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For this veggie fruit smoothie, I flipped my usual 60/40 fruit-to-veggie ratio to 20/80— giving you less sugar, more fiber, more nutrients, and extra hydration, while keeping it naturally sweet and delicious. We’re using a green apple here because it’s slightly lower in sugar, but feel free to use whichever type of apple you like.
When I first started drinking smoothies, I needed them to be very sweet (like taste like Jamba Juice sweet) and that’s okay! The fruits were doing all the work. Over time, I started tweaking my smoothie formula, adding more vegetables and dialing back the fruits, and now my taste buds actually crave the greens.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
This green veggie fruit smoothie might look like a Pinterest masterpiece, but it’s actually quite simple. Just a handful of fresh ingredients, and you’re good to go:
- Spinach and kale: Bright, vibrant greens that pack a punch of vitamins and antioxidants. I grab whatever looks fresh at the produce section.
- Green apple: Sweet, a little tangy, and adds that perfect balance to the greens. Look for apples that feel firm and heavy for their size — that’s your sign of extra juiciness and the freshest flavor.
- Cucumber: Hydrating, mild, and super refreshing, they keep the smoothie light and drinkable. Pick cucumbers with smooth skin and no soft spots.
- Avocado: Adds fiber, making it great for digestion and heart health, as it contains both soluble and insoluble fiber to keep you full and promote gut health, while also offering healthy fats and vitamins.
- Lemon and fresh ginger: Zesty, bright, and just a little spicy, these two add a natural flavor boost and help wake up your taste buds. Grab lemons that feel heavy (they’re juicier!) and ginger that’s firm with thin, shiny skin.
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How to Make a Veggie Fruit Smoothie
I know the thought of a veggie fruit smoothie can be intimidating, I’ve been there! But this one is simple, sweet, and totally kid-approved, even for kids who usually side-eye anything green. Here’s my go-to method:
- Wash the spinach and kale, peel the cucumber, core the apple, and prep the lemon and ginger. Peel the lemon, remove any seeds, then slice the lemon and ginger into blender-friendly pieces.
- Toss the greens, apple, cucumber, avocado, lemon, ginger, and water into a high-speed blender.
- Start on a low speed and gradually increase to high, blending until the smoothie is smooth and lump-free. Stop to scrape down the sides if needed.
- Pour into your favorite glass and sip right away for the freshest flavor. Add a few ice cubes for extra chill or a splash more water if you prefer your smoothie a little thinner.
Recipe Tips
Use fresh, vibrant greens: The fresher your spinach and kale, the better the flavor and nutrient content. Wilted greens can make the smoothie taste bitter.
Blend greens with liquid first: Starting with the water (your liquid base) helps break the greens down so the smoothie turns out silky instead of chunky.
Don’t over-blend: Blend just until smooth. Over-blending can dull that fresh, vibrant flavor we all love.
Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
Feel free to play around with this recipe. A few simple swaps or add-ins can change up the flavor while keeping it nourishing and refreshing:
- Swap the greens: If you’re out of kale or spinach, try romaine, Swiss chard, or even a handful of arugula. Each adds its own unique flavor and nutrients.
- Change up the fruit: Apple works great, but swap in your favorite fruits. Pear adds sweetness, pineapple brings tropical vibes, and mango gives a creamy twist.
- Boost protein: Add a scoop of my homemade protein powder for extra staying power. It blends in smoothly, adds 16 grams of plant-based protein, and keeps the flavor light and refreshing.
- Add healthy fats: A tablespoon of chia seeds or flaxseeds adds healthy fats and gives the smoothie a naturally creamier texture. If you want to make it even creamier, you can also add banana, avocado, or a splash of plant-based milk. Here’s 5 dairy-free milk recipes you can try your hand at.
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More Veggie Fruit Smoothies You’ll Love
Loving this fresh, vibrant veggie fruit smoothie? Here are some more smoothie recipes to keep your mornings bright and energetic:
- Green pear smoothie blends juicy pear with leafy greens for a naturally sweet, refreshing drink.
- Glowing green smoothie combines spinach, cucumber, and a hint of citrus for a smoothie that supports radiant skin from the inside out.
- Detox island green smoothie mixes tropical pineapple and mango with kale and coconut water for a bright, hydrating mini-vacation in a glass.
- Green energy smoothie packs greens and fruit to give you a steady boost of energy any time of day.
