Spinach, banana, clemintine smoothie

Anyone else a little bit scared of health food shops? I am sure I am alone in this (and other) peculiarity. Its the smell that gets me first and I'm pretty sure this is a common enough smell in health food shops. It is strong and strange, a musky smell mixed with what I would imagine to be the vapours of a deep well mine, soaked with minerals made from long dormant lava. You get used to it after a few minutes of rooting around but the initial blow as you enter the shop sends me reeling slightly.

Then my ignorance about wholefoods shows me up. I don't know what goji berries are, what fish oils are for or how to take macra powder. I have a rough aspiration of having the energy of a young cheetah and know that I should take something for my rubbish joints but have no clue of the product that is going to help me. The sales assistant is helpful but I always feel intimidated and out of my depth.

Joy the Baker had a post recently on this spinach smoothie which I have tweaked slightly. She mentioned chia seeds as a happy health food addition and after a bit of googling I learned that they are good for energy, boosting your metabolism (equals more cake) and full of antioxidants (equals good skin and hair). Milled linseed is available in most supermarkets and is also a good source of omega 3.

The clemintine orange adds a sweet hint behind the stronger spinach and peanut butter flavours.

Ingredients: Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 clemintine orange peeled
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1 cup soya/almond or cows milk
1/2 cup natural yogurt
1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon of milled linseed (optional)

1. Put the spinach, banana, peanut butter, honey, clemintine and milk in a food processor or deep bowl. Blitz for 30 seconds smooth. 

2. Add the natural yogurt, chia seeds and linseed if using and blitz for 10 seconds until incorporated.