Fruit To Use In A Green Smoothie
Here are some suggestions for fruits to use in this green smoothie recipe. In this post I used half mango and half pineapple, which is my favorite combination! Be aware, that if you use darker fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc. the color will change and you will likely make a brown smoothie that is delicious but not green in color!
- mango
- celery
How To Make A Green Smoothie
The only equipment you need to make a green smoothie is a blender. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy drink you’ll want to make over and over. You’ll also need to get some fruit and leafy greens. The right ratio of spinach to fruit makes it sweet, as well as helps you reap all the health benefits.
Top 10 Vegetable Smoothies The Boldest Blends Of Vibrant Veggies
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Vegetable smoothiesgreen, earthy, stuffed to the gunnels with raw kaleis your mouth watering yet?
Probably not and thats where we come in, with healthy vegetable smoothie recipes that are as nutritious as they are delicious.
You can drink vegetable smoothies for weight loss, as part of a healthy diet, or just because you fancy blasting through your five a day in scrummy liquid form!
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How To Freeze Fruits And Vegetables For Smoothies
You can buy fruits and veggies and prep them for smoothies long in advance. Just take the product and wash it well. Peel if needed. Chop into 1 inch sized pieces, without seeds . Then mix and match flavorful combinations of fruits and veggies into sandwich bags and keep them stored in the freezer. Then when you want a smoothie, grab a bag and just mix it together with some greek yogurt or almond milk in a blender.
Best Vegetables For Smoothies
Published: by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN //
This post highlights the best vegetables for smoothies and recipes that use them! Youll learn about the best greens for smoothies and the best veggies to blend. Use my tips to get your daily vegetables in a smoothie that actually tastes good.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
When my readers ask about easy ways to increase their veggie intake, I almost always mention smoothies! Drinking vegetables is more palatable than eating veggies for some people. Plus, you can put a LOT of produce in a single smoothie.
Even better, whipping up a smoothie requires minimal prep time. But making a vegetable smoothie that actually tastes good does require some thought. Thats why I put together this post on the best vegetables for smoothies. Spoiler alert: leafy greens arent the only veggies you can blend.
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Choose The Greens You Would Like In Your Green Smoothie Recipe
You can use whatever green you like in your green smoothies, and we most often use spinach, collard greens, or kale.
We have also used dandelion greens, chard, and beet tops. Spinach and collard greens produce the mildest, most tolerable green smoothies, while kale, especially dandelion greens, can be a bit strong and bitter for some.
Green Smoothie Health Benefits
While all green smoothies are nutritional powerhouses and full of amazing benefits, this one is especially great for your skin, thanks to these three ingredients. These foods help to nourish your skin and give that healthy glow. So I love including these skin foods in my daily smoothie!
- Spinach: It has high levels of folate, which helps to maintain and repair DNA great for renewing skin!
- Avocado: Its full of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are the good fats that help keep your skin moist and hydrated.
- Almond Milk: Almonds are most often associated with skin care, and thats because theyre loaded with vitamin E. If you use good almond milk thats made mostly from almonds and water, youre reaping the benefits of vitamin E. Its great for repairing skin and defending against sun damage.
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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!
Why Make Vegetable Smoothie
- Minimal ingredients: Only 3 ingredients, spinach, kale and frozen mango. Easy peasy green shake for busy days!
- Powerful nutrients: Dark leafy greens make this kale and spinach smoothie full of nutrients and vitamins.
- Superfoods: You dont need trendy powders to be healthy, fresh kale is high in vitamin C and spinach contains folate and vitamins A and K.
- Creamy: Just like in mango dairy free ice cream frozen mango make this vegetable smoothie not only creamy but naturally sweet.
- Budget friendly: Stock up on fresh spinach and kale when it is on sale, and store in the freezer for convenient low calorie smoothie later.
- Readily available: These best smoothie ingredients are easy to find in your grocery store!
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Veggie Smoothies For A Refreshing Change
When it comes to smoothies we often think fruit-forward. Usually they are made with a base of frozen bananas or berries and blended with nut milk like almond milk or coconut milk, nut butter like almond butter, and other tasty ingredients. Sometimes a change is nice and thats why these 8 veggie smoothies are definitely worth a try.
These smoothies are vegetable-focused and while they do contain some added fruits, its the vegetable goodness that really shines. The vegetables also bring in a great dose of added vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, and enzymes.
How To Make Homemade Smoothies
Home » Drink Recipes » Smoothies » How to Make Homemade Smoothies
Homemade smoothies are a tasty way to add extra servings of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether you are looking for a delicious way to start your day or just need a healthier afternoon snack, knowing how to make a smoothie is a great way to expand your culinary knowledge and build your kitchen confidence.
