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Step aside salad. You’re no longer the only way to get dark leafy greens into my diet. I’m sharing a leafy green list of greatness with you as well as how to use greens in a smoothie like the best green smoothie (or salad or soup or anything) as well as why it’s good to rotate your greens and try something like a kale banana smoothie every so often. Ready, set, go green!
Table of Contents
What are Leafy Greens?
Leafy greens are super important for a healthy diet. They’re nutrient-dense, green veggies that provide tons of vitamins and minerals. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a daily serving of leafy greens can lead to slower age-related cognitive decline.
Greens can be found as the tops of other plants (here’s looking at you, carrot tops and beet greens), or as plants in their own right. They come in all shapes, sizes, textures, shades and seasons. They aren’t even all in the same plant family.
If your taste buds have ever balked at something dark green and leafy, never fear! I’ve got some great new options for you to blend.
The Ultimate Dark Leafy Greens List
I often talk about rotating your greens. This is because greens come from all different plant families, each offering different health benefits. Yet if spinach is your jam, no worries! Your body will tell you when it’s time for a leafy green change-up. Read on to learn about some different types of greens, as well as my favorite options in each family.
Crucifers
Kale
Having a health issue? Kale can help with that. Seriously, kale is at the top of the superfood chain. With 684% of the recommended daily value of vitamin K, 206% of the RDV of vitamin A and 134% of the RDV of vitamin C, this dark leafy green packs a health punch. Kale has the highest level of antioxidants when consumed raw, yet does retain some health benefits when cooked. Try kale in this simple kale smoothie.
Collard
Like their other cruciferous family members, collard greens are great cancer fighters. They are also pretty good at helping your body digest foods properly with all the fiber inside. They are most popular steamed, but adding them raw to your smoothies will provide greater health benefits. Try some alkaline recipes to experiment with collards.
Cabbage
Cabbage is yet another example of a cruciferous cancer-fighting leafy green. This veggie can actually be purple, red, white or green, but is definitely still considered a leafy green. I love using cabbage as a plant-based taco shell, blended in a cabbage smoothie or roasted cabbage with light seasoning. Loaded with fiber, folate, vitamin B6 and antioxidants which help fight inflammation.
Bok Choy
This unique green vegetable is typically grown and harvested in China. Full of vitamins A and C, bok choy ranks high for nutrient density as well. All parts of the plant can be used: shredded in a salad, my vegetarian ramen, cooked in soup or blended in a smoothie.
Arugula
More than just a garnish, this leafy green has a peppery taste and a full nutrient profile. One cup contains 27.7% of the RDV of vitamin K. It has a stronger flavor than other cruciferous greens on my list, yet is fun in lemon arugula salad or strawberry arugula salad, homemade arugula pesto, or as a pizza topping on my incredibly delicious plant-based pizza recipe.
Amaranth
Spinach
It’s hard to beat spinach when talking about nutrient-packed greens. Just one leaf contains a sampling of more than 20 different nutrients. The list of benefits is nearly as long as the number of nutrients:
- cancer-fighting
- blood pressure lowering
- bone strengthening
- cardiovascular helping
- brain boosting
- skin smoothing
- vision improving
- inflammation reducing
- energy increasing
Beet Greens
I recommend branching out and trying beet greens for your next smoothie! They include a wide variety of nutrients, and can easily be substituted in any recipe with spinach, kale or chard. Our friends at Epicurious will kick-start your love for dark leafy beet greens with some of their favorite recipes.
Chard
Looking to put a pep in your leafy green step? Chard is a colorful, dark leaf known for its ability to regulate the body’s blood sugar. Translation? If diabetes or maintaining blood sugar levels is a concern, add this veggie to your regular rotation. Perfect for the afternoon smoothie pick-me-up!
Asteraceae
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is good for the heart and low in calories. The vitamin C and beta-carotene content help to lower cholesterol and prevent build-up on artery walls, which reduces the risk of a heart attack.
Not a fan of lettuce salads? Then use romaine as a food wrap like I do in these Thai lettuce wraps or blend it into this gazpacho soup recipe.
Apiaceae
Carrot Tops
Who knew those frilly greens on the tops of carrots could come in handy? #NoFoodWaste. Filled with chlorophyll, which can fight against tumor growth and acts as a cleansing agent, carrot tops are the perfect addition to smoothies like this carrot top smoothie.
