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My favorite green smoothie recipe is really a tropical energy drink in disguise. With over 1,300 5-star reviews, it’s time for you to see why blending spinach into a smoothie is a tasty morning habit.
I know a green smoothie doesn’t sound (or look) very appealing at first sight, but it can be beyond delicious. I’ve blended this recipe in kindergarten classrooms (and the kids ask for seconds)! I’ve made it for my teenage daughter’s volleyball friends and they chug it down. I drink this green smoothie recipe almost every morning to boost my energy levels and nourish my body.
Table of contents
Benefits of a Green Smoothie
Drinking this green smoothie is what gave me the body and energy levels to do some incredible things in my late 30’s after having two kids. I’ve run 47 miles of the Grand Canyon, rode a motorcycle across Morocco in a 7-day race, hiked Angel’s Landing and created a backyard garden for my kids.
This simple green smoothie is great for beginners because it’s naturally sweetened with fruit (no added sugars) and loaded with greens and protein. Some of the benefits I’ve noticed when I drink a green smoothie every day are:
- More energy from the natural fruit sugars
- Don’t get sick (my immune system is strong thanks to all the nutrients)
- My digestive system is happy with all the fiber and hydration from a green 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. Here’s some photos of them over the years (they have no clue I put these on here!).
When I created this green smoothie recipe, it changed my family’s life in more ways than I ever imagined. It was love at first sip for me, my two kids and 1 million others, who were intimidated by spinach (just like me!). Since them, I’ve published a best-selling green smoothie cookbook and shared my recipes live on The Doctors TV Show…twice!
Best Green Smoothie Ingredients
Everything you need to make a green smoothie is found in a garden, farmer’s market or the produce section of your grocery store. The closer we eat to nature, the better we feel. This smoothie recipe is a great way to start eating healthier foods. Here’s the ingredients we’ll be blending:
- Fresh spinach: Baby spinach is the most mild version to use in smoothies, and also the most easy to find. I suggest using organic spinach because it’s one of the Dirty Dozen. The right ratio of spinach to fruit makes it sweet, as well as helps you reap all the health benefits.
- Frozen pineapple: I buy frozen pineapple at Costco in bulk to make Frozen Smoothie Packs. If it’s on sale, I’ll cut up pineapple and freeze it myself.
- Frozen mango: You’ll find this next to the ice cream in the freezer section. I love how it’s already peeled and cut for you and ready to add to the blender. If fresh mango is on sale, you can always cut the mango and freeze yourself.
- Fresh banana: Bananas add a creaminess to smoothies that is hard to replicate. It’s magic!
- Water: The liquid base in the smoothie is water. Use filtered water to avoid any unnecessary chemicals or pollutants. I like using a Berkey Water Filter that I keep on my countertop.
Fresh VS frozen fruit
I prefer using frozen fruit because it chills down your smoothie without using ice, which can dull your blender blades overtime. I use fresh bananas in my smoothies because I like how creamy they make it.
How to Blend a Green Smoothie
The only equipment you need to make a green smoothie is a high-speed blender for smoothies. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy drink you’ll want to make over and over. Once you have a blender, you can successfully make the best green smoothie recipe following the steps below.
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 until all leafy chunks are gone.
Beginner Blending 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.
Add frozen fruit to blender
Toss in 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.
How to sweeten a smoothie
If the smoothie isn’t as sweet as you would like, add in some natural sweeteners like bananas, mango, oranges, honey or pitted dates.
Scoop in the superfoods
Once the smoothie is nice and creamy, you can add in superfoods. Chia seeds, hemp hearts and flax seed are all great choices. You can turn any smoothie recipe into a meal replacement by adding a serving of homemade protein powder to any smoothie recipe.
Blend smoothie on high speed
In order to break down the cell walls of the plants, you need to blend on high speed. You shouldn’t have any leafy chunks in your smoothie if your blender is powerful enough.
Drink green smoothie immediately
To get the maximum amount of nutrients from a smoothie, drink it immediately after blending it. The longer your smoothie is exposed to oxygen, the more it breaks down and the nutrients deteriorate. This is called oxidation. To minimize this, you can store your smoothe in the fridge with an air-tight lid for up to 48 hours, yet I think it tastes best if consumed within 4 hours after blending.
Green Smoothie Recipe Variations
It’s easy to swap ingredients based on what you have on hand. If you’d like more green smoothie recipes, check out these popular ones below:
- My son is obsessed with this mango orange smoothie recipe.
- Try this tropical pina colada smoothie to head to the beach asap.
- Want to boost your metabolism? Then this is a great fat burning green smoothie recipe.
- This kale smoothie will surprise even your taste buds.
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
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.
Equipment
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
Common Questions
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.
Green smoothies are the healthiest fast food out there. Blending spinach and fruit into a smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system, increase fiber intake, and boost your energy levels. 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, vegan milks 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.
Any blender will work, yet to get the creamiest green smoothie you’ll need a high speed blender. Check out my Best Blenders for Smoothies 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.
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.
Hey Janet!
Thanks for the post. Have you tried beginner’s luck with out yogurt?
You are doing great! Hope you are signed up for our newsletter so you can get any new updates and be apart of our 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenges. 🙂 https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge
Do I give up coffee?
Hey Louise.
