Enjoy my favorite green smoothie recipe, which is really a tropical energy drink in disguise. I’ve blended it in kindergarten classrooms and the kids ask for seconds, no joke! I try and drink at least one kale or spinach smoothie each day to boost my energy levels and fuel my passions.

I know a green smoothie doesn’t sound (or look) very appealing at first sight, but when made right it can be beyond delicious. With over a thousand 5-star reviews, it’s time for you to see why blending spinach into a smoothie is a great morning routine.

Best green smoothie recipe
Table of Contents
  1. Why You’ll Love It
  2. How to Make a Green Smoothie
  3. Spinach Smoothie Blending Advice
  4. Smoothie Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
  5. More Green Smoothie Recipes
  6. Best Green Smoothie Recipe Recipe

Why You’ll Love It

Drinking a daily green smoothie is what helped me get the body and energy to do some incredible things, such as run 47 miles of the Grand Canyon, ride motorcycles through Morocco, publish two best-selling recipe books and create a backyard garden for my kids.

Jen adding spinach to Vitamix blender in a white kitchen with a window to make a smoothie

This daily habit has kept my kids healthy when we didn’t have health insurance, energized us in between school and sports and nourished us so we rarely get sick. And when we do, we can usually bounce back with some of my own natural remedies. My kids started drinking green smoothies when they were 2 years old. Now, they’re teenagers and still drink them.

children drinking green smoothies in mason jars with metal straws

When I created this recipe…it changed my life in more ways than I ever imagine. It was love at first sip for me, my two kids and over 1 million others who were scared of spinach smoothies. I’ve published an entire green smoothie cookbook and went on The Doctors TV Show to blend live on stage!

freshly cut bananas and pineapple to make a spinach smoothie

How to Make a Green Smoothie

The only equipment you need to make a green smoothie is a blender. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy drink you’ll want to make over and over. You’ll also need to get some fruit and leafy greens.

The right ratio of spinach to fruit makes it sweet, as well as helps you reap all the health benefits.

Ingredients you’ll need

  • fresh spinach
  • frozen pineapple
  • frozen mango
  • fresh banana
  • water

It’s important to use frozen fruit in a smoothie to chill it down. I know a lot of people use ice, but that will dull your blender blade and not get as creamy of a result. I like to buy my frozen fruit at Costco and create Frozen Smoothie Packs.

This saves me time and money, while making a healthy smoothie an easy morning routine. You can do this with any number of healthy smoothie recipes.

best green smoothie recipe uses spinach, mango, pineapple and banana

Spinach Smoothie Blending Advice

1. Blend spinach with liquid base.

Blend 1 cup of spinach (or another leafy greens of your choice) in a blender with 1 cup of liquid. Adding spinach to your smoothie boosts the phytonutrients and fiber, which then slows down the absorption of sugars into your body. Blend well (until all leafy chunks are gone).

Tip: When you’re making your first few green smoothies, follow my Green Smoothie Formula to get the perfect blend. Don’t just throw spinach and kale in the blender. Chances are, it’ll taste nasty if you wing it right out of the gate.

2. Add fruit to blender

Toss in fruit, such as frozen mango, pineapple and bananas in the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If you want your smoothie to be extra chilly or possibly even be a smoothie bowl, use more frozen fruit. You can freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple or berries.

If the smoothie isn’t as sweet as you would like, add in some natural sweeteners. My go-to are bananas, mango, oranges, honey or pitted dates.

3. Toss in Top Superfoods List, if using

Once the smoothie is nice and creamy, you can add in superfoods. Chia seeds, hemp hearts and plant-based protein powder are all great choices. You can turn any smoothie recipe into a meal replacement by adding clean protein and healthy fats. You can also add a serving of homemade protein powder to any of my smoothie recipes to instantly transform into a meal replacement.

Blend on high and serve immediately for maximum nourishment.

Storing spinach smoothies in mason jars for freezer prep.

Smoothie Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Can you taste the spinach in a green smoothie?