If you really want to boost your next smoothie, toss in the carrot and its top.
How Often Should You Rotate Greens?
Most of the smoothie and meal recipes I create use kale or spinach. That’s because these are the most easily found and affordable leafy greens available at the grocery store. Plus, they are in different leafy green families, so it makes rotating my greens easy-peasy.
Alkaloid Build Up
Why is it important to rotate through this leafy green list? All greens have small amounts of toxins. If you only consume greens from one family, your body may start to experience alkaloid build up. This is very rare and easy to avoid. Just try a different leafy green every once in a while.
I recommend rotating your greens once a week. This way, your body doesn’t get too much of a good thing in one leafy green family, and you get the chance to reward your body with new nutrients from a different green family.
Basically, by rotating greens on a regular basis, you avoid building up the toxins from one green. And, this gives you a reason to try that new fun green you’re always eyeing at the farmer’s market.
While our green smoothies are super easy to swap out one green for another, I’ve also got a meal planner full of plant-based recipes. Rawk the Year makes finding new recipes a breeze, and helps you incorporate the whole rainbow into your week. This meal planner also equips you with the kitchen skills to change up your veggies with ease!
Freezing Your Leafy Greens
Ever wonder how to use up all that beautiful produce you just bought, before it starts to wilt? Even though I make green smoothies daily, I still find that my greens never stay fresh as long as I need.
To lengthen the shelf life of those leafy greens and make rotating your greens as easy as opening your freezer, I came up with a way to freeze your greens. This way, you can have your greens and eat them too! Since I typically buy spinach and kale at Costco, I found that freezing them in ice cube trays and then storing them in freezer containers is the perfect solution to maximizing the freshness.
Bonus: Frozen greens can help keep that smoothie cool.
Leafy Greens FAQs
You’ve probably heard of spinach, kale and lettuce, but leafy greens also include carrot tops, beet greens, swiss chard, arugula and more! They can grow all on their own, or be found on the tops of other plants (like broccoli, beets and carrots).
All leafy greens are incredibly nutritious and great to mix into your diet. Kale and spinach are probably the most nutrient-dense, yet you need a variety of greens (and other fruits and vegetables) for the best health. Don’t be afraid to give a new one a try next time you’re at the store. You might be surprised by mustard greens, bok choy and more!
Greens don’t just take place in salads or garnishes for burgers. You can use them in green smoothies, all kinds of pesto, filling for stuffed mushrooms or potatoes. Pretty much anything you want! Next time you are grocery shopping, grab a new-to-you leafy green and get adventurous with how you prepare it.
The Ultimate Green Smoothie App
Our amazing app, Daily Blends Smoothie app., has hundreds of recipes ready for you to work your way through the leafy greens list! You can sort by the ingredients you have on hand or the type of smoothie you want to try. It’s a great app to try a new recipe and catalog your favorites.
What are your favorite leafy greens? Drop a comment below and let me know if this list has inspired you to try a new ingredient, or if you’ve got a new green for me to try!
I found a packaged organic mix with baby kale, beet tops, spinach and a couple of other greens and I’ve been using that for my smoothies. Is that ok or do you recommend a different green each week?
Oh that sounds delicious!
Hi Sophie,
We love using a variety of leafy greens, and that combination sounds out of this world! We do suggest continuing to rotate your greens, for example take a week off of spinach, and then the following week remove a different type of leafy green. So your body is being fueled by different nutrients and you lower your risk of oxalate buildup.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for all the information!
Very interesting : )
Hi Adanary,
You’re so welcome! Thanks for blendin’ with us! 🙂
Thank you I will definitely start switching up my greens better safe than sorry. Thanks again for the heads UP!
Hi Tanya,
You’re so welcome! We hope you found this information helpful! Please reach out with any questions!
Cheers 🙂
useful information
Happy we could help, Jenny! 🙂
Can I mix two different green families or is it better to drink one at the time?
Hi Teresa,
Definitely! We love using a mix of different leafy greens! Just make sure that you’re taking a week off from a specific leafy green family to help prevent oxalate buildup.
Cheers 🙂
Can I use the whole carrot along with the tops?
Hi Teresa,
Of course! We love that you can blend the whole carrot! Learn more about our love for carrots here…
Cheers 🙂
love this website!
