Blueberry Banana Blast Smoothie
The blueberry banana smoothie is full of healthy antioxidants, iron, potassium, and fiber. It has a really sweet taste, but there isn’t any added sweetener in it. It doesn’t need it! The blueberries and bananas are sweet enough. The chia seeds and almond butter add a nutty undertone and plenty of protein to make this a wonderful breakfast smoothie.
Use Sweet Fruit To Make Your Green Smoothie Taste Sweet
The sweeter the fruit you use, the sweeter your smoothie will be. The sweetest fruits are the tropical fruits such as:
- Banana
- Papaya
- Pineapple
If you include at least one of these sweet fruits, your smoothie will taste extra sweet. If you only use fruits such as berries, apples or citrus fruits, dont expect your smoothie to be ultra sweet.
Check out my video below where I tell you how to get green smoothies to taste nice.
Can You Freeze Green Smoothies
I recommend freezing the fresh fruits, vegetables and liquids together in bags, then blending them up fresh with the pantry ingredients, including the protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon and honey.
To do this, add ½ avocado, removed from the skin and pitted, to a freezer-safe zipper bag with one peeled banana, 1 cup of spinach and 1 cup almond milk. Zip tightly closed, label the bag green smoothie and the date. Make as many of these as youd like!
When ready to prepare the smoothie, dump the ingredients from one frozen bag into a blender, then add the protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon and honey. No need to add ice, since most of the ingredients are already frozen. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Making these freezer smoothie packs ahead of time has two main benefits.
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Improve The Taste To Your Liking
Just blending fruit and leafy greens can sometimes taste a little bland, so just adding a few more ingredients can give your green smoothie the extra wow factor.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Use fruit juice or plant based milk instead of water
- Add dried fruit or dates for extra sweetness
- Add nuts or seeds for extra creaminess
- Add other flavors, spices or herbs such as cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, lime or cacao
Check out my video below showing you how to make your own coconut milk that you can add to your green smoothies for the extra wow factor.
Healthy Green Smoothie Add
The below simple green smoothie recipe is our basic go-to super green smoothie recipe. Its the perfect Green Smoothie recipe for beginners. Depending on what I have available, and my mood, I often throw in a bit of this and that. Add-in options we like:
Chia Seeds healthy boost of protein
Raw Cacao Nibs extra boost of magnesium and chocolate flavor
Coconut Oil Extra Healthy Fat, keeps you fuller longer
Matcha Powder superfood that adds Antioxidants and natural energy through minerals.
Nut Butter Extra boost of protein and healthy fat
Coconut Flakes added flavor
Spices Cinnamon and Ginger are great anti-inflammatories
Honey/Agave add a bit of natural sweetness
Extracts Mint extract is my favorite!
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How To Make Green Smoothies
I love my green smoothies made with all the fresh ingredients. Its such a healthy and tasty way to start off your morning, especially when theyre straight from silvered blades in an authentic juicer! I prep by meal prepping for this drink so that there are no worries of not having anything available on-hand or forgetting something at home like add ins like yogurt or protein powder .
I find myself spending less time grocery shopping because everything is already portioned out ahead of timeand if we get hungry between meals? No problem just grab some fruit off our shelves instead
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- Add the avocado, banana, spinach, ice cubes and almond milk to a blender.
- Add the protein powder, flax seed, honey and ground cinnamon.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
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Use A Vitamix Blender
If youve been around my blog for a while then you know that I exclusively blend with a Vitamix ! So its not surprising that I will tell you that the best way to achieve silky smooth green smoothies is to use a Vitamix blender!
I bought my first Vitamix because I was sick of chewing my green smoothies ?! I wanted a blender that would pulverize anything and everything I put into my smoothies and the Vitamix was the answer. If you dont have a Vitamix yet I highly recommend getting one ASAP!
Check out my Vitamix Buying Guide where I give my exhaustive reasons for choosing a Vitamix blender a decade ago, and my top recommendations about which model to buy!
How To Make Smoothies Ahead Of Time
The best way to meal-prep smoothies is to create smoothie packs. After you puree your smoothie, it will last maybe a day in the refrigerator before it starts to separate and the texture changes. This is why I prefer to prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Then, all I have to do is grab the smoothie pack, add everything to the blender, and it’s ready to go!
Store the solid parts of your smoothie – the fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds – in a mason jar with a lid. Then, all you have to do is add the contents of your jar, some milk, and yogurt to the blender, and you are ready to go.
