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I’ve been blending smoothies almost every day since 2011—and let me tell you, this green smoothies is the best one. If you’re looking to feel more energized, curb those mid-morning cravings, and sneak more leafy greens into your life (without it tasting like a salad), this is the best green smoothie to start with. The combo of juicy mango, sweet pineapple, creamy banana, and fresh spinach creates a tropical, feel-good blend that’s both delicious and nourishing.
It takes just 5 minutes to make (and 1 minute to clean up!), and it’s the easiest healthy habit I’ve ever stuck with. This recipe has been a favorite for over 1million people who’ve done my free Smoothie Challenge— which you should totally join!
Whether you’re rushing out the door, recovering from a workout, or just need a snack that won’t leave you feeling blah, this smoothie’s got your back. Give it a blend—you might just become a daily smoothie drinker, too.
Health Benefits of a Green Smoothie
Green smoothies are a delicious and convenient way to improve your health. Packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, a green smoothie offers a wide range of benefits. Here’s a few of the benefits I’ve experienced:
- More energy from the natural fruit sugars that are easily absorbed
- I rarely get sick—my immune system is stronger thanks to the vitamins in the ingredients
- My digestive system is happy with all the fiber from the spinach and fruit, plus I’m hydrated
- My skin is glowing. Adding spinach to a smoothie boosts the phytonutrients and fiber, which then slows down the absorption of sugars into your body and makes it officially a “green smoothie”.
- My kids are growing strong and healthy (they’ve been drinking green smoothies since they were little as you can see from the photos below).
I’m in my early 40’s and have two teenagers— so life has worn me down a bit. 😜 Green smoothies keep me energized and fueled so I can still go after my bucket list adventures, like:
- Run 47 miles across the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim (I’ve done this 5 times now)
- Complete a 7-day motorcycle adventure race in Morocco (I slept in floors in random houses each night)
- Hike Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park with my family (that was intense!)
- Complete a 4-day backpacking trip with my son in the Rocky Mountains last summer (my toenail still hasn’t grown all the way back)
I don’t share my adventures to brag. I share them to help you see what is possible when you nourish your body with fruits, vegetables and the best green smoothie recipe that we’ll get into now.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Everything you need to make this 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 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 of drinking green smoothies.
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 and ripe banana.
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 or reverse osmosis system for my drinking water.
Should I use Fresh or frozen fruit in a Green smoothie?
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 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 (or other leafy greens of your choice) 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 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.
Can You Drink an Oxidized Smoothie?
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 smoothie 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.
Beginner Blending Tip
When you’re new to making green smoothies, follow my Smoothie Formula to get the perfect blend. Don’t just throw spinach and kale in the blender. Chances are, it won’t taste as great if you wing it right out of the gate.
Best 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: If you are wondering how to make a smoothie sweeter without processed sugar, explore my list of natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, bananas, or dates.
- 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.
- Collagen: Unflavored collagen is a simple way to add additional protein and support gut health.
- Banana swaps: Don’t care for bananas? You can substitute it with a quarter of an avocado.
- Mango swaps: If you don’t have any mango, a full cup of frozen pineapple or peaches will work.
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!6 More Green Smoothie Recipes
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.
- Try this vitamin-C packed Blueberry Spinach Smoothie to recharge the body.
- Boost your metabolism with these Fat-Burning Smoothies For Weight Loss.
- 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.
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.
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.
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 aren’t inherently fattening. They’re packed with nutrients and fiber. A basic blend of spinach, mango, pineapple, banana, and water has about 203 calories per serving. To keep them light, avoid added sugars and high-calorie extras like sweeteners or full-fat dairy. Stick to whole fruits, veggies, and water for a healthy, balanced drink.
Do you guys know if you can make these the night before and freeze them and use them throughout the week for those busy mornings we all have?
Hi Victoria,
Yes! Frozen pre-blended smoothies will keep in your freezer for up to a month. We suggest thawing them in the refrigerator overnight before you’re ready to enjoy. Separation is natural so give your smoothie a quick shake before enjoying!
Looking for other ways to make blending easier? Check out our prep tips here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-prep-smoothies/
Cheers 🙂
Heading to Mexico tomorrow with my new Christmas Vitamix packed in the car. I’m looking forward to fresh fruits and vegetables and finding out if the 30 day challenge can boost my health.
Hi Debbie,
Cheers to blendin’ on the go!! We hope you have a wonderful time in Mexico, and hope you love your new Vitamix!! Check out our tips for blendin’ while traveling here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/healthy-snacks-for-work
I just joined the January 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!! I am super excited about it. Most of all, I am looking forward to feeling more energetic throughout the day and overall improve my health. Can’t wait to try the Beginner’s Luck Smoothie!! 🙂 Looking forward to receiving the grocery lists and recipes. Thanks.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for reaching out! We can’t wait to kick off our challenge tomorrow and are so excited to have you blendin’ with us! We hope you keep us updated throughout your challenge on Facebook + Instagram!
Cheers 🙂
Hello,
I’ve just joined and not made any of your smoothies yet. Can I use ffrozwn spinach? If yes, how many chunks or weight is 2 cups of fresh spinach?
Thank you.
Hi Clare,
Great question! While members of our community have shared that they blend with frozen spinach, we prefer to blend with fresh leafy greens, as frozen greens from your grocery aisle don’t always yield the tastiest results.
