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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.
In addition to yogurt, can I add chai seeds to my smoothies
Hi Bailey,
Of course! We love the protein boost yogurt + chia seeds can add to our favorite recipes. Learn more about our favorite protein boosts here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-protein-powder
Are the smoothies a meal replacement?
HI Treana,
Our goal for you is to add one 16 oz green smoothie to your day in addition to your regular diet. You can definitely enjoy your green smoothie as a meal replacement too. When using your green smoothie as a meal replacement we suggest adding protein + healthy fats to ensure you’re fueling your body with a complete meal. Learn more about our favorite meal replacement booster combos here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-replacement-smoothie
Hi, I have a Thermomix, which means the quantities normally need to be adjusted. With the recipes you provide, do I still have to adjust quantities, or are they set for a blender (rather than a juicer)?
Thanks!
Hi Monique,
We’re all about blending here at Simple Green Smoothies! You reap the benefits of the entire fruit, no fiber loss! So you should be all set + ready to blend!
If you’re blending outside of the US, you may want to check out our Rawkstar Conversion Guide…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/app
Cheers 🙂
What will happen if I add yoghurt to the drink?
Hi Naju,
You can definitely add yogurt to your green smoothie! Non-fat Greek yogurt is a great option when looking to add protein to your favorite recipes.
Cheers!
Can u plz tell me how much weight will I lose in the 30 day challenge if I do it right?
Hi Noor,
Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately everyone’s body is different, and therefore will react differently to adding green smoothies to their diet. While weight loss is not the #1 goal of our 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge it can be a happy accident. Our #1 goal is for you to fuel your body with fresh fruits + leafy greens. You’ll be amazed how adding this one simple habit can change the way you fuel your body, leading to life long changes in your health and wellness, and possibly your waist line.
Check out Simple Green Smoothies’ story about green smoothies and reaching her weight loss goals here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/about
how many calories are in the beginner’s luck green smoothie?
Hi Melinda,
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.
So happy you guys are out there in proofing healthy eating habits!
Thanks for blendin’ with us, Ann!
We are on day 2 of our green smoothie journey…I made this one on the first day and husband loved it. I was a little iffy on consistency which got better as I drank it and could be due to sub-par blending skills, but I loved the taste and it kept husband full until lunch. I do my best to eat healthy and I do not have weight issues, but I frequently crave Cokes and bad carbs in my mid-afternoon slump. I was super happy and surprised to find myself craving another one of these that afternoon instead of the usual junk. Hooray!
Hi Carol,
Wahoo!! We love hearing you’ve got that green smoothie crave! Looking to blend a creamy smoothie without any leafy chunks? Check out our blending tips here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/smoothie-formula
hi, I was wondering if water is the preferred liquid base? I like unsweetened almond or soy milk but does that take away from the nutrients or add too much fat to the smoothie?
Hi there..just found ur pages while waiting d rain to stop. M from malaysia…currently struggling to reduce weight..to eat all d green stuff as m not vege lover.. will try ur recipe this coming weekend..hope it will ‘suit’ my appetite..hehe..
Hi Nor,
Thanks for joining us! How did you find out about our page? We hope you love Beginner’s Luck as much as we do.
Please reach out with any questions!
I stumbled upon green smoothies last week and signed up for your emails. Saturday morning I went shopping for ingredients — my parents had bought me a Black&Decker blender 4 or 5 years ago the last time I wanted to make smoothies. I made the ‘Beginner’s Luck’ smoothie Saturday night to share with a friend, and now here we are today and I find myself craving the same smoothie at lunch time! Sometime soon, I need to learn how to freeze my own mangoes and pineapples.
Hi Brenda,
Wohoo!! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us!! Looking to freeze your own fruit? Rawk on! We suggest laying your cut fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen store your fruit in a ziploc or freezer safe container. Freezing your produce this way will prevent everything from freezing together.
Have you ever thought about freezing your leafy greens? Learn more here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/how-to-freeze-spinach
I’ve been thinking about doing green smoothies for a while. I signed up for the next 30 day challenge. The Beginners Luck looks good. Going to go get a blender and get my feet wet before the challenge starts.
Hi Gary,
YAY! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us. Reach out with any questions!
Hi just found this have signed up for your chanlege as a very low iron person anemic in fact just finished my 2 iron infusions
Hubby been making spinach smoothies for me the last 2 weeks
Am going to try yours but use pineapple as no mango yet
Thanks
Hi Fransrose,
Thanks so much for reaching out! We’re so happy to have you as part of our community :). Always feel free to tweak our recipes to use what you have on hand! It’s all about making it work for you.
Take care :).
Found your website after a quick green google search. Even with determination for healthy living there was a month of procrastination until I took the plunge today. Only made half the quantity of the beginners luck – so I didn’t waste it if I didn’t like it. Presented the glass of green to husband who dutifully drank and …………. yeah, green smoothies win!!! Thanks for your great website which encouraged me to go for it!
Hi Ruth!
Thank you so much for reaching out + for your kind words! So happy to have you as part of our community, and love hearing that your husband is a fan, too! Thanks so much for blendin’ with us, and can’t wait to hear what you think of all the other recipes :).
Hi… Just found your website and excited to get started. However, I have read you must be careful with combing fruits and veggies together. Is this true? thanks
Hi Kris!
Thanks for reaching out! All the research we’ve done suggests that combining fruits + veggies together is completely fine (like a salad!). However, we always encourage our community members to do what they feel is best for them, personally :).
Cheers!
Kris, Possible you misunderstood? …. What I believe they meant: Be careful of the combinations you put together, as they can taste bitter or not go together well…. Example: Cantaloupe flavor is soooo strong, I cannot combine it with any other fruit or veggie …. Overpowering….. So a mono (one flavor) of this works best….and super healthy!
For the recipes how many servings does it make? I am wanting for two people so do I just double the amounts? Thanks in advance.
Hi Adriane!
Thanks for reaching out! Our recipes make two servings, so they will be perfect if you’re blendin’ for two people!
Cheers :).