You won’t be able to taste the spinach if you use the proper ratio of fruit to spinach. This green smoothie tastes like a mango pineapple smoothie with a hint of banana flavor.

Are green smoothies healthy?

Blending spinach into a smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system and increase fiber intake, as well as naturally energize you. A kale or spinach smoothie has incredible health benefits with additional phytonutrients. What we eat can truly transform our bodies and our lives in powerful ways.

Most smoothies you buy or find online are made with just fruit and fruit juice. This makes them crazy high in sugar, which can cause inflammation and consuming excess calories. A green smoothie, on the other hand, is made with fruit, plant-based liquids and leafy greens, typically spinach or kale. They’re loaded with iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins galore. If you’re not sure which leafy greens to use in your smoothie, check out my Ultimate Leafy Greens Guide for Smoothies.

What blender do I need to make a spinach smoothie?

Any blender will work, yet to get the creamiest green smoothie you’ll need a high speed blender. Check out 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.

Can I make a green smoothie ahead of time

For busy weeks, you can create Frozen Smoothie Packs that you prep on the weekend and enjoy all week, or month. It’ll only take you 5 minutes every morning to have a green smoothie ready to go. You can also blend your smoothie the night before and store it in your fridge until ready to drink.

two mason jars filled with vibrant green smoothie and a paper and blue and white paper straw

More Green Smoothie Recipes

If you’d like to make more green smoothie recipes, check out these popular ones below:

Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you’ve made it. I love getting your feedback!

4.83 from 1481 votes

Best Green Smoothie Recipe

The best green smoothie recipe is a tasty tropical treat packed with iron, potassium and vitamins galore. There's no need to be scared of a spinach smoothie when it tastes like this.
Prep: 3 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Smoothie
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 1

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup pineapple frozen
  • ½ cup mango frozen
  • 1 banana
  • 1 serving homemade protein powder optional

Instructions 

  • Measure: Tightly pack spinach in a measuring cup.
  • Add: Put spinach to blender with water. Blend together until all chunks are gone. (Should resemble green water when blended well).
  • Toss: Pineapple, mango and banana to blender. I like to use frozen pineapple and mangos to chill the smoothie down and save time cutting and prepping. It’s a win-win!
  • Blend: It all together until smooth and creamy. Depending on your blender, this could take as little as 30 seconds or as long as 2 minutes.
  • Pour: Into a glass and serve immediately.
  • Store: In the fridge with a lid until ready to drink.

Video

Notes

  • Not a fan of bananas? Swap it for 1/4 avocado, additional 1/2 cup mango or 1/2 cup peaches.
  • You can use 1 cup pineapple if you’re out of mango.
  • Frozen fruit is recommended to chill the smoothie (and save time cutting and washing).

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 38mg, Potassium: 818mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 3829IU, Vitamin C: 88mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

About the Author

Jen Hansard

I went from exhausted mama to running across the Grand Canyon, riding & hiking to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America with my kids. How? I fell in love with the smoothies and plant-based meals you can find on my blog.

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Comments

  1. I was skeptical but I knew it had to be true because of all the reviews. I am not doing right with my diet and needed a way to incorporate veggies and fruits. This smoothie really is good. Thank you so much!!

    1. Hi Marisa! So glad you decided to give it a try even if you were skeptical! We have a whole section of smoothie recipes on the blog you should check out!

  2. 5 stars
    I love the idea of mixing the spinach and water 1st, then adding the rest.
    Made this twice today, as my 10yo wanted it again at lunch time!
    I can definitely see myself making this is the morning, for work.

    1. Hi Fran! It’s definitely a game-changer to mix spinach and water first. Really helps make sure it’s well blended. So glad you loved it!

    1. Hey Cynthia! So glad you loved it! I personally add chia seeds to all my smoothies too.

    1. Hi Kavodel! You can drink this one daily for sure!

  3. 5 stars
    The immune booster was delicious & took no time to make – can’t wait to try the rest!

    1. Saundra- This is rawesome news! Good luck and keep us updated on your favs.