My Favorite Green Smoothie
There are a lot of green smoothie recipes out there, and Im sure theyre all awesome in their own right. But this? This recipe is my absolute favorite and one I drink almost daily.
I know I share a lot of dessert recipes around these parts, but I do, for the most part, eat a very clean diet. I try and incorporate fruits and vegetables into every meal. Things like meat, refined grains, heavy sauces, and cheese are consumed in moderation. Dark chocolate is my only daily indulgence. And if I havent had leafy greens in more than 12 hours, I kind of start to hyperventilate. In other words, I love a raw brownie every once in a while, but for the most part, whole foods are where its at.
Enter this green smoothie. The ingredients are simple and affordable: almond milk, peanut butter, banana, mixed berries, flaxseed and spinach. And it literally takes 2 minutes to prepare. I love that it sends me out the door with up to 3 full servings of fruit and veg in the mornings, leaving me less pressure to consume two huge salads for lunch and dinner to get my veggie count in. Plus, I love all the fiber it contains, how it has a salty-sweet balance, and how it keeps me full til lunch. Really, it doesnt get much better to me than having a giant green smoothie for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.
Health Benefits Of A Green Smoothie
- Weight loss: Green smoothie does help with a weight loss if you drink it on a regular basis. Fiber from fruits and vegetables keeps your belly full longer. Plus it is low calorie less than 100 calories.
- Detox: From the mix of chlorophyll contained in the greens to the high level of fiber to keep things moving.
- Energy: Leafy greens and fruit contain many nutrients, vitamins and naturally occuring sugars that feed your body cells with energy.
- Fruits and vegetables: Because smoothies are so easy to make, they make you eat more fruits and vegetables you wouldnt have eaten otherwise.
Top 3 Greens For A Green Smoothie
I was totally that girl that was intimidated to drink green smoothies because of the color. I mean, drinking anything green is kind of scary
I thought Id chit chat about oue top 3 kinds of greens you can add into your green smoothieespecially for those starting out vs. expert green smoothie drinkers!
You May Like: Smoothie King Ingredients
Banana Date Smoothie With Ginger And Cardamom
The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner
Dates add a natural sweetness to smoothies that will provide the flavor you want without spiking your sugar levels. Combined with frozen banana, Greek yogurt, fresh ginger, and a pinch of cardamom, you have a healthy, dessert-worthy drink. If your dates are a little hard, simply soak them in warm water before using.
Noka Organic Sweet Potato/goji Superfood Smoothie
“These 4.2-ounce Noka pouches have wholesome ingredients like actual sweet potato, dates, flaxseed, goji and cinnamon, to name a few. You get an excellent source of iron , a good source of potassium , a respectable two grams of fiber and five grams of plant protein, all for 110 calories, 11 grams of total sugars and zero added sugars,” says Moon. “These don’t need refrigeration, so they’re great to keep on hand for when I’m rushing from work straight to a dance class and need a small snack that won’t weigh me down or ruin dinner.”
You May Like: Cancer Fighting Smoothies Recipes
Healthy Green Smoothies Recipe Tips And Tricks
Ive taught you how to make healthy green smoothie recipes that taste amazing, but I didnt want to leave you without a few more tidbits of helpful info
Sometimes ingredients can pull double duty
- Milk kefir is fermented yogurt and incredibly nutritious, and it serves as both the liquid base and creamy factor.
- Fruit that has a lot of natural juices, like pineapple and oranges, can offer both flavor AND contribute to the liquid base as well.
Avoid added sweeteners if possible
- The whole point of making a green smoothie is because theyre healthy, right? So lets not PLAN to add honey or dates or any other sweetener natural or not. Theres really no need!
- If you dont think your smoothie is sweet enough, then change the fruit youre using or add more banana or add less spinach. Your taste buds will change over time, but adding sweetener wont help the long term goal of eating healthier.
Skip the ice cubes
- Hands down, cold smoothies are WAAAY better than warm ones, but ice cubes doesnt help the overall flavor of the smoothie. In my opinion, ice cubes also make smoothies feel more like slushies theyre icy, not creamy.
- If you really want cold smoothies, freeze the fruit ahead of time. I recommend freezing the bananas because theyre one of the staples in my own smoothies, but you can also make almond milk ice cubes or freeze berries as well.