Are you looking to use frozen leafy greens to help prevent waste? How about freezing your own? It’s perfect for stocking up on leafy greens when your favorites are in season, or even better, on sale! Learn how we freeze our leafy greens here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/how-to-freeze-spinach
Beginning with this smoothie tomorrow! I got a Vitamix for Christmas so I’m pretty much out of excuses at this point! 🙂
Hi Christina,
Oh, KALE YEAH! What a perfect way to kick-off the New Year, but with a shiny new Vitamix! We hope you love our Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie and we hope you will join us for our FREE January 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge/
Cheers 🙂
Just joined today and tried this smoothie! YUM YUM I make smoothies now and then but this was good! Had spinach I needed to use and with the pineapple and banana’s it was really good! So excited to get your recipes!!
Hi Terry,
YAY! We’re so excited you enjoyed our Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie, it’s one of our personal favorites! Which recipe are you looking to try next?
Cheers 🙂
I just set a reminder in the phone to start this on Jan. 1. I cant wait I a change to help me with my sweet cravings at night this will be the snack before bed. Thanks Green Smoothie Team
Hi Kim,
We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us!! Cheers to a happy + healthy New Year!
Okay… I’m not a health food person. I eat a breakfast sandwich and iced coffee from Starbucks most mornings. I’m overweight.
I have heard about the green smoothie thing and thought BLAGH!
In fact, I avoided listening to your episode of the “My Wife Quit Her Job” Podcast simply because I thought you would be crazy health food nuts and I would not enjoy the episode.
However, I finally listened. As an online writer/marketer type person I respect your business and growth SO MUCH. Plus, you made the smoothies sound good.
I came to your site. I found myself drawn to the recipes. I find myself eyeballing this “beginner” recipe.
Yes, I (Starbucks Queen) am considering ingesting green liquid for breakfast tomorrow. And I’m kind of excited about it.
Hi Tracy,
YAY!! We’re so happy you found us in this busy internet world! We can’t wait to hear how you enjoy your first green smoothie! Reach out and let us know!
Cheers 🙂
I love you guys, your smoothies are awsome, tried this one for the first time today because I had fresh pineapple on hand. The only modification I made is a put in half the required banana, because I find it overpowers everything. What an awsome smoothie, my new favorite.
YAY! Thanks for sharing the leafy love, Laura! 🙂
Hi,
nice recipe!
What is the reasons that makes this one a good starter’s smoothie? That is contains many fruits and thus is rather sweet? Just wondering 🙂
I have a nice green smoothie recipe with spinach, pear and kiwi on my blog:
I just had this and it was great. Do you know what the calorie count is for this?
Hi Nikki,
We personally don’t count calories, so we don’t include them in our recipes at this time. You’ll find that when you consume more nourishing whole fruits and veggies, you will not only feel full longer, but you’ll also have lessened cravings for high-calorie, nutritionally empty foods. So in the end it balances out. But we know many people would like to have calorie info. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data, and the phone apps: My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
i got the power mix of green veggies , there are some name that i don’r recocnize and i wonder if you can help me with them and if they are got for me oak leaf, lollo rosa,tango,mizuna, thanks for your help.
Hi Sharon,
Power mix is a great option! We love using a variety of leafy greens when blendin’ our green smoothies. Oak leaf is a type of butter lettuce, it gets it’s name from the shape of its leaves. Red Lollo Rosso lettuce is a classic Italian lettuce, with dark copper red fading to bright green, finely crinkled frilly leaves which are crisp, almost brittle when snapped. Tango lettuce has ‘ frilly’ leaves and looks like endive but, with a mild tangy taste. And Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green. All are great addition to your next green smoothie!
Hope this helps!
can leafy green be the baby spinach or baby kale? is there any different ?
Hi Sharon,
Of course! We love blendin’ with leafy greens! They’re packed with major nutrients, but with a milder flavor than their more mature counterparts.
Cheers 🙂
Hi today I tried this recipe. As mango isn’t our local fruit I substituted it with persimmon and turned out delicious. I’ve always been avoiding fruit juice as it can increase blood sugar rapidly. Though in your recipes use whole fruits instead but I’m still worry about consuming these much fruits. Have you guys ever measure your blood sugar after drinking one cup of these smoothies?
Hi Lina,
Yum! Blendin’ our Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie recipe with persimmon sounds delicious! Worried about the sugar content of our green smoothies, turn our Simple Green Smoothie Formula on its head! Instead of blending 60% fruit with 40% leafy greens, blend 40% fruit with 60% leafy greens. Or try blending with low-sugar fruit options. Here are a few of our favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Can the fruit be canned / frozen or does it need to be fresh? I’m not very good with preserving fruit.
Hi Jess,
Great question! We love blendin’ with frozen fruit, not only does it allow us to enjoy our favorite fruits when they’re out of season, but creates a great chilled and creamy green smoothie! Canned fruit on the other hand, even when packed in it’s natural juices has additional sugar. So while you can definitely blend with canned fruit, it’s important to take that added sugar into consideration.
Hope this helps!
Hello,
How many calories are in the Beginners Luck smoothie?
Thank you!
Lorea
Hi Lorea,
We personally don’t count calories, so we don’t include them in our recipes at this time. You’ll find that when you consume more nourishing whole fruits and veggies, you will not only feel full longer, but you’ll also have lessened cravings for high-calorie, nutritionally empty foods. So in the end it balances out. But we know many people would like to have calorie info. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data, and the phone apps: My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
Hi, can I switch out the pineapple (I’m allergic) for strawberries and be able to leave it in the fridge all night to have in the morning?
Hi Jen,
Of course! Other great substitutes for pineapple are orange, grapefruit, + mango. And our recipes will keep in your fridge for up to two days in an airtight container. Know you’re going to store your green smoothie. We suggest adding a small amount of lemon juice to help preserve their green goodness!
Cheers 🙂