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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.
Can not wait to try this I love smoothies
HI Tammula,
YAY!! Don’t forget to reach back out + let me know what you think!
Thank you so much for the recipe. Delicious! I’m in the process of regaining my health and decided that a green smoothie to start my day would be a great start. Another bonus is that my children love it. Feels great knowing that they are getting a good portion of their veggies and fruit too!
WARNING: 33 grams of sugar = 8 teaspoons of sugar. Yes it’s from fruit but it’s still a ton of sugar. Also, 1 cup of spinach is probably only one ounce total. If you are having this for dessert then great. But if you are drinking this for health benefits then you need to double or triple the spinach and cut the fruit by 1/3 at a minimum. It will STILL taste great. I actually use more veggies by WEIGHT than I do fruit, but note that I also add vanilla protein powder which has Stevia to sweeten it. Hope this feedback helps!
Hi Sashim,
Each smoothie has 3 cups of fruit in it, and it is recommended that an adult has 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day. When you drink 16oz of our green smoothie recipe you will be meeting, or just under your daily intake for fruit. If you feel like that is too much fruit, feel free to do 2 cups of fruit in each smoothie with 3 cups of leafy greens. Hope that helps. 🙂
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/
Mix with Coconut milk
Would this be good with coconut water?? Or do you think it would taste weird?
Hi Christy,
It would be amazing!! I love the refreshing flavor of coconut water + think it would be a great addition to this recipe. Remember our recipes are here to inspire you, so don’t hesitate to change them up!
can you use apple juice or any other type of juice instead of water
Hi Sexy Mama,
You definitely can! We love blending with fresh squeeze juice. Just know that the natural sugar found in the juice, will significantly increase the sugar content of our recipes. I usually suggest blending 50% juice, with 50% water to help manage this increase. Hope this helps!
[…] Fresh green smoothies: Here’s my favorite recipe for breakfast […]
I like to freeze ‘smoothie kits’ for quick drinks. Should freeze individual ingredients? Or blend then freeze?
Hi L,
That’s actually completely up to you! You can make smoothie packs, as we show in our prep tips. I’ve included the link below! Or you can blend + freeze. Then once you’re ready to enjoy, place your blended smoothie in the fridge to thaw overnight. Just make sure and give your smoothie a good shake before enjoying. Because our smoothies are free of any yucky additives or stabilizers separation is completely normal.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-prep-smoothies/
Great smoothie. All 4 kids r gobbling it down!
Hi Amanda,
YAY!! Love hearing that your whole family are enjoying Beginner’s Luck. This is another kid favorite recipe…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/strawberry-banana-smoothie
My sister is diabetic, I want to make her some smoothies as well, can you help meme with that. Thanks a bunch
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for reaching out. Diabetes can be tough, each individual has different needs due to their blood sugar, so we always suggest anyone with health concerns work with their personal physician to ensure the natural sugars in our recipes are the right choice for them + their body. And they know your sister best!
A great article to share with your sister and her doctor is our blog post on green smoothies and low-sugar fruits. You can find it here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
My 1st green smoothie ever and is SO good!
Yeah!!!!! So glad you tried it and liked it. Please share this recipe with your friends and convince them too. We need more green smoothie drinkers in the world. 🙂
I’m allergic to all citrus fruit what can I use
Hi Katherine,
Allergic to citrus? I’ve got you covered! Take a peek at our Rawkstar Substitution Guide with plenty of swaps to help you with any recipe!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/substitution-guide
Can you use watermelon and pears maybe?
Can you mix 5 days worth of the mixture for the week?
Hi Beverly,
Our recipes will keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days. Want to blend for the whole week? You can always freeze your blended smoothie. Then pop in the refrigerator the night before you’re ready to enjoy. Once thawed, give your smoothie a quick shake + enjoy!
Jen: Do you ever put yogurt in your smoothies? Jim Pye
Hi Jim,
We do!! While our team trying to avoid dairy (it’s the number 1 undiagnosed food allergy and can be pretty tough on your digestion), we love reaching for coconut yogurt! If you love dairy + the way it makes your body feel – go for it! Greek yogurt can be a great protein boost!
most smoothie recipes include bananas…i don’t like bananas…what can i sub for this recipe
thx
oh i see the insert now…oops sorry
Hi Mstee,
Not a fan of bananas, I’ve got you covered! Some great substitutes are mango, papaya, pears, unsweetened applesauce, chia seeds, nut butters, fresh dates + avocado (won’t add sweetness, but the creaminess we love). Learn more here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/peach-spinach-smoothie
Avocado! Love how creamy it makes the smoothies and it’ doesn’t have much of a flavor so it’s perfect to get that creamy texture!
Delicious!