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If you’re new to green smoothies—or just want one that actually tastes good—this is the recipe to start with. This simple green smoothie blends spinach with banana, mango, and pineapple to create a naturally sweet, tropical drink that comes together in minutes. It’s proof that healthy can be easy, delicious, and something you’ll actually want to make again tomorrow.
Table of Contents
What is a Green Smoothie?
A green smoothie is a blended drink made with leafy greens, like spinach or kale, and naturally sweet fruit such as bananas, berries, or tropical fruit. The fruit balances the flavor of the greens, creating a smooth, refreshing drink that’s easy to enjoy. Green smoothies are a quick and simple way to add more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your day in one glass.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Everything you need to make my favorite green smoothie recipe is found in a garden, farmer’s market, or the produce section of your grocery store. I’ve found that the closer we eat to nature, the better we feel. This green smoothie recipe is a great way to start that journey.
- 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 on the Dirty Dozen List.
- Pineapple: I buy frozen pineapple at Costco in bulk to make Frozen Meal Prep Smoothie Packs. If it’s on sale, I’ll cut up pineapple and freeze it myself.
- Mango: You’ll find frozen mango 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. Check out my guide on how to cut mango.
- Fresh banana: Bananas add a creaminess to smoothies that is hard to replicate. It’s magic! You can also freeze bananas to use them in green smoothies, yet the best results come from blending with a fresh, ripe banana.
- Water: The liquid base in the smoothie is water. Use filtered water to avoid any unnecessary chemicals or pollutants.
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How to Make a Green Smoothie
The only equipment you need to make this green smoothie recipe is a blender for smoothies. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy smoothie.
- Blend 1 cup of spinach in a blender with 1 cup of liquid. Blend until all leafy chunks are gone.
- 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 turn it into a smoothie bowl, use more frozen fruit. (You can freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple, or berries.)
- Add in superfoods once the smoothie is nice and creamy. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, and flax seeds are all great choices.
- In order to break down the cell walls of the plants, you need to blend at high speed. You shouldn’t have any leafy chunks or weird texture in your smoothie if your blender is powerful enough.
- Drink immediately. To get the maximum amount of nutrients from a smoothie, drink it immediately after blending it.
Recipe Tips
- Following a simple smoothie method in my How to Make a Smoothie guide helps balance greens, fruit, and liquid for a smooth, great-tasting blend. Tossing in random greens can lead to bitter flavors or a thin texture.
- Frozen fruit makes smoothies thick and creamy without ice, which can dilute flavor and strain your blender. I use a fresh banana for creaminess, plus frozen mango and frozen pineapple for sweetness.
- Invest in a high-speed blender for smoothies if you plan to make green smoothies a daily habit—it makes blending faster, smoother, and easier to stick with.
Ingredient Swaps
- Banana: You can substitute it with a quarter of an avocado.
- Mango: Swap with frozen pineapple, red apple or peaches for a fiber-rich alternative.
- Pineapple: Swap with a naval orange to get that juicy citrus flavor.
- Water: Use oat milk, almond milk, coconut water or orange juice depending on your health goals.
- Spinach: Swap for kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or any leafy greens of your choice.
How to Store a Green Smoothie
Store your green smoothie in the fridge with an air-tight lid (ex: mason jars are great) for up to 48 hours, yet I think it tastes best if consumed within 4 hours after blending. The longer your smoothie is exposed to oxygen, the more it breaks down and the nutrients deteriorate (aka: oxidation).
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
- Protein powder: You can turn any green smoothie recipe into a meal replacement by adding a serving of my Homemade Protein Powder to the blender.
- Natural sweeteners: Increase sweetness by using more natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, bananas, or dates. A smoothie can taste like dessert without any refined sugars.
- Chia seeds: A simple way to add more healthy fats and protein is to add 2 tbsp chia seeds. It won’t alter the taste, but drink fast or it will congeal. Some recipes suggest adding almond butter, yet that’s disgusting in a tropical green smoothie
- Collagen: Unflavored collagen is a simple way to add additional protein and support gut health.
- More vegetables: Try adding 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower for a fiber boost without altering the flavor.
More Green Smoothies
Once you try the recipe below, you’re gonna want more green smoothie recipes. It happens every day in my inbox! I love it! Here’s some of the most popular ones on my blog to try next:
- My son is obsessed with this Mango Orange Smoothie recipe.
- This Simple Kale Smoothie will surprise even the pickiest smoothie drinkers.
- I love this Glowing Green Smoothie with spinach and romaine lettuce for digestive support.
- Escape with this tropical Detox Island Green Smoothie to heal from within.
Dietary Adjustments & Substitutions
Need to accommodate a food allergy? Click the button below for tailored suggestions just for you:
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 banana
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.
Video
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Try adding a serving of Homemade Protein Powder, it’s super clean and easy to make.
- 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).
- Store in the fridge with a lid until ready to drink.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
You won’t be able to taste the spinach if you use the proper ratio of fruit to spinach (1½ : 1). This green smoothie recipe tastes like a mango pineapple smoothie with a hint of banana flavor.
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.
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. Adding kale or spinach in a smoothie has incredible health benefits with additional phytonutrients. What we eat can truly transform our body 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 and leafy greens, typically spinach or kale. They’re loaded with iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins galore.
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.
Where can I get the last challenges recepies/ weekly shopping list?
Can they be emailed to me? Godz_princezz@yahoo.com
Hey Nena!
Yes indeed! Click here: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge/ and shopping list/recipes will be send a few days before the October Challenge. 🙂
I’m not sure if I can do this after all… For some reason my body is rejecting meats and its tiring to eat solid foods… so smoothies have been great… but now I don’t have much money and I’m not sure how I can budget all these different ingredients… Its starting to seem more and more impossible for me…
Don’t I have to drink like 3 a day? Its like 3 meals a day right? I dunno.. It seems like a lot to buy and impossible under a budget…
Hey Ed.
Thanks so much for the comment, Ed. Our intention is not for you to drink green smoothies three times a day. 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. If you have any concerns about your health I would suggest consulting your healthcare provider, they will know you best, and what is best for you.
Hi Ed,
I’m not a doctor but I can definitely say that if your body is rejecting solid foods, you should go see one. I hope you can get some good medical advice and return to a good health.
Tara
Hi Ed, chin up! Since these smoothie’s are meal replacements, I guessing it’s actually cheaper to eat (or drink 🙂 ).
I actually made the smoothie and substituted one banana with a half of avocado!
Sounds great, Kim! How was it?
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! 🙂