rich in carotenoids, they promote eye health and can reduce inflammation.

Challenge Sponsors + Deals!

Knowing what’s right for you, choosing a blender and finding quality supplements, health foods and toxin-free products online can be really tricky, that why we’ve teamed up with our favourite health brands for this challenge to share with you our top choices! We’ve got you covered!

Gut Analysis & Personalised Plan (Viome):

We now know that foods that work for one person may not work for someone else. Even healthy foods.

Why? Because just like your fingerprint, your microbiome is unique to you.

Viome’s state-of-the-art technology offers unprecedented visibility into the unique ecosystem living inside you. This is your first step towards living a life where chronic disease and lackluster performance is optional.

Get $50 off with code: YOUNGANDRAW

Protein Powders & Superfood Mixes (Vega): We’ve worked with Vega for many years – they are our go-to brand for protein powders, in particular, regularly topping the charts for plant-based protein due to their quality ingredients and delicious taste. Their Vega One nutritional protein powder is organic and contains 20g of protein per serving from pea protein, hemp protein, Canadian flaxseeds and sacha inchi protein along with lots of other green goodies.

Get 25% off + FREE shipping with code: SMOOTHIE (valid from May 1st 2018)

Health Food Supplies (Thrive): We know making healthy decisions isn’t always easy – for you or your budget! Luckily, there’s a better way. Thrive Market takes the hassle out of healthy living. It offers organic foods, along with nontoxic home and personal care essentials for 25-50% off what you’d normally pay – and delivers everything right to your door.

Browse its growing catalogue anytime, anywhere through its easy-to-use site or free app. And, if you’re following a special diet, Thrive Market has you covered! Use the specialized search options (like “Paleo,” “Vegan,” Soy-Free,” or “Gluten-Free”) to easily find products that fit your lifestyle. Once you start using Thrive Market, you’ll wonder what you ever did without it!

On top of the amazing savings Thrive already offers, we’ve secured a very special deal for you – Don’t miss out on this limited time offer:

Sign up now and get 25% EXTRA off your first purchase!

*Limited to residents of continental US.

Blenders (Vitamix): Vitamix makes use-mine-every-day, can’t-live-without-it, commercial-grade blenders. So if you’ve had enough of smoothies with a grainy texture, or low-powered blenders with a small cup size (meaning you have to chop up ingredients into small pieces), a Vitamix blender will show you the way forward! Higher end blenders really are a tool you can use forever!

Toxin-Free Hair & Body Care (Morrocco Method): If you’re looking to make a whole body change, we recommend looking at the products you put on your hair and skin! Morrocco Method offers luxurious hair care, naturally. All products are paleo, sulfate free, gluten-free, and free of all synthetic chemicals.

For 15% off, enter the coupon code at checkout: YouRaw

Shopping tips:

1. Fresh is the way to go. Any leafy green can be substituted for any other leafy green. You can swap out any herb for any other herb. If you cannot find celery or cucumber, you can use zucchini instead.
2. Avoid anything in a can, or anything that is dried or preserved in any way. If you can only find an item in either its dried or otherwise processed form, skip it and use something else.
3. Wherever possible take advantage of local produce from farmers markets. By doing so, you are supporting your community and can often save some money a well.
4. If you can’t find it, swap it out. Avoid getting caught up in stress at the grocery store and make your shopping experience fun! Ask for help whenever you need to in our Facebook group and get creative with substitutions.
5. If you live in a small town, or in an area where organic food, superfoods or resources may be limited, you can always buy online. Alternatively, try looking up local health food stores to ask if they have certain items in stock before making the trip. You can always ask them to hold an item for you, and they may even post it out if you explain your situation and ask nicely!

Organic vs. Conventional:

For the purpose of this challenge, we would encourage you to get as many organic ingredients as possible. Because you are blending these plants, you will be breaking down cell membranes, which could mean releasing pesticides and other not so great things if grown conventionally. Organic is best. If there are items that you can only get in their conventional form, check out the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists.

If the item is on the clean fifteen list just be sure to wash it really well before you use it. Filling your sink with a 4:1 ratio of water to white vinegar is a great fruit and veggie wash. If you can only find conventional ingredients that are on the dirty dozen list, replace that those ingredients which a different organic ingredient.

Otherwise, peel conventional ingredients where possible. Pesticides will be concentrated on the skin, so peeling will go a long way.

Just do your best and don’t stress it 🙂

Shopping Lists: