Ditch The Ice And Freeze Some Fruits
Want your green smoothie to be extra chilly? Freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas , grapes, pineapple or berries. This is also a great way to not waste ripe fruits . You can also freeze your leafy greens in a freezer-safe bag. Just make sure to add your frozen greens straight to the blender .
Why Make A Green Smoothie
Oh the burning question, are green smoothies really that good for you? If you make them right they are! Green smoothie recipes can be great for getting a LOT of nutrition in one sitting.
In most green smoothies, the green color comes from the greens you use such as kale, and spinach. Greens can be boring to eat, but when you put them in a smoothie. Its easy breezy. Greens are:
- High in fiber
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
How To Make A Green Smoothie
Lets break down exactly what you need to make the perfect green smoothie! In the Fit Foodie Kitchen, we use a basic recipe that we deviate from depending on whats in the fridge and what our bodies are craving.
Sowhats in a green smoothie?
Frozen Fruit we like to use frozen fruit in order to omit ice from our green smoothies so that you can get a smoother, creamier smoothie. We recommend banana, berries, mangoes, pineapple, etc. For a single serving, shoot to use around 1 cup of frozen fruit.
Greens- obviously every green smoothie has some kind of green! Whether its spinach, kale, or microgreen, any kind of green will work. Here are our favorites:
- spinach
- beet greens
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How To Make A Fruit Smoothie
Making a fruit smoothie is as simple as tossing ingredients in a blender and letting it rip, but we want to make sure you succeed every time, so heres our exact process:
Benefits Of Green Smoothies
- Green smoothies that include spinach or kale are rich in a variety of B vitamins, fiber, and iron.
- These types of greens also contain vitamin-C, which can aid in immune support.
- This smoothie uses banana, which is packed with potassium.
- Green smoothies are an incredibly easy way to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, especially if you dont enjoy eating them on their own.
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Below You Will Find These 10 Best Green Smoothies For Weight Loss:
The below 10 smoothie recipes for weight loss go great with the green smoothie diet plans below
Keep scrolling for recipes, and for information on how to make a weight loss smoothie DIY.
Blend Greens And Freeze In Cubes
If you don’t have a lot of space in your freezer, you can take the fresh spinach and blend with a small amount of water until the mixture is smooth. Then freeze in ice cube trays and store frozen cubes of greens in an airtight container in the freezer. I used to do this when we lived in a condo and didn’t have an extra freezer in the basement!
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You Always Start With A Liquid Base
You must, must, MUST add some sort of liquid to your smoothie otherwise it wont be thin enough to drink. Theres no way around it.
Your liquid can be water, but most recipes call for some sort of milk because it helps to make the smoothie creamier. I personally also think it bridges the flavor between the other ingredients better. Ive tested several smoothie recipes, making one version with water and one version with almond milk. The almond milk versions always taste better.
To me, when you make smoothies with water, you can taste each individual ingredient in the smoothie. Its not a bad thing per se, but I think smoothies taste a lot better when you can taste everything together.
For example, lately Ive been making a blend using pineapple + banana + avocado + vanilla protein powder . I tested it with water and it was so-so. Nothing to write home about.
But I tested it with almond milk and BAM! It was like the pineapple popped and the whole thing was so creamy and I knew that I could make it for my avocado-hating husband and he wouldnt even know the difference!!
If youre a beginner, I highly recommend starting with almond milk.
Spinach Berry Protein Green Smoothie
- 1 C spinach
- 2 Tbsp old fashioned oats
- 1 Scoop protein powder
A little intimidated by the healthy green color of such a drink? Choose to switch it up and make yourself a spinach berry green smoothie. These are great for kids because the berries tend to hide the fact that theres a healthy handful of greens in the smoothie.
The banana, blueberries, and raspberries are a delicious combo thats sure to please most taste buds. However, it can be a bit bitter, so we suggest adding a bit of sugar to make it palatable. Either way, protein smoothie recipes are an excellent way to start your day.
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Basic Green Spinach Smoothie
- 1 C fresh spinach
- ½ C frozen or fresh pineapple
- ½ cup fresh or fresh mango
- One ripened banana thats already been peeled
Out of on our list is the Basic Green Spinach Smoothie, which is part of the breakfast smoothies. The drink itself doesnt taste too much like leafy greens or earthy due to the addition of fruit. It makes it ideal for those who are just switching to smoothies. If there isnt a type of fruit you like, you can always sub-one similar in nutrition density.
Which Greens To Use For Smoothies
You can use most leafy greens in smoothies. The most popular are spinach, kale, romaine, and chard. All of these greens are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, but spinach, chard, and kale pack an extra nutritional punch with high amounts of iron and fiber.
Spinach and romaine will taste very mild and neutral in your smoothie. While kale and chard are still fairly mild, their flavors will be more apparent when compared to spinach.
- Mango or Pineapple. Of all the fruit Ive tried, these two do the absolute best job of hiding the taste of the greens. They make the smoothie taste like a tropical breath of fresh air! You can use one of these two or a mix of both with excellent results. Pineapple is the most effective at hiding the taste of greens in smoothies, especially stronger green like kale.
- Frozen Banana. I always recommend using frozen banana in green smoothies. It makes the smoothie creamy, thick, and naturally sweet, without the need to add sugar. If youd like to make a green smoothie with no banana, add more of the other fruit in this recipe, plus some yogurt for creaminess.
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Pineapple & Banana Green Smoothie
- 2 C chopped kale
- 1 Banana
- ½ C coconut milk
If youre looking for a simplistic drink, you cant get any simpler than this. It includes kale, pineapple, and banana. The coconut milk gives it a slight richness that you wont find in many other drinks. The pineapple adds much-needed sweetness, the same with the banana. Alternatively, to kale, you can also use spinach or other leafy greens.
Ingredients In Simple Green Smoothie For Beginners
Other than spinach, this is a fruit smoothie. It’s meant to open oneself up to the idea of a greener smoothie, both in color and ingredients. Or maybe it’s just an opportunity to be sneaky!
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients:
- A single serve container of whole Greek yogurt for protein and creaminess.
- ½ cup of frozen chopped spinach. Frozen spinach will be less noticeable than fresh spinach.
- 1 ½ cups of frozen berries. We used strawberries and blueberries. Any berry combination would work. Note that dark berries do a better job of masking the green color.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice really perks up the flavor!
- Sweetener to taste.
We use 1 packet of Organic Zing which is part stevia and part sugar. Honey is also an option. Honestly, I like it so much better with a smidgeon of sugar. I monitor my intake of natural sugar sweeteners and I’m ok with a small amount.
Depending upon the blender used to make the smoothie, water may need to be added. A NutriBullet has a fill line for adding liquid so I usually add ¾ – 1 cup of water. Coconut water or juice can be added instead.
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Go From Beginner To Super Smoothie Maker
Before you head to the kitchen to try your hand at making one of these green smoothies, I have some advice for you on SUPERCHARGING your smoothie. It will make your smoothie healthier and even more delicious.
A Word About The Color of Green Smoothies
I feel I should make a note right here that the color of green smoothies are often green, but not always. Two of our smoothie recipes are anything BUT green. One is kinda purple and the other is brown . I just want you to be forewarned when it doesnt come out green.
Bring on the Super Powers
Im not talking about the battle between Superman and Batman here. Ill save that for another day. What I am talking about it SUPERCHARGING your smoothie by adding superfoods or protein raw nuts, flax seed oil, chia seeds, or protein powder. A little of any one of these goes a long way to keeping you fuller longer.
If you liked these smoothies, be sure you check out these 15 Fresh Fruit Smoothies Youll Crave. You can easily convert them with greens like those I mentioned on the last page.
So now you have our 5 favorite green smoothie recipes for beginners, a few tips on the greens you should start with, and a few words on being a super hero.
Be sure to and on , , and Follow to see more delicious recipes, travel destinations and tips, adventures, and more of what we are up to
Top 5 Smoothie Blending Tips
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Yogurt And Fruit Smoothie
Smoothies are easy, healthy, fast, and refreshing. This one has merely three ingredients, but you would never know how smooth, creamy, and satisfying this smoothie is. With a perfect blend of naturally sweet fruit & the strawberry yogurt this recipe also doesnt need to add sugar.
Serves: 2 PersonsTime to make: 3 minutesPrice: Very Cheap!
1) Around 8 ounces of frozen mixed berries 2) 6 ounces of strawberry flavored dairy-Free yogurt3) 1 cup of milk
Directions :
1.Add the fruits, yogurt, and around 1/2 cup milk to the canister of a food processor or blender and blend on high power.2.Drizzle the remaining milk until you get the desired smoothie texture & consistency. Now, serve immediately!
