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The very first green smoothie recipe I ever tried was this one, the Very Berry Smoothie–and it changed my life. At that time, my husband and I were financially struggling as he transitioned to a new job as a pastor.
We had no health insurance and our kids were at that age when all they did was pass colds back and forth (and they almost always turned into an ear infection). This berry smoothie recipe gave us the immunity boost we needed to stay healthy, as well as caused us to fall in love with green smoothies.
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Berry Smoothie Recipe for Immune Boost
For the past 8 years, I’ve sipped green smoothies with my family, and used real, whole food to keep us healthy. We also use natural remedies to heal our body. We haven’t needed any prescriptions (or over the counter meds) since starting green smoothies, so that’s proof enough for me that real food heals!
Specifically, this berry smoothie’s got over 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It also boasts 8 grams of fiber, which keeps the body regular. Fiber is often overlooked, yet getting enough fiber daily can combat Type II Diabetes, obesity, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease. That makes it an important ingredient in my opinion!
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Blend a Quality Smoothie EVERY Time
Follow these steps for a perfectly blended smoothie, using my favorite smoothie blenders! First, make sure you start with a mix of fresh + frozen ingredients. I recommend at least 1 frozen fruit in each smoothie, so that it is nicely chilled.
I also follow the 1 1/2 + 1 + 1 rule: 1 1/2 cups of fruit, 1 cup of leafy green vegetables, and 1 cup of liquid in every smoothie. Finally, if you are blending with a non-high powered blender, then make sure to blend your liquid + leafy greens first. This will minimize the leafy chunks at the end, and also help your blender break down the ingredients better.
Note: this berry smoothie recipe has a little less water in it, because oranges act as a liquid and a fruit, they’re so juicy. For tips on blending it all perfectly, check out our guide on how to make a smoothie.
How to measure leafy greens
I often get the question, “How do you measure leafy greens?!” It’s a great question, yet the answer varies depending on the person. If you are new to green smoothies, I recommend a lightly packed 1 cup serving of spinach. If you’re a #greensmoothiequeen, then stuff those greens in as much as you can!
Seriously though, if you need to start with 2 spinach leaves and work your way to more, then that’s great. I know that you’ll be adding more greens to each smoothie in no time, just like I did! These days, I just grab a few big handfuls of spinach for my smoothie, and sometimes I even freeze spinach ahead of time so it’s ready to toss in.
Ingredient Swaps
Green smoothies are super versatile, so don’t be afraid to make these recipes fit your pantry, as well as your tastebuds. I like the strawberry/blueberry combo in this berry smoothie, yet choose the berries you like best. Cherries + raspberries are also a great combo.
- If you need to cut down on the sugar, swap the banana with 1/2 cup cauliflower, or 1/2 avocado. That way your smoothie stays creamy and your blood sugar stays happy. If you do this swap you can freeze bananas for later use and learn how to cut avocado like a pro!
- If fresh oranges aren’t easy to find, you can sub in 1/2 cup 100% orange juice, just make sure it’s the kind with lots of pulp!
More Berry Smoothies
Berries are easy to add to smoothies, so I’ve got a whole list of fruit smoothies for you berry lovers to try:
- Strawberry mango smoothie
- Cranberry smoothie
- Blueberry smoothie
- Elderberry smoothie
- Cherry açaí smoothie
- Blackberry smoothie
If you make this citrus berry smoothie, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Citrus Berry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 orange
- ⅓ cup strawberries frozen
- ⅓ cup blueberries frozen
- ½ banana
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Blend spinach, water & orange until smooth.
- Add fruit and blend again.
Video
Helpful Tools
Notes
- You can swap the orange for 1/2 cup of orange juice with lots of pulp. Remember— fiber is our friend!
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Swap in any leafy green vegetables you want.
- Pre-prep all ingredients in my frozen meal prep smoothie packs so you always have a quick smoothie ready to blend-and-go.
This one is good but too sweet for me. I only used half the orange.
The very berry smoothie was very good! I used frozen spinach and berries, substituted raspberries (and a few blackberries) instead of strawberries. I found the banana flavour a bit strong, but that could be from using a frozen banana? Hubby liked the flavour. I added chia seeds and pea protein powder to mine for an added boost.
This is one of my favourites so far. I like the citrus taste from the orange! Another hit in our home.
Really like this one. It needed more water as my orange must not have been juicy enough.
Here for Rawkstar Bingo to rate Day 4 smoothie on the blog! 5/5! The taste of orange and the berries is an interesting combination!
Very delicious with a nice combination of different fruits and the discreet presence of greens.
I forgot the banana, so I just ate it on the side. Even without the banana this was really good.
A tad on the tart side, but still good. I may try it with almond milk next time to help tone it down a little.
Love Day 4 Smoothie!
Day 4 – With added berries. Like the plain green smoothie better.
Next to day 1, this is one of my favorites! Had it for lunch today, along with a couple of breakfast items. Yummmmm!!
Pretty good. I added some pomegranate powder to mine with a coconut smoothie cube.
The Orange makes it really fresh tasting.
Not a fan of this one. I think It was too much orange and not enough other fruit. Will try again but cut back on the orange.
This smoothie was good but I was overzealous with the greens and ended up with a greener smoothie than expected.
It’s has simple ingredients and it’s easy to prep.
Can’t go wrong with this smoothie! Loving this challenge so far.
Loving the challenge.
This one is a keeper! Whole family loved it.
My posts don’t seem to be saving to the blog so I’ll try this again…Great smoothie! You’d never know there was spinach in it. Added some parsley and flax meal for an extra boost. Delicious! Will make again for sure!
Actually I really like this one! The citrus is a great addition.