jen hansard with kids, husband and green smoothie

About Jen Hansard

Hey, Iโ€™m Jen Hansard, a mom of two teenagers, wife to my high school sweetheart, and the plant-loving dreamer behind Simple Green Smoothies.

Over a decade ago, I was a stay-at-home mom on WIC, running on Lucky Charms, Goldfish crackers, and way too much coffee. My son was constantly sick, I was constantly exhausted, and our bank account had no wiggle room for doctor visits or sick days. Desperate for answers, I found green smoothiesโ€”and they changed everything.

If Red Bull gives you wings, green smoothies give you dreams. Mine have taken me places I never thought possible:

Cancer has touched my family more than onceโ€”my mom beat it, my dad fought it for nearly two decades, and Iโ€™m determined to break the cycle. If thereโ€™s even a slim chance that eating more plants can lower my familyโ€™s risk, why wouldnโ€™t I try? Thatโ€™s why Simple Green Smoothies existsโ€”not to hand you another diet, but to give you real, crave-worthy recipes that make fruits and veggies something you want to eat.

And hereโ€™s the thing: Iโ€™m not vegan. Iโ€™m plant-based. That means most of my meals are loaded with fruits and veggies, but I also say yes to half & half in my coffee, a little cheese, hard-boiled eggs, collagen in my smoothies and the occasional Taco Bell run (because balance, right?).

This blog isnโ€™t about perfection. Itโ€™s about progress, energy, and living a life where you can say YES to the adventures calling your nameโ€”whether thatโ€™s chasing toddlers, running trails, or just making it through a crazy Tuesday with energy left in the tank.

So grab a smoothie, join the Rawkstar community, and letโ€™s rawk this plant-powered life together. Youโ€™re a rawkstarโ€”keep rawkinโ€™.

My Secret Sauce Expertise

I have a BA in print journalism from CSU-Long Beach and Iโ€™m the bestselling author of two Random House cookbooks (Simple Green Smoothies + Simple Green Meals). I also have a BFA in Visual Communications from CSU-Long Beach and the creator of Rawk the Year: Plant-Based Meal Planner.

I also make my own homemade deodorant and blend a green smoothie every day.

Media Features

The Oprah Magazine
Runner's World
NBC News
Well + Good

From Starbucks Junkie to Smoothie Cookbook Author

When I was 21, my world flipped upside down. My dad was diagnosed with leukemia and given four years to live. Four years. He was only 52, with so much life left to live, and I couldnโ€™t imagine a world without him.

But my dad wasnโ€™t one to give up. He fought through multiple rounds of brutal chemo, drank smoothies, juiced carrots, and ate more salads than anyone I know. My mom stood by his side every step of the way, and together they stretched that four-year prognosis into 17 years of memories.

  • Seventeen years of birthday candles.
  • Seventeen years of hikes and road trips.
  • Seventeen years of time with his grandkids.

The summer before he passed, my dad hiked with me and my kids to the top of Upper Yosemite Fallsโ€”the tallest waterfall in North America. He was 68 years old, had battled cancer three times, and still made it to the top. That hike is etched into my heart forever as a reminder of how strong and determined he was.

Cancer has touched my family more than once. My mom faced it when she was 40โ€”and she kicked its a$$. My dad fought it for nearly two decades before we said goodbye. And me? Iโ€™m determined to break the cycle.

I know food isnโ€™t a magic cure. But I do believe the closer we get to nature, the stronger, healthier, and more resilient we become. If thereโ€™s even a slim chance that loading up on plants could give me, my kids, or you more yearsโ€”why wouldnโ€™t I try?

Thatโ€™s why Simple Green Smoothies exists. Itโ€™s not about restriction, guilt, or chasing some unrealistic idea of perfection. Itโ€™s about progress, about fueling your passions, and about making fruits and veggies taste so good that you actually crave them.

This is bigger than recipes. This is about energy, longevity, and hope. Itโ€™s about hiking that trail, running that race, or just being present for one more family dinner. Itโ€™s about saying yes to lifeโ€”and knowing that every smoothie, salad, and soup gets us closer.

This is my why. Whatโ€™s yours?

people drinking green smoothies

A Few More Things Iโ€™m Proud Of

  • Trained 25 women to run rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon (and they crushed it!!!!)
  • Helped over 1.5 million people complete my 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 pound (“grief weight”), ditched the all-day coffee habit, and hiked 43 national parks with my kids.
  • 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.
Before and after pictures of a woman who lost 37 pounds.

Beverly D. lost 37 pounds after menopause

Before and after pictures of a woman who lost 45 pounds.

Shannon B. lost 45 pounds after covid

Pictures of Jen before and after she lost 20 pounds.

I lost 20 pounds and wore a bikini at 41!

Family of four standing on a mountain.

Where I Am Now

These days, Iโ€™m living in Norman, Oklahoma with my husband (heโ€™s 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. Iโ€™m recently completing a run through the Alps, backpacked Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop with my kids and am planning to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail in 2028 (when my kids are off in college and living their best life).

I’m constantly told “wow, do you ever slow down?” And I do… but it’s rare. I truly believe we need to live each day to the fullest because we don’t know how much time we each have left on this planet. So chase down your dreams, say yes to wild opportunities and eat in a way that supports it all!

If youโ€™re ready to eat more plants, feel better in your body, and live with more energy and purposeโ€”youโ€™re in the right place. Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re here.

Man with his arm around a smiling woman.

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.

Two women wearing babies.

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.

Jen pointing to her book \"Simple Green Smoothies\" with two children.

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.

Jen holding her book \"Simple Green Meals.\"

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.

Eight people gathered around a trail sign.

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.

Jen pouring green smoothie from a blender into a glass.

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

Common Questions

Where can I get your cookbook?

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.

What types of recipes do you make?

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.

When is your next live cleanse?

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.

How do you make money food blogging?

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.

When did you start Simple Green Smoothies?

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.