For the 30-Day Challenge you don’t have to, but for the Fresh Start Cleanse we do ask that you give up coffee for the 21-Days. Our smoothie recipes make about 4-5 cups (32oz – 40oz). Jadah drinks at least 2 cups (16 oz) everyday in the morning as a breakfast meal replacement. Jen drinks hers for lunch or sometimes as a mid morning snack Since green smoothies are full of fiber, they keep us both full for a while. If either of us needs afternoon pick-me-ups, we have been known to make another green smoothie later in the day instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage.
you state that the smoothie makes 32 oz or 2 cups, would i drink this all by,yself for my breakfast or would it be a breakfast and a lunch smoothie
Hey Denise!
Our smoothie recipes make about 4-5 cups (32oz – 40oz). Jadah drinks at least 2 cups (16 oz) everyday in the morning as a breakfast meal replacement. Jen drinks hers for lunch or sometimes as a mid morning snack Since green smoothies are full of fiber, they keep us both full for a while. If either of us needs afternoon pick-me-ups, we have been known to make another green smoothie later in the day instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage.
Any idea what concussion I should try for a flat belly and losing weight. I am over 55 and am finding it hard to lose weight in spite of being very active.
I give it a try
Let us know how it goes, Peek.
Hey guys!
So I’m going to start the challenge on my own next week when I get a blender for my new apartment! I was wondering though, how many calories are the smoothies typically? Can I find that information somewhere? 🙂
Hey Carley Ray!
We don’t count calories, but we have heard great things about MyFitnessPal and LoseIt apps that can track your intake. Hope that helps!:)
Will these smoothies work for Prediabetic?
They totally can be Noelia! Yet, we def recommend you run any recipes by your doc or nutritionist to be sure they are best for your body and your health journey. Happy blending!
I’m on Day 2 of the green smoothie challenge! I have been doing them as 2 meal replacements – breakfast and lunch. I have been using the recipes but still am not feel totally full. Any suggestions of what to put more of in them to be fuller so I’m not feeling hungry? I do have a snack in the afternoon.
Hey Danielle!
Are you snacking on nuts and seed in between your 16 oz of smoothies?
Check out our Fresh Start Guide: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/cleanse
We’ve partnered with a holistic nutritionist who has created nutritionally balanced and tasty recipes. These recipes are so good that most of them will stick with you beyond the cleanse.
how long a green smoothie is good in the fridge , i usually keep one for 24 hours, does it still keep all the nutrition value at that time? wha would me the maximum time?
Hey Sharon, we store green smoothies in the fridge for no more than two days, in a seal container. Give it a little shake before you drink it. 🙂
I’m expecting a baby in two months (#8 for us) and have found in the past that the spinach in green smoothies help me to naturally avoid pregnancy-induced anemia. Would you suggest drinking a green smoothie in addition to a regular meal or in place of a meal? One per day for best benefits or several? Also, have you ever used kefir in smoothies and how does that affect taste? (I’ve read a lot of the probiotic benefits of kefir and have my own grains that I’m trying to introduce to my teen daily as he has been plagued with a lot of illnesses the past year due to his student athlete schedule) Thanks!
Hi Kim!
Here is a link to green smoothies and pregnancy:
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/smoothie-pregnancy
We personal do not drink kefir, we’ve talked with a lot of nutritionists and milk isn’t all that it’s been hyped up to be. Dairy is one of the highest diet allergies (and often goes undiagnosed), yet can cause inflammation and infections. And if you aren’t buying organic milk, you’re also getting doses of antibiotics, hormones, etc that can tip your own body out of whack. So we just avoid milk for our family (and opt for almond milk). We get our calcium from plant-based sources mainly— broccoli, spinach and kale.
It’s definitely a personal choice, and you just have to decide what works best for you and your family.
Hope that helps.
Hi,
My mother’s allergic to mango (which is fairly common in the recipes on this site), so what are some fruits I can substitute for mango? Also, my mom doesn’t want to buy anything large that I wouldn’t be able to easily finish (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, etc.), so what could I substitute for those fruits?
Thanks!
Elene
Hi Elene.
For the mango substitute try peaches.
For the other items watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple try buy little frozen bags at the store, or precut items so she doesn’t have to buy the whole pineapple, ect. 🙂
Hope that helps.
im new at this & im wondering if this is the only thing you drink? nothing else ?. Also im kinda young soo what do i do ?
Hey Valeria! You can drink green smoothies with your regular meals. 🙂
I am so sad that I saw this so late, but either way, I will be having a green smoothie for the next 30 days. I am looking forward to trying your smoothie recipes, they sound so yummy. Which one of your smoothies do you think Moringa Powder or Acai Powder will combine well with? Thanks.
I am not sure which powder will mix well with Beginner’s Luck. Try them both and see what you like. 🙂
OMG, absolutely LOVED this smoothie! So good & sooo healthy. My 3 kiddos said it way yummy too! Definitely adding to our go-to smoothie list!
I am glad you liked it and happy your kiddos did too! 🙂
Super! Thank you 😀
You’re welcome, Kate! 🙂
Thank you for adding me. I am starting a late but I am looking forward to the challenge.
Hey Shawnna! It is never too late to join! 🙂 Glad you have joined us!
my neighbor was telling me about this and I am getting info and making list of things will need to get started… I am 59 yrs old with some health issues from boot camp… not as young as use to be… lol but anxious to start this program… what have I got to loose… oh yea… weight…
oh and I am going to try the 1 oz of apple cider vinegar b4 bedtime.. hope it helps the sweats cant wait to try tonight… thanks for that tip
Glad you are here, Toni! 🙂