If you don’t know when you will make your next smoothie and want to save your prepped contents for a longer length of time, I suggest storing them in the freezer. Just put your fruit/veggie and seeds mix in freezer-safe bags. Then, you can grab a bag, add the contents to a blender, and add your milk and yogurt.
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Danielles Tips On Choosing The Right Blender To Make The Best Green Smoothies
- Consider how much space you have for your blender and where it will be stored to determine the size you want.
- Think about your blender budget and how much you want to spend.
- If you plan to make green smoothies a few times a weeks, go with at least 600 watts of motor speed.
- High-powered and more expensive blenders usually have a warranty and will last for many years.
- Functions like preset settings can take the guesswork out of blending.
Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
The peanut butter cup smoothie is a rich concoction that tastes like a decadent dessert. Good news for you – it’s healthy for you! Mixed in with the oatmeal, bananas, and chia seeds is a hidden superfood – cauliflower! You won’t even be able to taste it, but you’ll still benefit from its nutrients and antioxidants.
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Step : Add Liquid Ingredients
The secret to a perfect green smoothie is all in the liquid. When making your own, always add those ingredients first before adding anything else! This vortexes will pull everything together and create one delicious beverage for you with every sipor rather sharable as we like say these days
I always use either almond milk or coconut milk in my green smoothies because I think that they give the best taste and texture. Theres no need for you to worry about giving up your favorite drinks though, there are many different liquids out there:
- Almond Milk
- Water
Best Green Smoothie Add
I started putting add-ins into my green smoothie recipes when my third baby was born. A few scoops of nutritional boosters gave me increased energy throughout the day and made the green smoothies taste even better! So here are some of my suggestions!
- Protein Powder – this is my favorite plant-based, whey-free protein powder in vanilla and chocolate.
- Collagen Powder – a neutral tasting protein boost! Also good for gut health!
- Maca -for increased fertility and hormone balance.
- Amazing Grass Green Superfood– great way to add even more greens!
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What Youll Need For This Green Smoothie
This smoothie has all your heavy smoothie hitters with a few fun tropical surprises. Heres what youll need:
- Pineapple If youre making something tropical, you definitely need to have pineapple in it.
- Strawberry For a berry twist
- Banana I like to use fresh banana because I dont like my smoothies too cold. I know Im weird. But if you like a thicker smoothie you can definitely use frozen banana.
- Spinach I use fresh baby spinach
- Milk Honestly, any liquid would work here. I like to use plain unsweetened almond milk because I try to keep it dairy free. You could also use regular milk, coconut milk, soy milk or oat milk.
- Protein Powder I like to use plant based protein powder, Vega Brand is my go to. But by all means, use your favorite brand.
- Water I like to cut some of the sugar and carbs that almond milk has but supplementing it with water. Gives you the liquid you need without the calories.
How To Make A Green Smoothie Taste Good
The question everyone asks when it comes to green smoothiesCan you taste the greens?
When youre making a green smoothie, you want to be careful with how much veggies you add to it. If you add in too much spinach or kale, you may end up with a smoothie that tastes likewell, spinach or kale!
I generally add about a handful of spinach or kale to my green smoothies, which I find is the perfect amount. Another trick to making a green smoothie taste good is to use tropical fruits like mango or pineapple!
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Watch The Recipe Video
- 2 cups liquid coconut water or coconut milk or almond milk or water
- 2 cups dark greens kale or spinach or chard or collard greens
- 3 cups fruit pineapple, pear, apple, berries, banana, avocado, mango, orange or any combination of fruit
- a little extra flavor fresh ginger or almond butter or mint leaves or cilantro or honey
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Superfoods acai powder or flax meal or chia seeds or Matcha powder
Instructions
Are Green Smoothie Recipes Healthy
What we eat can truly transform our bodies and our lives in powerful ways. Especially with this smoothie recipe as Ive seen in the lives of so many of my friends, family and community online. Blending spinach into a fruit smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system, as well as naturally energize you.
Most smoothies are made with just fruit and liquid, which is high in sugar and can cause inflammation. A green smoothie, on the other hand, is made with fruit, plant-based liquidand leafy greens.
This recipe is full of iron, potassium and vitamins galore and tastes like a tropical treat from all the island fruit. Yet the best part is how simple as well as quick it is to make! You only need 4 ingredients and all of them can be found at your local grocery store . As I say all the time Im all for making healthy eating affordable so its sustainable.
