
About Jen Hansard
Hey there, Iโm Jenโplant-based recipe creator, smoothie queen, adventure chaser, and your go-to gal when you’re ready to ditch “counting calories” and celebrate nutrients so you can actually feel good in your body.
Iโm the founder of Simple Green Smoothies, bestselling author of two Random House cookbooks, and creator of plant-based meal planner that’s have helped millions of people lose weight, gain energy, and pursue their passions.
Yet that was never my plan. I just wanted to feel better and prevent my kids from getting sick when our health insurance ran out and we were on unemployment in 2011. Excited to share more of my story with you. Let’s dive in!
From Coffee Addict to Smoothie Evangelist
In my 20s, I lived on Lucky Charms, grilled cheese, and Taco Bell bean and cheese burritos. I’d buy a bag of spinach and watch it go bad in the fridge until I tossed it. Then I had kids, two under 2 years old, hit a wall of exhaustion, and realized something had to change. Coffee wasnโt cutting it anymore. Thatโs when green smoothies entered the pictured. It was love at first sip.
What started as an experiment turned into a daily habit that transformed everything. I had more energy, my cravings changed, I lost weight, and for the first time in years, I actually felt good in my skin.
So I did what any overwhelmed mom with a journalism degree would do: I talked with my girlfriend, Jadah, and we thought it would be great to share these recipes online.
Our Instagram account took off overnight, the blog quickly followed and I cranked out recipes to share with anyone who was willing to blend spinach and kale.
Beverly D. lost 37 pounds after menopause
Shannon B. lost 45 pounds after covid
I lost 20 pounds and wore a bikini
Wendy leaned up and gained confidence
Building a Plant-Based Life
Since 2011, Iโve helped millions of people fall in love with green smoothies and simple, plant-based recipes. But this isnโt a “clean eating or bust” kind of blog. I still love my half-and-half, late-night Taco Bell, Good & Plenty’s + Hot Tamales. I knowโ I’m like a 70-year old man when it comes to my candy cravings.
What I teach is a real, sustainable, plant-forward lifestyle that makes room for joy and real life.
This isnโt a vegan blog…Iโm not vegan.
I eat mostly plants, but I also enjoy the occasional cheese, eggs, meatโฆ and yes, Taco Bell. I still add half & half to my coffee every morning (non-negotiable).
This blog is about progress, not perfection. If you wanna toss chicken on your veggie bowl or add collagen to your smoothieโgo for it. The goal is simply to eat more plants, your way.
With this mindset, I’ve created a life I never dreamed was possible. Iโve run a 100km ultramarathon, done the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim 10 times (yep, TEN), and blended smoothies on national TV. Iโve hiked, cried, climbed, blended, chopped and biked my way through grief, motherhood, and transformation. And now, Iโm here to help you do the same.
Letโs Fuel Your Passion Together
My job is to help you fuel your passions through food. Whether you want to lose weight, boost your energy, crush a 5K, or simply stop feeling exhausted every afternoonโIโve got your back. With plant-based recipes, cookbooks, seasonal cleanses, and community challenges, weโll do it together.
New Recipes
Smoothies, snacks & meals
Each week, I share delicious, plant-based recipes that are easy, energizing, and mostly kid-approved in my newsletter.
Community Events
Challenges, cleanses & masterclasses
I host โchallengesโ and cooking classes to to help you stay motivated and have fun eating plant-based.
Weekly Meal PlaNS
Simplify your life
I create done-for-you plansโwith grocery listsโso you spend less time stressing over โwhatโs for dinner?โ and more time doing what you love.
Disclaimer: This blog isnโt about perfection. Itโs about feeling better, one smoothie at a time.
A Few Things Iโm Proud Of
- Trained 25 women from THIS community to run rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon (and they crushed it!!!!)
- Helped over 1.5 million people complete my free smoothie challenge
- Went on national TV and blending smoothies for The Doctors (I was nervous and you could tell!)
- Published two best-selling cookbooks: Simple Green Smoothies and Simple Green Meals
- Lost 20 pounds, ditched the all-day coffee habit, and gained the energy to chase my biggest dreams
- Partnered with World Hope International to fight human trafficking in Cambodia and trained as a technical operator for a desalination and solar-powered water system to provide clean water for Hurricane Dorian survivors.
Where I Am Now
These days, Iโm living in Norman, Oklahoma with my husband (heโs an Air Force chaplain), two incredible teens, and a fridge full of smoothie ingredients. We’re doing college tours, spending weekends at volleyball tournaments and planning our next National Park adventure.
We travel, we hike, we eat a lot of tacos, and we dream big. Iโm currently training to run the Alps this summer, backpacking Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop with my kids this summer and planning to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail in 2028 when my kids are off in college and living their best life.
If youโre ready to eat more plants, feel better in your body, and live with more energy and purposeโyouโre in the right place. Iโm so glad youโre here.
TImeline
Jen’s Journey
2004
Married my high-school boyfriend, Ryan (we were 21 and had been dating since we were 16!). I became a pro at making grilled cheese on the George Forman grill. A few months later, my dad was diagnosed with leukemia. I joined Team in Training, ran my first marathon and raised $5,000 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
2006
Graduated from CSU-Long Beach with a BFA in Visual Communications + BA in Print Journalism (while I was pregnant with our son). I ate bowls of Lucky Charms and ate lemons like oranges throughout my pregnancy.
2007
Had our son, Jackson, and lived in a small apartment in Studio City. My mom and dad came to the hospital to meet their first grandkid. I joined a mom’s group and did lots of hiking and park/coffee dates. I also fell in love with Trader Joe’s frozen meal section.
