Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of two recent cookbooks, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and the immunity-boosting smoothie /juice/wellness shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices . On this blog you'll find incredibly healthy easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism, editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow.
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Well, hello! My name is Dee and welcome to Green Smoothie Gourmet where I share healthy recipes - often desserts and snacks - that are nutritious, easy to prepare, and typically require single-digit familiar ingredients. Vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Who Can Eat My Recipes
On this blog, you will find that my recipes are primarily breakfasts, snacks and desserts, with the occasional savory meal recipe as well. All my recipes can be eaten by those who eat vegan, non-vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free, and increasingly gluten-free, and reduced or even no sugar. And many are friendly for a paleo or Whole30 or keto diet.
So my recipes are in fact they are very healthy with tons of veggies tucked inside unlikely places. In fact, I have graduate degrees in the sciences, but my husband and friends say my biggest talent is hiding vegetables in desserts😂.
Lots of My Recipes Have ONLY 4 Ingredients
So along with hidden veggies, you will see another re-occurring theme in my recipes: I strive to keep ingredient lists short. In fact, I've written two 4-ingredient cookbooks, both available worldwide.
1. Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Desserts & Snacks
2. 4-Ingredient Smoothies & Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for LifeLong Health
The Journey
My interest in eating whole foods actually did begin in my college days. As a biology/biochem with emphasis on immunology major, I quickly realized the technical health benefits of eating only plant-based foods. I even took classes in dietary science (how food impacts the body) and culinary science (the science behind cooking).
So as I plowed through my immunology courses, suddenly food's impact on health soon became very clear to me. And I realized - as I was stuffing a pizza into my face during an all nighter - that I wasn't eating very well.
So I bought a blender. A refurbished Blendtec, actually.
And began tossing green leaves, seeds, fruits, veggies and anything wholesome and unprocessed that I could think of. I started with just a healthy smoothie a day, and what I noticed first after just a few days was the burst of energy and optimism I felt. I expanded my healthy habits beyond smoothies and never looked back.
Now, as I work to create recipes that fit me and my family members, I also incorporate the concepts behind local and seasonal buying, the EWG.org's dirty-clean produce list, and the importance of avoiding processed foods and ingredients when possible. I also embrace the positive impacts on the planet of veganism, no-wasted food, and plastic-free habits.
I believe the choice of one's diet is a personal one and should follow one's own personal needs, so I won't be telling you what diet you should follow. However, the recipes I share here on GSG always use whole food, plant-based ingredients that are free of dairy and meat and anything else from an animal. And I try to keep ingredient lists short, and I somehow prefer no-bake to turning on the oven, so there is a lot of not turning on the oven in this blog, haha.
I want to say though, that although I emphasize the importance of fresh healthy ingredients and I strive to avoid processed foods, I also live by the premise that balance is key. So sometimes I veer from that, eat too much of something not so great for me. And that's okay too.
There is lot to juggle when transitioning or sustaining a whole-food plant-based diet, especially for an entire family. I hope my recipes can help you on your journey.
If you are in need of a starting place, I suggest a simple smoothie a day - actually just a cup of frozen berries, a half-cup of spinach, blended into 1 cup of plant milk.
My Free Smoothie Challenge Is a Great Place to Start
Want some help establishing a smoothie-a-day habit? Join my short but useful FREE 6-day Smoothie Challenge.
For a slightly more involved smoothie, and a review of how to build smoothies, check out my Best Green Smoothie. And if you are looking to boost your immunity,my Ginger Shot made in a blender is one of my most popular immunity booster recipes.
Thank you for joining me! Be sure to reach out via comments on my posts or DM me on Instagram where I post all new recipes first.
Love, Dee xx