This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Table of Contents
This iconic glowing green smoothie nourishes your skin from the inside out. Packed with beneficial ingredients, this smoothie will make your skin positively glow. Drink up a glass of this plant-based recipe every morning for radiant, rejuvenated skin.
What makes this supercharged smoothie so special? It has the perfect ratio of greens to fruit, so you’ll get all the benefits of nutrient-dense leafy greens with a touch of sweetness and soluble fiber from the fruit.
This energizing smoothie is the perfect way to get your morning started.
Clear skin and a youthful glow? Count us in! You know I’m all aboard the clear skin diet train, so let’s add another great smoothie recipe that provides amazing health benefits and glowing skin.
Recipe Ingredients + Health Benefits
Kimberly Snyder is the original creator of this fun smoothie and I chose to make a version of hers. Let’s find out what’s in this smoothie and why:
- Romaine lettuce: This lettuce has a neutral taste, so it doesn’t overpower this smoothie. It’s a surprisingly good source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that’s been found to protect against aging. Bonus: Romaine lettuce has a high water content for skin hydration!
- Spinach: Spinach is an iron powerhouse (and doesn’t alter the taste of this smoothie). It’s one of the richest sources of iron among leafy greens. Iron helps transport oxygen around the body and aids in energy production.
- Lemon: Lemons have a high vitamin C content. Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals that cause oxidative damage and skin aging. Vitamin C is also crucial for collagen production, as it’s necessary for growth and development of tissues. The alkalizing power of lemons also helps neutralize toxins, expedite the disposal of waste and stimulate digestion.
- Apples and pears: Apples and pears help to balance out the bitterness of the greens with some natural sweetness. They’re both high in fiber, which helps the body break down the food we eat.
- Banana: Add some natural sweetness with a banana, as well as make this smoothie super creamy.
- Coconut water: This liquid provides natural electrolytes and great hydration to this beverage. I like using this instead of juices since it doesn’t add any extra sugar to my smoothie.
Feel free to make this your own. Adding herbs like parsley or cilantro can give you a natural morning detox. Use plant-based protein powder to turn this smoothie into a meal replacement. Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest, chunk-free result.
Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie
Kimberly Snyder is a celebrity nutritionist (Drew Barrymore and Reese Witherspoon are among her smoothie-drinking disciples) and author of The Beauty Detox Solution. I stumbled across this glowing green smoothie recipe on Reese’s Instagram account and loved her personal twist on it.
Reese has gorgeous skin and happens to star in one of my favorite movies: Sweet Home Alabama. I was excited to make her smoothie recipe that was inspired by Snyder’s.
According to Kimberly Snyder, “As it cleanses and detoxifies your system, the Glowing Green Smoothie will give you sustained energy, glowing skin, and optimal digestion. It also fosters a focused, clear mind. It’s here to support us daily on our life’s journey and is an integral part of my morning practice.”
In addition, Snyder’s morning routine starts with a cleansing cup of hot water with lemon followed by her signature smoothie. I’ve got a similar routine, starting the day with the best detox tea.
How To Make This Green Smoothie
Now, the great part of this recipe is that you don’t have to spend hours chopping and preparing. Here’s how I make mine:
- Cut all of the ingredients into large chunks.
- Add spinach, lettuce, lemon and coconut water to the blender and blend until no leafy chunks remain.
- Add pear, apple, banana and protein powder (if using) to blender and blend again until smooth.
Pro tips: You’ll want a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, to get a really smooth consistency. Add more coconut water or filtered water for a thinner smoothie.
Using these two-step blending instructions ensures that all the leafy pieces are actually broken down. No leafy chunks here!
I like adding in my homemade protein powder to bump up the protein by 10 grams as well as add more healthy fats and fiber. You can also add fiber and hydration by tossing in some celery (both the stalks and leaves!).
FAQs
It’s so easy! I roughly chop up the ingredients first, just to make them fit into my blender more easily. Then I blend the leafy greens and liquid. After there are no chunks left, I add in the remaining ingredients and blend a second time until smooth.
I think so! Starting my day with a green smoothie helps me wake up, kickstarts my metabolism, gives me a leg up by getting in those first servings of fruits and veggies right off the bat and keeps me regular (if you know what I mean).
They definitely don’t have to be, yet it depends on how you make them. Stick to whole foods only, with no weird additives or added sugar. Opt for lower-sugar fruits if you prefer and make sure every smoothie you blend contains leafy greens and healthy fats to help break down the natural fruit sugars. Add plant-based protein powder to give you extra protein.