I always look for some tips and recipes here;)
cheers from London! x
Thanks for blendin’ with us, Angela!
Hi. I’m new to smoothies and just found your website! I am the mind of person who does not like to experiment, when I find the one I like I want to stick with it. Wondering, would it work to mix a nice variety of greens instead of rotating greens? Or is it better to rotate?
Hi Denise,
Great question! While we love using a variety of greens, we do suggest rotating from week to week to prevent oxalate buildup and fuel your body with different nutrients.
Hi love your site my husband and I just started the green smoothie plan and although I don’t have diabetes I notice after drinking the smoothie my sugar does shoot up is this normal I really like getting up first thing in the morning and drinking a refreshing drink just don’t like the raised sugar problem thank you any ideas???
Hi Lyn,
Thanks for blendin’ with us! Concerned about the natural sugar content in our recipes? 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/
You ladies are AWESOME! I’m new to smoothies but looking forward to completing the challenge. Your website contains a wealth of information and I’m taking major notes. 🙂 One of my personal goals is making a few lifestyle changes and include smoothies in my daily routine. Keep up the good work!!
Hi Vanessa,
We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us and be part of your personal goals. Keep us updated and reach out with any questions throughout your journey!
Cheers to health, happiness, + leafy greens!
What a great website! You guys Rawk! I really love your website; so many wonderful information on nutrients. I just shared this with my sisters and friends. Love it…happy I have found you on IG
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for sharing the leafy love!! We hope you, your sisters, + friends will be joining us for our next FREE 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge kicking off on January 1st!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge
Cheers 🙂
Just recently started juicing and using the same veggies for 4 days and drinking a large amount in the morning 64 oz about. Well day 5 I woke up to swollen face and thought it could be from make up I stopped juicing for 3 days and had a carrot and dates juice drink at night and I woke up with a half swollen face. Was wondering if any one else experienced any same symptoms.
Hi Michellynn,
Sounds like one of your ingredients aren’t sitting well with your body. We’re green smoothie lovin’ rawkstars all right, but we’re not doctors or nutritionists. We suggest you talk with your doctor about any swelling your experiencing following juicing— I’m sure they can help you decide what is best for you and your body.
Cheers to health + happiness!
Hi there,
I came looking on here, as I have been experiencing a weird sensitivity occasionally. Usually around my legs or feet. It’s like it is just under the skin…I’m not sure if I can say tingly..just a slightly painful sensitivity. It is annoying! I have been drinking a green smoothie most days for maybe 2 years now & don’t vary it much. Does that sound like alkaloid build up to you? Also, Romaine lettuce is known as Cos lettuce in Australia (just general info). Thanks 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
While we don’t know all of your medical history, it’s hard to determine if the sensitivity you’re experiencing is related to alkaloid buildup. But it might be worth taking a few days off of green smoothies to see if your symptoms subside. If they do, try rotating your leafy greens to prevent further build-up. If you continue to experience sensitivity we suggest reaching out to your physician.
Cheers 🙂
I have been using green smoothies for 4 years and am a fit 73 Y.O. I grow my own greens in my ezygrow patio gardens. I can plant 7 varieties and have a different one each day . This has worked well for me. The last group was 2 types of kale, boc choy, Wasabe lettice, chard and a variety of asian greens. I think picking live and clean is an advantage. I do believe we should vary the type of greens we use and also use a variety of herbs for health in them. I also grow 7 types in another Ezygrow.
Hi Barry,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We love that you’re able to grow a wide variety of leafy greens!
Cheers 🙂
How about garden cress (Lepidium sativum)? Can I use this as greens?
Hi Lily,
Of course! We love trying new greens!
Best article I’ve seen on this topic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Any suggestions on increasing protein in smoothies without dairy? I’ve tried yogurt, but the resulting digestive distress was quite unpleasant. Have also used peanut butter, but doesn’t always go well with the other ingredients. Thanks for your help!
Hi Shelly,
Great question! We love adding plant-based protein options like chia seeds, nut butters, + hemp protein powder to our green smoothies. Learn more about our favorite protein options here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-protein-powder
Shelly –
I found a Lactose free yogurt (Yami) that is delicious, creamy and doesn’t give me the gastric issues that regular or Greek yogurt do. See if you can find some at one of the healthier groceries near you!