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This best green smoothie recipe is the one I hand to friends who want to start somewhere. It blends spinach with mango, pineapple, and banana, so your first glass tastes like a tropical smoothie.
I didn’t start drinking green smoothie recipes because I loved kale. I started because mornings were chaotic and I needed something fast and nutritious. This one took five minutes, and I could blend it while packing lunches. Then it became the habit that stuck.
Table of Contents
What is a Green Smoothie?
A green smoothie is a blended drink of leafy greens like spinach, sweet fruit, and a liquid such as water. The fruit balances the greens, so a beginner-friendly version tastes like the fruit, not the vegetable. Smoothie shops often charge $6 to $8 for one, but you can make this one at home for about $2.50.
Why this Recipe is the Best
- It tastes like fruit. The recipe uses more fruit than spinach, so mango, pineapple, and banana lead the flavor.
- It blends silky smooth. Blending the spinach and water first breaks down every leaf. That way, the texture never turns gritty.
- It suits beginners. You need four whole-food ingredients plus water, one blender, and five minutes.
- It’s top-rated. Readers have rated it 4.89 out of 5 with over 2,000 ratings.
- It’s plant-based. This green smoothie is dairy-free, with no added sweetener.
Ingredient Notes
Everything in this green smoothie comes from the produce section or the freezer aisle. Here’s a quick breakdown of why I use each ingredient.
- Fresh spinach: Baby spinach is the mildest green for smoothies, so it adds color without a strong flavor.
- Frozen pineapple: It brings tropical sweetness and a little tang. It also chills the smoothie without watering it down.
- Frozen mango: It arrives peeled and cut, and it makes the texture thick and creamy. If fresh mangoes are on sale, cut and freeze them yourself.
- Fresh banana: A ripe banana adds creaminess and natural sweetness. Frozen bananas work too if you want a colder sip. If you don’t like bananas, try my Spinach Smoothie, which uses peaches instead.
- Water: It keeps the flavor clean, so the fruit tastes like itself.
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How to Make a Green Smoothie
- Blend the spinach and water first, until every leafy chunk disappears. This two-step method keeps the smoothie silky instead of gritty.
- Add the mango, pineapple, and banana, then blend on high until creamy. A high-speed blender breaks down greens fastest, but any blender works with extra time.
- Drink it right away for the brightest flavor and color.
When Should I Drink a Green Smoothie?
Drink it whenever you will actually make it. That said, mornings suit most people, because this takes just five minutes. Green smoothies make quick breakfast smoothies for busy days. However, the base has only 3g of protein. Add protein powder or chia seeds if you want it to fill you up.
Green smoothies also work as an afternoon snack or after a workout. I skip them right before bed.
Ingredient Swaps
- Banana: An avocado quarter lowers the sugar, keeps the smoothie creamy, and adds a little fat. Leaving the banana out makes it thinner and less sweet.
- Mango: Pineapple, red apple, and peaches all have less sugar than mango, so the smoothie tastes lighter and less sweet. Pineapple adds tang, apple adds a crisp, lightly tart note, and peaches taste mild.
- Pineapple: A navel orange adds brighter citrus flavor and more fiber. It tastes less tropical and has slightly more sugar than pineapple.
- Water: Swap in coconut water to add a light sweetness and electrolytes. Non-dairy milk makes it creamier, and soy milk adds the most protein of the common options.
- Spinach: These swaps barely change the sugar, but they change the flavor. Kale, chard, and beet greens taste stronger and earthier, and romaine is the mildest.
How to Store a Green Smoothie
Store your green smoothie in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 48 hours. However, it tastes best within 4 hours of blending, because the flavor and color fade as it sits. For busy weeks, freeze the fruit and spinach in meal prep smoothie packs, then blend each morning.
Ingredient Add-Ins
- Protein powder: Add a serving of homemade protein powder to turn this green smoothie into a more filling meal.
- Chia seeds: Stir in 2 tablespoons for extra fiber and protein. Drink it quickly, because chia thickens fast.
- Natural sweeteners: For a sweeter sip, add a pitted date or a small drizzle of maple syrup.
- Frozen riced cauliflower: Add 1/4 cup for extra fiber. It barely changes the flavor.
Green Smoothie Nutrition
This recipe makes one 16-ounce smoothie, with 203 calories, 6g of fiber, 3g of protein, and 34g of sugar. All of that sugar comes from the fruit, with no added sweetener. To turn it into a meal replacement, add one scoop of protein powder. That adds about 20g of protein and 100 calories, so the total is about 23g of protein and 303 calories.
Best Green Smoothie for Beginners
Jen HansardVideo
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 banana
Instructions
- Pack the spinach tightly into a measuring cup.