More Hydrating Smoothies
Your skin will thank you for thinking of it beyond just the face washing, creams and serums. You can do a world of good through what you eat as well! If you loved this hydrating beverage, then here are a few more recipes to try out:
- Apple Celery Smoothie: This classic green smoothie uses fruits and veggies for the ultimate hydration.
- Bedtime Smoothie: Nourish your skin and sleep great with this unique nighttime smoothie.
- Alkaline Smoothie: Take it to the next level by adding alkaline water and veggies to your beverage.
- Clear Skin Diet Smoothie: A tropical-tasting, dreamy smoothie that is my go-to when I want to focus on my skin.
I can’t wait for you to take your first sips of this refreshing green smoothie and start glowing from the inside out. Will you rate + review this once you’ve tried it and let me know what you think?
Glowing Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup spinach
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- ½ pear
- ½ apple
- ½ banana
- ½ lemon remove peel, but leave as much white pith as possible
- ¼ cup coconut water
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Add spinach, lettuce, lemon and coconut water to blender. Blend until no leafy chunks. Add more water if needed to blend.
- Add pear, apple, banana and homemade protein powder. Blend again until smooth.
- Enjoy the green goodness!
Equipment
Notes
- This recipe is inspired by Reese Witherspoon’s morning smoothie.
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Swap in the leafy greens of your choice.
- Swap coconut water for regular water.
The romaine flavor comes through with a hint of lemon, but nothing else. I used water instead of coconut water because I use coconut anything. I added 2 Madjool dates for sweetness and 1 Tbsp chia seeds for protein. I used a home grown Meyer lemon, which is not as sour as standard lemons. The rest of my fruit was not the best, and I blame that for the way it turned out. The banana wasn’t ripe enough–clearly, it needs to be. The d’Angou pear wasn’t ripe despite storing it next to apples for 6 days–ethylene from the apples should have ripened it, but this is not unusual for California. Fruit is picked when it is too green, gets to the market when it is too green, is more times than not purchased when it is still too green, and sometimes it shrivels, but never ripens, and I think that is the case with my pathetic pear. The smoothie was ultra thick, so I had to add water in order to get it through the straw. I tasted it, but did not care for i. I put it in the fridge to get colder. I will try it later today.
I don’t favor this one. I couldn’t get it to blend well, and I’m not a fan of apples in my smoothies. This one was definitely worth a try – I combined some ingredients that I never thought I would and stretched my limits . I drank it, but I personally probably won’t make it again.
This glowing green smoothie is one of my favorites. It has a fresh crisp flavor and a smooth creamy texture.
I love the lemon in this smoothie, I skipped the pear because I didn’t have one. It feels great to start the morning with something so healthy. As I was preparing my smoothie the scraps were placed in Lomi (electric composter) so later on today the compost can be added to the garden to grow future smoothie ingredients
Never liked lettuce much but in this way perfect into the smoothie even my daughter loved it, also lost 1 kgs
Wonderful smoothie. What a way to get a lot of Romaine lettuce in, first thing in the morning. Great taste. Love the lemon!
Found this smoothie refreshing. Did not realize that coconut water would enhance the flavor and I added a half avocado which made the smoothie extra creamy. Will make this again.
Refreshing smoothie. I like mixing up the greens today. I tend to always use spinach, so romaine was a nice change.
It was OK, but I think the romaine lettuce was a little overpowering. It was worth drinking it for the skin benefits.
Day #4 Glowing Green Smoothie, wow another great recipe who would of thought that I would be liking Green Smoothie lol but got to say there working for me this one tasted so good Certainly refreshing glad I made a double batch one for this early morning and one for later to day
Not a favorite but I drank it anyway. I thought the romaine lettuce too over powering. I will make it again with less romaine.
Light, refreshing, slightly sweet, delicious, at first mild tasting but then sweeter. I had to add more water to my blender for it to blend .
The romaine lettuce had a very strong taste. Would have liked the smoothie a little sweeter and something to lesser the romaine lettuce taste.
Interesting taste. Definitely what I would consider a “green” smoothie. I did add extra lemon. I think next time I have it, I will have it for lunch instead of breakfast.
I like romaine lettuce but was surprised to see it in a smoothie and learn of all it’s nutritional benefits. Will include again.
I enjoyed this smoothie. It was light tasting, but initially too thick so added an extra 1/4 cup of coconut water. Also subbed avocado for the banana.
Pretty good. More lemon could be added.