Since 2004, Oliver McCabe (Dip NT, ITEC Diploma in Diet and Nutrition) has looked after customers at the Select Stores whole food store and juice bar in Dalkey, Co Dublin, where his parents began trading as greengrocers in 1959.

Healthy eating is a passion and, throughout the years, Oliver has given talks and demos in schools and colleges, as well as at corporate health and food events. Here, Oliver shares two of his favourite green smoothies. They’re packed with vitamins and a great way to incorporate your five-a-day.

For information about Oliver McCabe, visit www.selectstores.ie or follow on Facebook at Select Stores Dalkey or Twitter @selectstores and @nutritionoliver.

Note: For these recipes you will need a juicer and a blender.

Focused and fuelled green smoothie

Makes 500ml (250 calories)

4 apples (natural digestive enzyme pectin, low glycemic)

4 sticks of celery (natural diuretic, relieves water retention, cellulite)

1 cucumber (cleansing, relieves fluid retention)

A small handful of parsley (super food with calcium magnesium, chlorophyll, fibre)

A small handful of spinach (vitamin K, vitamin C)

A small handful of kale (vitamin C, fibre, B vitamins, calcium)

Add juice to blender with: 1 whole avocado, stoned (essential fat, high protein, low-carb, filling, nourishing). Blend for 20 seconds.

The super detox smoothie

Makes 500ml (250 calories)

1 whole cucumber (cleansing, relieves fluid retention)

2 small apples (natural digestive enzyme pectin, low glycemic)

½ lime peeled (high in vitamin C plus a natural preservative)

Add juice to blender with: ½ avocado peeled and stoned (essential fat, high protein, low carb filling, nourishing), 1 tbsp of fresh pineapple peeled and diced (natural enzyme for skin bromelain, low GI). Blend for 20 seconds.

Oliver’s top tips

1. Wash your fruit and vegetables in hot water with apple cider vinegar. This will remove dirt, wax, preservatives or pesticides before smoothie preparation.

2. If you are keeping a smoothie blend bottled in the fridge overnight, add a little fresh lemon or lime juice before refrigeration.

3. When juicing, always start with hard fruit and veg first, such as apples and carrots, then move onto softer items, like celery, spinach and limes. You will get more juice from your fruit and vegetables this way, rather than them mostly ending up as pulp in your juicer bin.

4. Soft fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya, kiwi and banana can only be blended in a blender for smoothie recipes and not juiced for juices. If you juice with them, they will only end up as pulp in your juicer bin, wasting your time and money.

5. Always make your juices and smoothies fresh and drink them slowly (not fast) so your digestive system can process and absorb nutrients properly and easily.

6. Always have your juices and smoothies for breakfast or lunch and not for dinner because they could ferment with your evening meal and make you feel unwell as your digestive system is preparing to rest and is not fully functional.