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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
- 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. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy smoothie.
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
Here’s some of the most popular green smoothie recipes on my blog to try next:
- My son is obsessed with this Mango Orange Smoothie recipe.
- This Tropical 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.
One of my favorite green smoothie recipes. Fruity and refreshing
I just tried this smoothie and love it! I’m hoping to feature this recipe in a green smoothie compilation on my blog (thethrivingself.com) later this month. I’ll give credit to this post, of course! Would this be okay with you? Also, your photos are gorgeous and I’d love to include one with credit given. I know everyone has different policies on things like this, so please let me know if you’d be interested in being featured!
Thanks!
Hi Megan,
Of course you can! Simply link back to Simple Green Smoothies. Thanks for sharing the green smoothie love. Also, we’d love to learn more about your blog! Make sure and share the link with us!
Can you use frozen mango and pineapple. That is my biggest issue buying fresh fruit and not using it all. Ends up going to waste. Txs
I just tried it using all frozen fruit and it turned out delicious! My weak blender had to work a little harder, but it all came together perfectly!
Hi Cookie,
Definitely! We love blendin’ with frozen fruit! Especially as it prevents waste. Did you know we freeze our leafy greens too?
Learn how here!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/how-to-freeze-spinach
This Beginner’s Luck smoothie is delicious! I haven’t made smoothies in 2 years and am going to do the Simple 7 challenge so this was a great introduction!
YAY! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us, Ronzetta!
What can I replace the pineapple with? My tummy doesn’t like pineapple.
Hi Dianne,
Not a fan of pineapple? No worries! Swap in oranges, mango, or peaches. Need more inspiration? Check out our Rawkstar Substitution Guide here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/substitution-guide
you only recomend blending? can i do it on a juicer?
Hi Cintia,
We’re all about blending here at Simple Green Smoothies. But you can definitely use our recipes in your juicer too! Learn more about the difference between blending + juicing here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/juicer-vs-blender
Can we use frozen pre packaged fruits in the smoothie ?
Of course you can!! We actually suggest using at least one frozen fruit to ensure your smoothie is creamy + chilled to perfection!
Hi!
I’m interesting in beginning the 30 day smoothie challenge, but have a few questions.
Does it matter what time of day you consume the smoothie? I’m still in school and not sure if I’d have time in the morning!
Although, If drank in the morning, does this fill you up so much to not eat breakfast?
And finally, if I am unable to drink the smoothie one day, and have to skip but then resume the following day, does that matter? Will it have any effect?
Thanks,
Sophie
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re so excited to have you join us for our next Green Smoothie Challenge! You can enjoy your green smoothie any time of day! Just know that green smoothies give you a great energy boost, similar to a cup of coffee, in case you’re planning on having yours close to bedtime. Our goal for you is to add one green smoothie to your day in addition to your regular diet. If you’re interested in 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
Skip a day? Don’t worry! We’re all about progress, not perfection! One of our #1 tips for success is prepping your green smoothies! It makes adding green smoothies to your diet super easy. Check out our tips here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-prep-smoothies/
Hope this helps!
Hi,
I am wondering if I can have two green smoothies per day as meal replacements. Is this safe/healthy? Has anyone else tried this?
So I was doing a green smoothy everyday with spinach, strawberries, bananas and sometimes other fruit. I was having a bad problem with yeast infections and my doctor said that sometimes they are caused by too much sugar. After I stopped the smoothies, no more yeast infections. I miss them because they made me feel so much better any substitute suggestions for all the sugar?
Hi Audra,
Looking for low-sugar fruit options! Try reaching for options like berries, apples, and peaches. You can also turn our green smoothie formula on it’s head. Blend 3 cups of leafy greens, 2 cups of fruit, and 2 cups of liquid base.
Learn more here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Is nutritional info available for your recipes? Thank you.
Hi Sarah,
We personally try not to focus not numbers, and for that reason you will not find them with 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 this information. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data, and the phone apps: My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
Hope this helps!
I have a tendency to kidney stone, spinach have high oxalate content, whats the substitution
Hi Remi,
Thanks for reaching out. To avoid oxalate buildup we suggest rotating your leafy greens. For example blend kale one week, then take a week off and blend another leafy green, then blend kale again the following week. This allows your body to process the leafy greens and help avoid buildup which can lead to kidney stones. Learn more about rotating your leafy greens here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/leafy-greens
It’s also always important to reach out to your personal physician to ensure the leafy greens in our recipes are the right choice for yo + your body!
where to get the cups
Hi Mandy,
Blending outside of the US? We’ve got you covered! Check out our Rawkstar Conversion Guide…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/app
Thanks for absorbing me in the green community I have been craving for. Am asking what I can do if more than one ingredients are not on our local markets. Things like pomegranates, berries,protein powders, coconut food products,nuts, seeds rarely appear and others can never be seen while those seen are never fresh except locally grown.
Hi Nfite,
Thanks for blendin’ with us! Having trouble finding ingredients near you? No worries! Swap in ingredients that are available and that you love! Our recipes are here to inspire you, so please don’t feel like you need to follow them to a T.
Need inspiration? Check out our Rawkstar Substitution Guide here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/substitution-guide
Best smoothie ever! I can’t believe it tastes this good. If all the smoothies tastes this good, I can definitely drink a smoothie every day for life. Looking for more to come on the 10 day challenge and beyond.
Hi Sonya,
YAY! Thank you so much for reaching out + sharing the green smoothie love!
PS. We’d love to share your post in our marketing. Comment
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I am a cancer survivor. My body has been ravaged with all the nasty chemo. My motivation is to drink a green smoothie every day to try and get healthy again. Is there any recorded data showing how a green smoothie might fix a chemo ravaged body?
Hi Cindy,
Cheers to kicking cancer to the curb!! While we don’t have any specific data on the benefits of green smoothies on chemo recovery, we believe your body always benefits from from fueling it correctly with fresh fruits, veggies, + leafy greens. As always, it’s important to check with your physician and ensure the ingredients in our recipes are the right choice for you + your body!