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The Secret To A Perfect Superfood Smoothie Is:
- A serving of veggies
- A serving of some type of fruit
- 1-2 servings of extra add-ins
- liquid
Tips & suggestions:
- Keep bananas, berries, and some veggies in your freezer to have on hand for smoothies all the time!
- If using fresh fruit, you may want to reduce the liquid content or add ice for a thicker texture
- Add-in any of your favorite superfoods to any of these smoothies!
- If you love these 3 veggie-packed smoothies for beginners youll also love my favorite green smoothie recipe!
If you tried these 3 Veggie-Packed Smoothies for Beginners or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on , and for even more deliciousness!
Smoothie Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
Can you taste the spinach in a green smoothie?
You won’t be able to taste the spinach if you use the proper ratio of fruit to spinach. This green smoothie tastes like a mango pineapple smoothie with a hint of banana flavor.
Are green smoothies healthy?
Blending spinach into a smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system and increase fiber intake, as well as naturally energize you. A kale or spinach smoothie has incredible health benefits with additional phytonutrients. What we eat can truly transform our bodies and our lives in powerful ways.Most smoothies you buy or find online are made with just fruit and fruit juice. This makes them crazy high in sugar, which can cause inflammation and consuming excess calories. A green smoothie, on the other hand, is made with fruit, plant-based liquidsand leafy greens, typically spinach or kale. They’re loaded with iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins galore. If you’re not sure which leafy greens to use in your smoothie, check out my Ultimate Leafy Greens Guide for Smoothies.
What blender do I need to make a spinach smoothie?
Any blender will work, yet to get the creamiest green smoothie you’ll need a high speed blender. Check out The Ultimate Blender Guide, where I reviewed countless blenders to find the best ones for green smoothies. The key is to get rid of leafy chunks, blend quickly and provide tons of value for the price. Hint: not all of them cost $400.
Can I make a green smoothie ahead of time
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Ingredients For Healthy Green Smoothie
This vegetable smoothie contains 6 cups of leafy greens and is made with 3 simple ingredients plus water. The easiest green shake you will ever make with wholesome ingredients.
- Water: Instead of water you can use coconut water, almond milk or other milk.
- Frozen mango: Mango is one of sweetest fruits that balances out bitter taste of greens. Using frozen fruit, gives smoothie creamy texture.
- Spinach: Spinach is a sweet-er leafy green with mild taste. I would not replace it with anything as it offsets more bitter kale taste.
Freezing spinach tip: If you see about to expire spinach on sale , stock up and freeze right in a box. Then add to smoothies or soups frozen. It saves money and is so easy to use.
- Kale: Any type of kale works. Dinosaur aka lacinato, green, purple etc. Just remove the bitter rib cage. And always add more spinach than kale.
Freezing kale tip: Got a garden or bought too much kale? Wash, remove ribs, coarsely chop and freeze in resealable bags. You can also do the same with regular spinach.
How To Make The Perfect Smoothie
Add the liquid to the blender first followed by the veggie. Blend this first so that the veggie easily gets pureed and is nice and smooth. Then add the fruit and other ingredients to the smoothie and blend again! This will help you to not end up with an unexpected chunk of veggie in a sip of smoothie.
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Secrets For Making Your Homemade Smoothies Taste As Good As The Pros’
There’s nothing more guiltlessly satisfying than a freshly blended concoction of your favorite fruits and veggies, deliciously cold and packed to the brim with the nutrients that the body craves.
But, though it doesn’t make sense, you may have a hard time creating this magic in your own home. Your smoothies are either too green, too icy, or too … something not quite right. So, in our search to craft a variety of the healthiest, most delicious green smoothies around, our HuffPost Hawaii editors turned to smoothie-making expert and owner of Hawaii’s Leahi Health Beverages, Jason Coleman.
Coleman, a vegetarian bartender from the Aloha state, entered the business of health drinks after years of making home-made kombucha — a raw, fermented, probiotic tea that boasts a wide range of health benefits, including improving digestion, boosting the immune system and improving joint health.
He owns two farm-to-table health food shops in Honolulu that specialize in surprisingly delicious vegan drinks and meals using simple, all-natural ingredients. Needless to say, when he offered to share his tips for crafting the perfect drink, our editors took scrupulous notes.
Behold, the 9 secrets for making the tastiest and healthiest smoothies, ever.