A green smoothie can taste just as good as a regular smoothie, and also have incredible health benefits.
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How To Make A Green Smoothie
A simple starter recipe, one of the best green smoothies:
- 1 apple, cored and sliced
- 1 frozen banana, peeled
- 1 orange, peeled
- 1/2 cup water or nut milk
Blend it all up in your blender and enjoy!
* You could replace any of the fruit with fruit of your choice, of course or add a cucumber or some chopped carrots. Whatever youd like.
Keep in mind that dark berries like blueberries or strawberries might change the color of your green smoothie and it might not end up green after all.
But It will still be a green smoothie as long as there are greens in it! duh!
**HANDY BANANA FREEZING TIP:
To freeze bananas, I usually peel them, slice them into 1 inch thick pieces, and place on a cookie sheet then put in the freezer.
After a few hours, they should be frozen.
I then either use them right away or I place slices in a ziplock bag and put back in the freezer.
The reason you freeze first before placing in ziplock freezer bag right away is that theyll end up sticking together as they freeze and it will become a big block of banana slices that are barely usable.
Been there, done that!
When I use frozen bananas, it technically ends up with a milky consistency and is more like a delicious green shake!Pictured above is my grandmas hand-me-down blender that died on me. R.I.P.
I then took that opportunity to upgrade to a more powerful blender this Blendtec.
Love that blender more than anything
Gotta check them out if youre in the market for a blender.
For reals.
How To Make A Spinach Smoothie
There is a high ratio of frozen ingredients in this recipe. Add the ice, pineapple, and banana slices first to break them down into smooth chilly particles. Next, add in the apple to break down the fibrous skin. Then layer in the spinach leaves as they are very tender and break down easier. Use a tamper if needed to push the greens down into the blades of the high-speed blender.
The yogurt is added, followed by the almond milk to help process the smoothie into a drinkable consistency. If youre looking for a thick and creamy texture, if needed, gradually add in a small amount of liquid.
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How To Meal Prep Green Smoothies
I think that green smoothies are the best when they’re served fresh, straight from the blender. So I meal prep smoothies by having all the ingredients on hand and ready to go. This means I always have my freezer stocked with frozen fruit and greens and pre-portion all of the add-ins like protein powder!
How To Make Smoothie Bowls
Some mornings you may not want to drink your smoothie, instead grab a spoon and make a smoothie bowl. All of these recipes can be made into a bowl, simply use less liquid so that the smoothie comes out thicker. Then add all your favorite toppings. Some favorites include:
- Fresh fruit like peaches, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, and mango
- Nuts and seeds like chia seeds, hemp seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pepitas
- Crunchy toppings like granola, grape nuts, toasted oats, or shredded coconut
- Fun drizzles with peanut butter, almond butter, low sugar chocolate syrup, or yogurt.
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Best Ways To Add A Protein Boost To Smoothies
Smoothies don’t have to be just full of fruits and vegetables. They can be excellent sources of protein too! Whenever you are trying to add protein to a smoothie, you need to use something that will blend in really well and won’t add any distracting flavors.
Here are my favorite ways to add protein to smoothies. I have used these ideas in various smoothie recipes .
- Nut or Seed Butter
- Hemp seeds
How To Make Healthy Smoothies At Home
If you really think about it, the main reason why people love smoothies is that theyre delicious. The fact that they also happen to be nutritious is a bonus. Smoothies are popular because they provide a quick and easy way for people to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables they need each day. You dont even have to go to a smoothie bar for a delicious drink. You can make your own delicious beverage if you know how to make healthy smoothies at home.
If you think smoothies are difficult to make, youre in for a big surprise. A good blender is the only equipment you need to make a healthy smoothie at home. Fruits are an important ingredient in smoothies. If youre feeling adventurous, you can even throw in a vegetable or two.
Keep It Simple
You need a liquid foundation for your fruit smoothie. Use fruit juices, milk, or yogurt. If youre watching your weight, use water, green tea or low-fat milk. Some smoothie bars use ice cream as a base. You may not want this in your drink.
Adding ice makes your smoothie thicker.
Add Fruits
When youre making smoothies at home you can add lots of fruits to ensure that its healthy. Add your favorite fruits. If you enjoy bananas, strawberries, blueberries, apples and oranges, add them to your drink. You may want to start with a single type of fruit but it wont be long before youll be experimenting with different fruit combinations.
Add Extra Nutrition
Avocado or crushed flaxseed adds healthy fats to your smoothie.
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