2009
Had my daughter, Clare, and bought our first house in Palmdale, CA to be closer to my parents. My son had food sensitivities and we eliminated corn, corn syrup and all food dyes from our diet. He stopped getting colds and ear infections within days. That’s when I saw the power of food.
2011
Moved to Florida so my husband could pastor at a church plant with a friend (he just finished Seminary). We were on unemployment, no health insurance, WIC nutrition support and my parents floated us rent. I started blending green smoothies to boost our immune system so we didn’t get sick.
2012
Started sharing recipes on Instagram and people liked them. I built a website (we called it Simple Green Smoothies) and invited the internet to join a free smoothie challenge. Over 1.5 million people have done the challenge at this point! My dad’s cancer came back, this time as lymphoma. He did treatment and made it back into remission.
2015
Published Simple Green Smoothies, a best-selling cookbook that got us on The Doctors, Oprah magazine and a trip to New York City with my family!
2016
We hosted our 7th live 21-Day Cleanse and wiped out the kale, spinach and ginger from grocery stores around the country. I took the helm of Simple Green Smoothies and Jadah went into her next passion project.
2017
Published my second cookbook solo, Simple Green Meals, sharing snacks, meals and desserts that are healthy-ish. It also became a best seller and got me back on the Doctors TV show, and interviews for Entrepreneur and Parade Magazine.
2018
Ran across the Grand Canyon (rim-to-rim-to-rim) with my friend Carissa. I fell in love with the adventure, the 47-miles of pain and the beauty of the canyon.
2019
Invited the community to run across the Grand Canyon with me. Over a year, 25 of you said YES and we trained virtually and then met up and conquered the canyon together.
2020
Covid happened and all live events were halted. I did a lot of cooking demos in my kitchen to help us boost our immune systems naturally. I still got covid, but I bounced back quick.
2022
My dad’s lymphoma was back, alongwith a new cancer they couldn’t pinpoint. He chose to fight again and made it back into remission… for a few months. In September, he took his last breath and our world was shattered. I’m still putting my heart back together.
2023
I had moments of happiness, yet I essentially lived in a grief cave for a year, just doing the motions of life. I stopped running, started drinking, ate crap and gained 20+ pounds. What little I could give, I gave to my kids. I joined a local GriefShare support group and started to work through it all.
2024
I decided to lose the weight and reclaim my life. I did all four of my 21-day cleanse events and lost 20 pounds over the year. I felt better and decided to train for the Air Force Marathon with my husband, I felt like more of me than I had in a long time.
2025
We made it! I’m settling into my 42nd year and def feel wiser and older after all that. I’m heading to the Grand Canyon in June and running through the Alps in July. My kids are heading into their junior and senior years of high school and the most amazing human beings. Ryan is an amazing Air Force chaplain and we’re settling into a new season of life in Oklahoma.
Press + Interviews
- Wellness Mama: How to Make Simple Green Smoothies a Daily Habit
- The Good Life Project: How two moms built an empire from green smoothies and big love.
- Entrepreneur on Fire: One Green Smoothie a Day
- ABC News: Hernando County mom volunteers in the Bahamas to help Dorian victims
- Parade Magazine: The Only Avocado Dressing you need
- Starter Story: How One Woman Went From WIC To CEO Of Her Own Smoothie Empire
- The Entrepreneur Way: Smoothly Flying High in Business after Getting Through the Dip
- BigScoots: Simple Green Smoothies Found Peace of Mind With BigScoots
- World Hope International: Survivors can access 14,000 gallons of safe drinking water
- NBC News: 3 new cookbooks written by and for hungry runners
- Prevention: 5 Simple Green Smoothies That Boost Energy And Help You Lose Weight
- Oprah: 4 Easy and Delicious Ways to Eat More Veggies
- Lewis Howes: How to Grow a Brand with a Powerful Heart
- Runner’s World: Zelle Book Club: Simple Green Smoothies
- Entrepreneur Magazine: From Unemployment to CEO
- Well + Good: 5 Healthy green smoothies that arenโt actually green
- NBC News: 3 new cookbooks written by and for hungry runners
- Wall Street Journal: How Two Exhausted Moms Built a Business on Smoothies
- Entrepreneur Magazine: From Unemployment to CEO: 4 Things This Mom Did to Turn Her Passion Into a Thriving Business
- Gardenary: Jen Hansard of Simple Green Smoothies Reviews Leaves, Roots & Fruit
- Design Mom: Living With Kids: Jen Hansard
- Dr. Will Cole: YouTube Interview on Green Smoothies
- 100 Days of Real Food: How to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie
- World Hope International: Woman-Owned Business Backs Working Moms in Cambodia
FAQs
Great question! A lot of what I do is create free content for all. Yet that just gets your toes wet into eating plant-based. If you wanna dive in the deep end with me, I have three ways you can do that and support my small business: Rawk the Year Meal Planner, 21-day cleanse and cookbooks.
We are a plant-based lifestyle blog, which means we make recipes using a loooooot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. We aren’t vegan, which means on occasion, you will find eggs in a recipe or cheese as a condiment. If you love meat, you can add grilled chicken, ground beef, etc to most of our dishes. We don’t care how you do it, as long as we help you eat more plants that makes us happy.
I currently have two best-selling plant-based cookbooks published with Rodale, a division of Random House Publishing. You can purchased them from my online shop link.
I try and host 4 live cleanses each year to supercharge your plant-based wellness goals. Our Winter Cleanse is usually in February, Spring Cleanse is May, Summer Cleanse is August and Autumn Cleanse is November.
Simple Green Smoothies started as a mommy blog in 2013 between Jen Hansard and an old friend, Jadah Sellner.ย In 2016, Jen took it over completely and has been the personality and CEO behind Simple Green Smoothies since.