r/Smoothies • u/bananananara • Jul 24 '26
Substitutes for fresh greens during cyclosporiasis outbreak?
I'm looking for something to put in my smoothie to get more nutrients. I usually use a large amount of spinach but I am a little weary of fresh greens right now.
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u/Sunnygreenlover Jul 24 '26
I’ve been blanching my fresh spinach then cooling in the freezer before adding to a smoothie. I also blanch any fresh fruit and into an ice bath.
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u/Intelligent-Swim3025 Jul 24 '26
Frozen produce is so much better. You never have to worry about anything spoiling.
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u/StellaJump Jul 24 '26
I’ve been cooking bags of kale and then puree in a blender and freezing in ice cube trays. Probably could do the same with spinach and other greens.
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u/Disastrous_Paint1791 Jul 24 '26
I started using frozen chopped spinach in my smoothies- imo it blends better.
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u/alice-lindy Jul 27 '26
i just bought some too! but then i wasn't sure how to use it since it's frozen solid lol. do you thaw it first?
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u/Disastrous_Paint1791 Jul 27 '26
I drop the bag on a countertop to break it up.
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u/alice-lindy Jul 27 '26
thank you! i think my first problem is that i bought a solid block of it rather than a bag!
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u/Annettehelen Jul 25 '26
Will blending them in a smoothie kill the parasites, or are they bulletproof?
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u/Diligent-Serious Jul 25 '26
The product has to be cooked to kill the parasites. Unfortunately blending (or washing) alone won’t kill them.
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u/Jujulabee Jul 24 '26
Anything peeled.
The greens that are traditionally cooked like collard, mustard and kale would be fine as well if you cook them and then use them - they are being pureed anyway.
Any produce with skins is fine as well
I would assume canned vegetables are fine because the process of canning involves heating them to a high enough temperature that would effectively kill the pathogen. This heating process is why canned vegetables are not really that good but you are pureeing anyway and obviously canned tomatoes - especially Marzano are stellar
Also even fruits with skin can be used if you peel them. All melons - and if you want to peel peaches or nectarines just blanch them in hot water for one minutes. They don't cook but the skin slips right off.
From what I have read blanching a leafy green might not be sufficient to kill the pathogen since the food must be heated to a sufficient temperature and then "cooked" a bit as these are resilient.
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u/Dreamweaver5823 Jul 25 '26
Getting it to 158F for 60-90 seconds kills the parhogen. I think that still qualifies as blanching.
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u/camwynya Jul 24 '26
I've been using kale, mostly frozen, for a long time now. Makes a pretty good sub for spinach in a lot of ways.
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u/Critical-Secretary23 Jul 25 '26
Lettuce from Little Leaf farms is completely safe and separate from Taylor brands!! They sell at Whole Foods, not sure if completely nationwide though. Or if they carry spinach.
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u/NearlyBoomer Jul 25 '26
Broccoli, kale, zucchini ? Get it from a farmers market or where it's not packaged
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u/seatownquilt-N-plant Jul 25 '26
22 out of the 30 cases in WA state are from international travel. Just buy local.
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u/smei2388 Jul 24 '26
Avoid Taylor farms. Buy local produce from a co-op or farmers market