Get a gulp of green with our top 8 smoothies

How can we celebrate St Patrick’s Day next week – by dying our rivers, our hair, wearing green t-shirts, socks? Or we can simply have a glass of something green. We looked at green drinks for this rundown – alcohol-free, maybe even nourishing, made from fruit and vegetables. Something we can drink at any time of day. To raise your game, serve it in a fancy glass and float a few microgreens on top to decorate.

With bottled smoothies, pasteurising may reduce nutrients, which is one disadvantage compared to making our own. But we still miss out on fibre, good for gut health, when homemade. Juices made from concentrate are processed more, so they are likely to lose more potential nutrients. Fresh, whole fruit is always best, but as drinks go, a smoothie is a satisfying mouthful, and if we get a small percentage of vitamins and minerals, it’s more than we gain from sugary, fizzy drinks. 

While made with fruit, there’s still quite a lot of sugar in these drinks – on average 9% – so factor that in when thinking about other sugar-rich foods in a day.

A delicious silky avocado green smoothie from Jump Juice Bar is available from a range in shopping centres and markets nationwide and online at jumpjuicebar.com. Belfast-based Perfectly Pure juices are deliciously fresh and are available to order at www.instagram.com/perfectlypurejuices.

M&S Pressed Tropical Juice with Kale 750ml €3.40

From a good, wide range, a deliciously complex blend of apple juice and purée, pineapple juice and purée, mango purée and passion fruit juice, the 3% kale purée is barely discernible, but it makes us feel good to know it’s there. There are also spirulina and safflower extracts. Made in Spain, not from concentrate. Tops with tasters.

Lots of apple and kiwi flavour here with pear and banana less obvious. The savoury, earthy flavours come from crushed broccoli and kale. Not surprisingly, kids liked it less than adults who enjoyed the savoury tinge. Refreshing. We bought in Dunnes Stores.

The first hit here is of mint with the freshness of cucumber and spinach, and creaminess provided by avocado. The lime gives it a lively, citrus finish in an interesting blend. Tasters described it as tasting healthy. 6.4% sugars is lower than most samples. Made by Sunshine Juice in Carlow

A popular choice with tasters who liked the apple, grapes, mashed banana, mango and kiwi mixture, refreshed with cucumber and a matcha infusion. There are also flax seeds, spirulina, lime, safflower extract and extra vitamins. 11% sugars is higher than many. We also liked the brand’s slightly blue coloured guava, pineapple and apple smoothie.

Green Juice Cafe Sol 250ml €2.99

Pear purée adds thickness, while apple pomace – the fibre and leftovers after pressing juice out – adds more roughage which is good for gut health. Cold-pressed apple is the main ingredient and it may also be the banana pulp that made it interesting to the kids. They didn’t notice the decent 10% of spinach and 1% kale. A mild taste for the adults, but a good all-rounder.

Produced in Ireland for Dunnes Stores

Made mainly from apples, the spinach and celery come through in the first taste, along with ginger and lime. Tasters liked the mild, fresh, clean taste. One thought it was a bit watery, but it generally appealed to the adults.

Made in Dublin, we bought in The Good Food Shop, English Market, Cork.

With apple juice and purée from concentrate, banana purée and kiwi purée, the peach purée taste comes through nicely. There is also pineapple juice which comes from concentrate. Other ingredients are mango purée, chlorella powder, spirulina powder, spinach powder and added vitamins. No indication of where the product is made, but it’s from a UK-based company. The kids loved this, perhaps best of all, for the pineapple and kiwi flavours.

Tesco Green Escape smoothie 750ml €2.19

With 62% apple juice, banana purée, white grape juice, mango purée, kiwi purée, there is also cucumber purée, lime juice, spirulina and safflower concentrates, matcha green tea. Went down well with the kids, and adult tasters liked it. A good all-rounder at a good price.

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