If you make this veggie fruit smoothie, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Beginner Veggie Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ lemon peeled
- 1 cucumber peeled
- ½ cup spinach
- ½ cup kale
- ½ cup water
- 1 apple
- ¼ avocado
- 1 inch fresh gingerroot
- 1 serving collagen peptides
Instructions
- Blend lemon, cucumber, spinach, kale, and water until no leafy chunks remain.
- Add apple, avocado and ginger and blend until smooth.
- Add in collagen and blend on low before serving.
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Veggie tip: Spinach and kale are great, but if you prefer a milder taste, start with smaller amounts and gradually increase.
- Protein boost: You can add chia seeds, flaxseed, nut butter, or scoop of protein powder if you want more protein.
- Serving suggestion: Serve immediately for best flavor and texture, or chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours and give it a good stir before drinking.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
Yes. A high-speed blender gives you the smoothest texture, but you can still make this in a regular blender. Just blend the greens and water first until they’re fully broken down, then add the apple, cucumber, celery, lemon, and ginger. You may need to blend a little longer and scrape down the sides once or twice to avoid leafy bits.
Stick with mild veggies that blend right in. Spinach and baby kale are the easiest to “hide,” and shredded zucchini or carrot add nutrients without affecting the flavor. Start with a 60/40 fruit-to-veggie ratio, then slowly shift toward more veggies as your taste buds adjust.
If the lemon or greens feel a little strong, add a natural sweetener. A splash of orange juice, a few pineapple chunks, or part of a ripe banana will balance it out fast. You can also use a sweeter apple variety instead of green.
For the best texture, peel the ginger and remove the lemon peel. The peel can add bitterness and make the smoothie more pulpy. If your lemon has seeds, remove those too. Using just the flesh and juice keeps the flavor bright and smooth.
Yummy Veggies! Liked we added a green apple, sweetened it up.
Late evening smoothie for me. I was a skeptical but this was so light, airy. I would have not mixed cucumber, avocado and lemon,
This was a great recipe.
This was pretty tasty for a green smoothie, used romaine for one replacement & more lemon
This one takes getting used to, it’s not my favorite. Had to blend a lot longer to get it smooth enough. Will only make to get the benefits offered with this smoothie.
This smoothie is ok and very different from my usual. I used pineapple instead of apple and kale.
Really liked this one, all the flavors were balanced and it was nice and smooth. I could taste a bit of everything beside the collagen and Jen’s protein powder. Next time I will definitely ramp up the ginger root, because I like it and love the taste in smoothies.
Not my favorite!! I don’t like ginger, but I gave it a try. Still don’t like it!! I think I would much rather eat my veggies & an apple! Egor got this smoothie (my garbage grinder)
Very nice texture. I loved the lemon!!!
Not one for me.
I replace the collagen with hemp protein powder and chia seeds and the lemon was a previously juiced lemon ice cube. Because I had prepped for the week everything else was frozen. I didn’t think nor have the time today to take bag out early and I may have overmeasured ingredients, so I had to had extra water to get it to blend. It was still thick but tasted like grassy water with a hint of lemon.
I drank it anyway for the nutrition value but I would much prefer this as a regular salad that I can bite into and taste the different flavors rather than a blended smoothie.
I think this is the first smoothie that I’ve seen that calls for cucumber. I always have some on hand and was more than glad to add to my smoothie. Adding the collagen is a great health benefit too.
This smoothie is so bright and fresh. I felt energized after I finished it.
I admit by accident it had more lemon than probably called for so it wasn’t a big win
I’ll still try it again tho with the right amount of lemon!
Enjoyed the freshness the lemon provided in this one.
I really enjoyed this smoothie – I only had vanilla collagen but it didn’t detract from the flavor. The recipe tip for adding collagen at the end and blending on low speed to incorporate really made the difference. Any time I have used collagen I’ve tossed it in with everything else and hated the texture it gives. I loved the higher vegetable ratio in this smoothie. Not too sweet and was delicious. I will keep this one in my regular rotation.
Yowza!!! This will wake you up in the morning or anytime you need a pick-me-up! I love ginger so added just a pinch more than the recipe called for…might have been a little too much…nah! It was perfect! I taste the zing from the lemon and ginger both. Barely notice the cucumber and CANNOT taste the kale at all! I think this is my favorite green smoothie!