1. Use the freshest ingredients possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables will always taste better than older ones. Coleman likens it to eating sushi made with fresh fish versus “previously frozen” fish — the difference is in the taste.
How Long To Store Green Vegetable Smoothie
What I love about this smoothie is that it doesnt separate much and tastes delicious even the next day.
Store: If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate in glasses or a blender jug for up to 24 hours. If refrigerated in a jug, I give it another quick blend before serving. Easy-peasy.
Freeze: I have not frozen this smoothie, but if you are planning to make a smoothie bowl, adding cubes of frozen vegetable smoothie could help thicken it! I would freeze it in ice cube trays for easier blending.
Meal prep smoothie: The best way to meal prep your smoothie is to make smoothie packs! In freezer safe bags, pre-portion your fruit, kale and spinach. All that is left to do in the morning is add your water to the blender, grab a pre-prepped vegetable smoothie bag and blend.
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Power Peach Mango & Carrot Smoothie
You were likely told to eat your carrots, as a childso why not drink them as an adult? Since carrots are widely available both fresh and frozen, theyre an accessible ingredient for a variety of smoothies. For this recipe, Alyssa of My Sequined Life blends two large carrots with peaches, mangos, and lime juice for a drink bursting with flavor and nutrition.
Veggie benefits: Aside from immune-protective beta-carotene, carrots are a good source of vitamin K, which helps blood clot and supports bone health, keeping bone fractures and osteoporosis at bay.
Health Benefits Of This Green Smoothie
If you are trying to up your vitamin and nutrient game, this smoothie is just the thing for you.
Bananas are rich in Vitamin B6, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese. The vitamin B6 found in bananas is easily absorbed by our bodies, and just one banana provides 25% of our daily vitamin B6 needs. Vitamin B6 helps produce red blood cells, maintain a healthy nervous system, and metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids. Bananas provide an easy source of energy and are perfect after sports activities.
Potassium helps maintain a healthy heart and blood pressure, and manganese helps in the production of collagen, which keeps your skin smooth, elastic, and wrinkle-free.
Apples are a widely available source of vitamins and nutrients, especially important in the winter months. They provide a healthy source of manganese, copper, and vitamins A, E, B1, B2, and B6 most of which are found in the skin. Apples are also a rich source of polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects in preventing tissue damage, and soluble fiber.
Apples are also a natural prebiotic, which feeds the good bacteria in our gut, aiding to better digestion and overall wellbeing.
This smoothie recipe packs 14 grams of dietary fiber, which makes for almost half the recommended daily fiber intake . Soluble fibers help control your blood sugar levels, keeping them steady, and the insoluble fibers aid digestion and easier bowel movements, keeping your gut bacteria healthy and happy.
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Tips For Best Results
- Order of ingredients: Its worth mentioning again! The best order to blend smoothies are liquid on bottom, frozen fruits and greens on top.
- Dont under blend: Smoothies are already a quick healthy drink to make, dont attempt to save even more time by under blending it. For a less than powerful blender, blend for 1-2 minutes, pausing to scrape. A powerful blender may need only a few seconds, but always check to ensure there are not any chunks of fruit or veg!
- Follow the recipe amounts: This ensures perfect smoothie consistency that doesnt end up watery or foamy.
- A note about protein powder: They are often filled with fake sugars, GMOs or a bunch of other junk, always check the label and if you are adding any, beware that it could lead to a chalky taste.
- Enjoy right away: Smoothies are meant to be drank right after making, otherwise the ingredients start to separate. Unless you plan on re-blending your smoothie, drink up!
Green Apple Cucumber Smoothie From Skinny Taste
This refreshing smoothie combines cool cucumber with apple, lemon, and ginger for a super hydrating, subtly sweet drink that is perfect for a hot summer day or to wake you up in the morning.
If you havent yet tried a vegetable smoothie or dont usually add veggies to the mix when you make a smoothie, be sure to give one of these recipes a try.
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Can I Use This Smoothie For A Cocktail
This is one of my favorite questions because the answer is YES! The simplicity and sweetness of this smoothie make it a perfect base for a summer cocktail. Add shot of rum or tequila and serve it blended with ice or on the rocks. You can also turn it into a fancy tropical mimosa by blending it half and half with prosecco or cava. Its great addition to the bar at a bridal shower.
How To Make A Smoothie Taste Good
Do the kids like it? Mostly.
A couple of the kids would still rather have a smoothie store smoothie than anything we make here, but will still drink it if it isnt green.
They also used to dip pieces of ham in maple-sweetened yogurt, so I wouldnt trust their judgment.
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