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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.
Added cacao to mine for a super food boost, plus chocolate was on my radar, and this does the trick!
#4 Smoothie was great! I have it for breakfast so I add my lean protein powder & chia seeds
And a fancy glass! Cheers!
Really yummy. After tasting it, I added vanilla protein powder and made it creamier.
Made this today , added glow protein powder, maca, and spirulina and brought it to work.
I love how smooth and frothy this one is. Granted, instead of using the water, I used the leftover creamy coconut milk from making the Simple Green Veggie Bowl (which was a hit with my parents as well).
One of these days I am going to figure out how to post a photo on FB, but for now I just keep taking pictures of everything I make,
The SGVB was delicious! I made it for dinner at my parents’ tonight and everyone loved it. Oh, and my mom really liked the Day 1 smoothie. She drank both instead of sharing with my dad.
Every recipe I’ve tried is good! Including this one. Following a recipe tastes so much better than just throwing whatever is in the fridge.
Day 4 “very berry”was “very delicious”. I subd coconut water for the water and added a little extra plus I added Chia seeds, almonds, and superfood Everyone in the family tried it and loved, it all five of us. my 11 yr old grandson said it was the best and I should make more . More rawkstars in the making. #simplegreensmoothies are awesome!
I think it’s good
Loved it but did have to add a bit more water. Added my chia seeds also
I enjoyed this smoothie. It was an on the go smoothie as I drove kids back to college. It really helped me have the energy to make it through a very long day.
Pretty yummy… Added coconut oil and chia seeds to make a full meal.
Tasted really good. Just had to add a lot more water.
What a great day! My family loved our version of Very Berry Green Smoothie! One even rated it the best smoothie they have ever tasted! Wow!
Let’s just say «Wow!” Can’t even tell there’s any greens in there , and it’s so yummy ! I added parsley and cilantro to it after I tasted the original recipe
I really enjoyed this smoothie. I used a clementine instead of an orange and added my vanilla protein powder. Very tasty!
My fave so far. A nice tangy taste. I also added chia for some extra nutritional power! Yummy!
So refreshing with the orange in it. This is one of my favorites.
Day 4 Smoothie
I enjoyed this smoothie. Added chia seeds and kale! Yummy!
Nice to change things out today with some different fruit. The flavor was nice. Overall, this texture was a little more difficult for me to drink than some of the previous smoothies. Then again, that could have been my fault since I added both protein and collagen powder before blending.
It was good. I’m not a huge banana fan.