- Pour the water into a blender, add the spinach and blend until no leaf pieces remain and the mixture looks like smooth green water.
- Add the pineapple, mango and banana. Blend on high until creamy, about 30 seconds in a high-speed blender or up to 2 minutes in a standard one, using a tamper if the blender stalls.
- If it’s too thick, add a splash more water; if it’s too thin, add a few more pieces of frozen fruit. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Protein Boost: Add a scoop of protein powder, 2 tablespoons chia seeds or 1/2 avocado to make it more filling. If you add chia, drink it right away, since it thickens fast.
- Fruit Swaps: For a less sweet smoothie, swap the banana for 1/4 avocado. Frozen peaches can replace the mango, and a peeled navel orange can replace the pineapple.
- Doubling: This makes one 16-ounce smoothie. Double everything to serve two, and blend in batches if your blender is small.
- Storing: Best fresh, but it keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours; shake before drinking. To prep ahead, freeze the spinach and fruit together in smoothie packs, then add water and blend.
Nutrition
Common Questions
Any blender can make this recipe, but greens need more blade speed than fruit. Weaker blenders leave leafy flecks, so blend the spinach and water for 60 to 90 seconds first. A high-speed blender finishes in about 30 seconds with a silky texture. Either way, add the frozen fruit last.
Yes, and two methods work well. First, freeze the spinach, mango, pineapple, and banana in a bag, then add water and blend each morning. Or blend it the night before, pour it into a sealed jar, and refrigerate it. Shake well before drinking, because it separates as it sits.
Most people don’t taste it in this recipe. The banana, mango, and pineapple outweigh the spinach, so it tastes like a tropical fruit smoothie. Blending the spinach and water first also removes the leafy texture that gives greens away. If you feel nervous, start with a smaller handful and add more next time.
Bitter usually means the greens outweighed the fruit, or a stronger green like kale replaced mild spinach. Add more fruit or return to baby spinach. Gritty means the greens need more blending, so let it run a full 60 seconds after it looks smooth. Also, blend the spinach and water before adding frozen fruit.
No. All 34 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce serving comes from the fruit, with no added sweetener. The banana contributes a large share of it. To lower the sugar, swap the banana for a quarter of an avocado, or use less mango. The smoothie will taste a little less sweet.
As written, it makes a light breakfast or satisfying snack, with 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. To turn it into a meal, add protein powder, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, or half an avocado. Each add-in makes it thicker and more filling, so you may need extra water.
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I was doing this combo and just recently found out that bananas with citrus is a bad combo. food combining is something I’m just now learning about.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! We are not professional nutritionists, but all the research we have done suggests that blending fruits and veggies together is no different than eating fruits and veggies together–like a salad! Hope this helps!
I made the beginners luck smoothie today. I actually added about a third cup of cherries and I had a mixed bag of fruit (strawberries, pineapples, mango, peaches). It came out a dirty looking color I am sure because of the cherries. It tasted pretty good. My son and husband enjoyed it with me. Just wanted to say also that I have a random blender/mixer from Walgreen’s that I purchased about a year ago. I was nervous about the vegetables but everything mixed well. So no need at this point to go out and spend more money. My husband and I are up for the 30 day challenge. The next one does not start until October but we will be starting our own in a few days to see how well we do. Thanks for an awesome informative site!
Hi Territha,
Thank you so much for reaching out + sharing your story, we love hearing from our community, so thank you for taking the time to let us know how you enjoyed our Beginner’s Luck recipe! Cherries + dark berries will change your green smoothie from green to brown, red, or purple, but will still be delicious + packed with nutritious fruits + leafy greens.
We definitely agree, no need to run out + buy an expensive blender, any blender is perfect for making green smoothies! If you don’t have a smoothie powerhouse, we suggest blending your liquid base + leafy greens first, then add the rest of your ingredients. Adding at least one frozen fruit helps breakdown any remaining leafy greens!
We can’t wait for you to join our October 30-Day Challenge!
Cheers 🙂
So I heard that eating a lot of bananas can make you constipated is that right?
Had my first delicious green smoothie. The beginner smoothie was yummy. I am sold. Cheers to green!!!
Hi Don,
YAY!! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us! Reach out with any questions, we’re always here! 🙂
What is the sugar content in your smoothies? I tried another belly fat plan and the smoothies seem to have increased my waist size!
How do I know if it is not too much?
Hi Janette,
Thank you so much for reaching out!
Concerned about the amount of sugar? Three great resources for tracking calories + sugar content are Self Nutrition Data, and the phone apps: My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
Our smoothie recipes make about 4-5 cups (32oz – 40oz). 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. Or reach for a low-sugar fruit option!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Hope this helps!