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
You May Like: Dr Oz 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse
Blueberry And Spinach Superfood Green Smoothie
The Spruce
All-natural, vegan, low-calorie, and raw, this superfood smoothie is nutritious and delicious. Antioxidant-rich blueberries and iron-rich spinach will start your day off right. This drink doesn’t contain any sweeteners, but you can add a touch of honey or use fruit juice as the liquid if you like. Using a very ripe banana will naturally sweeten things up, too.
Evolution Fresh Organic Super Fruit Greens Smoothie
“It’s not often that you’ll find a green smoothie that’s not sweetened with any added sugar. This smoothie is made with all fruits and veggiesincluding kale and romaine lettuceand contains spirulina and chlorella for a natural color boost,” explains Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area.
Don’t Miss: Keto Champ Coffee
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.
Can I Put A Hot Almost Boiling Liquid Or Soup Into The Container What Units Are Suitable For The Hot Drinks
Most units are suitable for hot or boiling liquids, like soups that need to get just a bit creamier. However, some blenders are designed to handle the heat, like Vitamix E310. With this choice, you can put together your healthiest soups for your nutritious diet as well as your green smoothies. These blenders are optimized for heated drinks, where you can pour in the hottest liquids, like boiling coffee or soup right into the container. Even though our topic here is giving advice on green smoothies, soups are a great way to heat or drink healthily and blend the most nutritious foods and veggies into one easy-to-eat soup.
You May Like: Smoothies For Stress And Anxiety
Lets Talk About Blenders For Green Smoothies
We cant talk about green smoothie recipes without talking about blenders, can we?
I have a Blendtec Classic. My husband bought it for me as a birthday gift several years ago. Weve since added multiple jars to our collection and we dont regret the purchase in the least bit.
Yes, its pricey up front, but when you use it on a daily basis sometimes twice you need it to work and to work well.
How to Blend the Healthiest Green Smoothie without a High Powered Blender
If you dont have a high powered blender, you can still make great smoothies. I recommend blending in stages:
Do you know how I got started making smoothies in the first place? Because my kids would take two bites out of an apple or eat only part of their banana and I didnt want that food to go to waste!
My desire to eat well on a budget led me to make smoothies a priority, and being intentional with my health taught me how to make protein smoothies without protein powder. Even now when I have a bit of leftover cottage cheese or white beans or even oatmeal from breakfast, I know how to take these nutritionally dense foods and turn them into a smoothie that even my picky eater loves thanks to the 29 smoothie recipes and step-by-step guide in my eBook, High Protein No Powder!
Vegetarian Meal Plan
Vegetarian Meal Plan,
Blood Orange Strawberry Smoothie
The sweet-tart taste of the blood orange juice is a fantastic base for a variety of drinks. One of the best ways to enjoy that taste is in the blood orange strawberry smoothie.
This recipe is a great choice for a spring brunch and you’ll love how the two fruits play off each other. The blend is rounded off with smooth yogurt, sweet honey, and a few ice cubes, so it’s as easy as any other smoothie.
Recommended Reading: Smoothie King Seating
The Best Green Smoothie Recipes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my
We love green smoothie recipes because you can drink your breakfast smoothie and get a serving of greens all at the same time!
Dont be intimidated by the color, I promise there are many green smoothie recipes out there that hide the bitter taste of power greens but that give you all of the benefits at the same time.
Can You Taste Spinach In The Smoothie
You wouldn’t be the first to look at this recipe and say “No way!” Green! Spinach! Yuck! Yet don’t walk away! These bright green smoothie recipes will actually delight your taste buds. You’ll even have an extra pep in your step when you realize how great you feel!
Even kids LOVE this green smoothie recipe! I started blending this smoothie in my daughter Clare’s kindergarten class four years ago. Now every year, I visit her school to blend this recipe with each new class. That’s how delicious this recipe is!
Not sure if your blender can handle the greens? I’ve created 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+.
Recommended Reading: King Center Box Office Hours
How To Pick A Healthy Smoothie At The Store
When perusing the grocery store, take the guidance of Maggie Moon, MS, RD, Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and best-selling author of The MIND Diet to choose the best bottled smoothies. She recommends prioritizing:
- whole ingredients
- balance of healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat
- presence of micronutrients, like potassium or iron
What to avoid:
- filler juices
- added sugars
Cuisinart 350 Watt Bpa
Why its great: This Cuisinart blender is designed to blend, chop and grind and is a fan favorite for making green smoothies. This product includes four Tritan travel cups for beverages, a blender jar, and a chopping cup, all of which are shatter-resistant and dishwasher safe. This blenders sleek aesthetic contributes to its popularity as does its compact size, which allows for easy transport and storage. The 3-function electronic touchpad is very user-friendly and easy to read while the two blade assemblies can be interchanged based on whether youre blending or chopping.
