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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 I add coconut oil to the green smoothie for each day? Looking forward to starting, Thanks!
We wouldn’t recommend doing it EVERY day, but a few times a week is nice 🙂
wow, its interesting to see that you don’t need protein powder for all smoothies, I have been using that for mostly all of my smoothies, and I am getting a bit bored with the flavor concepts so this will be a nice change
I can’t wait to try my first green smoothie, my mom told me about the site,and I am just starting out with making smoothies and I have created a few of my own as well as followed some recipes…. haven’t tried with a whole lot of veggies, just really spinach, and romaine lettuce and celery.. interested in buying a few new veggies to try.
Signed up for the July challenge and made my first smoothie tonight! Sooo yummy 🙂 I’m so pumped to try new recipes this month!
When you say frozen do you mean we can use bags of frozen fruit from the store, or do you mean I should buy the fruit, cut it up and freeze it? I signed up for the July challenge and hoping I can find fresh fruit but would be great if frozen would work.
Either way works, Lauren 🙂
I’ve been having 2 or more a day. I hope that’s okay. I would think it would be. I’m down 10lbs in my first month. This is a lifestyle change for me. After learning how the animals we eat are treated, I can’t bear the thought of ever eating meat again. Yes, I have to lose another 40 lbs., but my direction in life has changed to getting my body healthy, and to advocate for those who cannot speak, but can absolutely feel emotion. I now know unequivocally, that I can get all the nutrition -and more- that my body needs without giving one more cent to the meat industry.
Thank you.
Sounds like you are on the right track, Rebecca!
I just began my journey to a healthier me a week ago. So far so good! I made my first ever green smoothie 2 days ago, and I’m already obsessed. It’s so helpful to have such an easy way to down so much healthy food! This site is so super helpful to me, and it’s so inspiring to see everyone else’s favorite recipes, too. Makes it all feel more “doable” long-term for me. So thanks!!!
Hello ladies, I just started my smoothies and I m loving it, very good and gives me something to focus on regarding my health. I m placing one meal with smoothies and even cutting back on my meat and bread intake. So I m on my way to a healthier me!!
Good morning Simple Green Smoothies,
I drink a greenie every morning. During the 30 day challenge am i supposed to replace each meal with a greenie? Not sure I understand the tactics of the
Challenge. Help.
My daily greenie includes: 2C kale, 2 celery, parsley, one green apple, 1/2 cuke, and either 1/2 c of pineapple, mango, or banana.
Hi Susan!
The challenge is all about drinking ONE green smoothie per day for 30 days. If you do that, then you can consider yourself a rawkstar 🙂 You can replace your breakfast with a smoothie, add one for a snack, or even replace a different meal. It is totally up to you when you would like to drink your smoothie!
Can I replace unsweetened almond milk for the water?
Yep 🙂 You can always switch up the liquids if you would like!
I am a big fan of green smoothies, been drinking them for breakfast for over a year. I love experimenting with different fruits and veggies. Baby spinach is my favorite greens to add. When going ‘off the wagon’, binging on the wrong things, I replace dinner with a smoothie a day for 3 days to get back on track.
Thank you so much for actually including a shopping list for a week! You have no idea of helpful that is to me. It has been a bit overwhelming getting on with green smoothies without feeling like I have to go buy everything in stock. This is a great starter recipe.
Hello All!!! Thank you for all of your wonderful information for those of us who are newbies!!! I never was good at starting anything out slow!!! I’ve spent the last couple of days reading up on this, so I’ve had some ideas swimming around in my head….Today I may my very first green smoothie!!! Yowzer is it ever DE~LISH!!! So I wanted to share my concoction!!!
I’m soooo pleased with the outcome of my very first ever attempt at green smoothies!!! This is DELISH!!!
Kale 3 “stalks” chopped, stems and all
Baby Spinach approx a cup (I measured by the handful then added about another dozen leaves)
Parsley just a small bunch, probably about 6 “stalks” chopped
Celery 1 large stalk, leaves and all, chopped
Avocado 1/2 (would probably be better with a whole one, but I already had this one cut, I ate the other half for lunch lol)
Carrot 1 Large-grated
Banana- 2 (1 frozen)
Strawberries about 4 total berries (frozen chunks are hard to determine how many berries lol)
Coconut milk, approx 2 cups (started with 1 cup to break down the greens then added a little at a time until I reached desired consistency)
DE (Diatomaceous Earth) 1/4 c.
Honey approx 3 TBSP to slightly sweeten, use to taste.
I blended all greens (except avocado) with 1 cup coconut milk first, then added carrots, blended, then added banana, avocado and strawberries, blended till smooth, then added DE…blended and found needed more coconut milk as it got too thick, added milk until desired consistency, then blended in honey until desired level of sweetness…mostly to remove any hint of bitterness.
Yields approx 2 Qts. or one entire blenderful
May ALL things GOOD come to YOU in ABUNDANCE!!
Sounds great, Lorrie!
Wow, love the recipe. Will have to try that myself sometime
hello
how many ounce of green smoothie do i need to drink per meal?
We recommend 16 oz 🙂
I was looking for something to lose weight with that was healthy and natural. I am over weight and have a young one who i would love to play with more, but i need more energy! I’m taking a step and giving it a shot and i’m very excited (shouldn’t be too hard since smoothies are yummy!! I have heard nothing but good things.
Jessie–Thank you for sharing with us! You can do it 🙂 It may not be a walk in the park, but we are here for encouragement if you ever need it!
It says 2 serves for 5 day does that mean it makes 10 drinks and thats all u have each day is to drinks? We are starting this Sunday PLEASE HELP US
Hi John and Wendy! If you buy everything on the shopping list above with the correct quantities, then you can make 2 servings (16oz in each serving) of Beginner’s Luck smoothie on 5 different days. We do not suggest just drinking 16oz of green smoothie a day and not eating anything else. We want you to add a green smoothie each day to your food intake–eat normal the rest of the day. Hope this helps!