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Enjoy my favorite spinach smoothie recipe . Its the best green smoothie recipe to boost your energy.
Plant-Based Recipes / Smoothies / Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Sure, I know a spinach smoothie doesnt sound that appealing, but when made right it can be beyond delicious. With hundreds of 5-star reviews, its time for you to see why this is the best green smoothie recipe.
Are you wondering why anyone would be excited to drink something as green as this? I hear ya Ive been right where you are. And so have 1 million+ others whove blended this smoothie in our free 7-day smoothie challenge.
Drinking this daily smoothie is what helped me get the body and energy to do some incredible things, such as run 47 miles of the Grand Canyon, ride motorcycles through Morocco, publish two best-selling recipe books and create a backyard garden for my kids. This daily habit has kept my kids healthy when we didnt have health insurance, energized us in between school and sports and nourished us so we dont need to take vitamins.
When I created this green smoothie recipeit changed my life in more ways than I ever imagine. It was love at first sip for me, my two kids and over 1 million others who were scared of spinach smoothies.
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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!
Green Smoothies Are Quick And Easy
As you may have guessed, the green in Green Smoothie refers to the addition of leafy greens into the smoothie. You can turn ANY fruit smoothie into a Green Smoothie by adding leafy greens.
When you are just starting out, I recommend adding one of these:
- Spinach Great for beginners
- Romaine Lettuce
- Herbs, etc.
You can start off with just a small handful of leafy greens and work your way up to 2 cups of greens in a smoothie. As you get more adventurous with making green smoothies, experiment with these different greens in the recipes below to find your favorite combination.
These are my familys favorite green smoothie recipes. Try them out for yourself and see just how easy it is to add greens to your diet with a green smoothie.
Citrus Green 1 handful of mixed greens1 kiwi, peeled1 orange, peeled and segmented1 apple, quartered1-1 ½ cups coconut water
Coconut Mango Pineapple
1 cup of frozen berries1 cup coconut milk or vanilla yogurt
Chocolate Banana Green Smoothie1 cup baby spinach or kale2 bananas, frozen1/2 to 1 cup vanilla almond milk or vanilla yogurt
Cucumber Strawberry1 cup spinach or kale1 cup frozen strawberries1 cup water or cold green tea
Directions:
To create one these green smoothies above, add the ingredients in the order listed into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth. If the smoothie is too thick, you can add water or other liquid until you reach your desired consistency.
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What I Love About This Spinach Smoothie:
- Fast you can literally have this ready to go in under 5 minutes! I always keep spinach in the refrigerator and frozen fruit in the freezer, making this healthy smoothie that fastest breakfast to throw together.
- Healthy. I love spinach because its low calorie and packed fiber and minerals. I also love adding flaxseed and chia seed for even more protein and fiber.
- Customizable change it up by adding different greens, different fruit or even throwing in some peanut butter or rolled oats! See more variation ideas below.
Are You Looking For Even More Smoothies No Worries Weve Got You Covered:
- Clementine Avocado Smoothie. If youve never added avocado to your smoothie before, you are missing out! The flavor is so mild, that you cant taste it, but the texture is dreamy, creamy smooth, and the healthy added fats help keep your fuller longer.
- Cold Buster Smoothie. When youre feeling under the weather and your throat is sore, this smoothie for colds is soothing and nourishing.
- Coffee Smoothie. Get a jolt of caffeine and your breakfast all in one cup! This is packed full of coffee flavor.
- Persimmon Smoothie. Packed full of autumnal flavor, this spiced smoothie is creamy and sweet!
- Spinach and Pear Smoothie. Bright green and fresh in flavor, this smoothie is a perfect light breakfast.
- Sweet Potato Smoothie. Sweet potato in a smoothie? YUP! It tastes like a delicious pie. Youll love it!
- Apple Smoothie. This smoothie is packed full of healthy spinach, but tastes like apple pie!
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. This pumpkin smoothie is perfect for the weather is still warm but your heart wants fall to show up.
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie. This smoothie is rich and dark, and it tastes decadent enough you could sip on it for dessert!
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie. All the flavors of your favorite sandwich in a tasty smoothie! Pick your favorite jelly to add to this peanut butter smoothie.
- Tart Cherry and Spinach Smoothies. We show serving this cherry smoothie as a light breakfast in a bowl, but you could easily pour it in a glass and sip away!
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