Keep in mind: Some customers report quality issues but there is a 30-day return policy.
Good for: The no-muss, no-fuss single-serving smoothie drinker looking for something easy to use.
You May Like: Smoothie King Arena Concerts
Tips For Blending A Kale Smoothie
While this kale smoothie recipe uses lacinato kale, any kale will work. I highly recommend removing the stems of the kale before blending to eliminate as much bitterness as possible. You can compost the stems or even feed them to the backyard chickens. To tenderize kale leaves, wash them in water, then gently massage the leaves with your fingers.
When blending kale, tear it up into smaller pieces before tossing in the blender. Blend with just the liquid + kale first, until no chunks remain. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. This 2 blend method helps the kale break down quicker, especially if you’re using a non high-powered blender.
Potential Health Benefits Of Green Smoothies
Green smoothies are a great way to incorporate leafy greens into your diet. These greens are a rich source of vitamins and minerals and are most nutritious when consumed raw like in a smoothie.
Continued
Its also easy to customize a green smoothie to your taste. However, while adding ingredients can improve the green smoothies flavor, they can also increase the amount of calories, carbohydrates, fats, and sugars.
Including leafy greens in your smoothie can provide health benefits like:
Digestive Health
The insoluble fiber in leafy greens helps food to pass through your digestive system, reducing issues like diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. Fibrous foods also help you to feel fuller for longer, which can aid in meeting weight-loss goals.
Bone Strength
Leafy greens like kale and spinach are a great source of vitamin K1. Research has documented that people with a high intake of vitamin K1 are at a decreased risk for bone fractures, osteoporosis, and decreased bone mineral density.
Immunity Support
Leafy greens are much higher in vitamin C than other vegetables. Vitamin C is known to support the immune system, fight infection, and help maintain healthy cellular function throughout our bodies.
Lower Risk of Chronic Disease
Lower Cholesterol
Don’t Miss: Vanilla Protein Blend Smoothie King
The Best Green Smoothie
Smoothies are my best food friend You can have one for breakfast, you can have one for a snack, you can even have one for lunch or dinner if the mood strikes! Smoothies are a great way to pack a ton of nutrition into one quick and easy meal.
I love that you can tailor smoothies to suit your exact needs at the moment. Want something light? Stick to fruits and vegetables and choose a light base like chilled green tea or juice diluted with water.
Need something a little more substantial to tide you over for a few hours? No problem! Choose a heartier base like soy or hemp milk with your choice of fruits and vegetables and be sure to include nutrient dense ingredients like nut butters, seeds, protein powders or oils. You can even play around with the yield! Make a little smoothie, or a BIG smoothie. I always seems to make REALLY BIG smoothies so I usually have to share
This smoothie is right in the middle of light and hearty. Almond milk is low in calories and protein, so I consider it a light base. Almond milk + frozen bananas creates a lovely velvety, creamy texture. Peanut butter and hemp seeds provide a big boost of protein and healthy fats, not to mention extra staying power and a delicious nutty flavour. A handful or two of fresh spinach adds that green goodness Add a couple of soft pitted dates for a touch of extra sweetness.
If you haven’t tried a green smoothie before, the first one is kind of terrifying, Does it taste green? Isn’t it gross?
Now blend away!
Immune Builder Veggie Superfood
Take care of yourself with our Immune Builder® Veggie Superfood smoothie thats packed with vitamins and minerals and totally plant-based. Blended with organic spinach, kale, carrots, bananas, and dates, this green smoothie has an electrolyte-rich blend that can help you get the nutrients your body needs to support a strong immune system.
Recommended Reading: Smoothie King Arena Box Office
Tips To Make Green Smoothies
Can You Take E Liquid On A Plane
For carry on bags, passengers are allowed to carry up to 100ml of liquids such as e-juice bottles. Anything more than 100ml will have to be put inside the checked baggage. Its advised to avoid glass containers because it could be considered a hazard and has the possibility of breaking and spilling.
Don’t Miss: 10 Day Detox Smoothie Recipe