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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!
Hey im pretty new at green smoothies i currently only uses spinach and one tbs of flexseeds, but I’m an extreme anemia, vitamin b deficient,vitamin d deficient and i don’t drink milk anymore so what should I be adding to my smoothies in order to get all the nutritional i need
I don’t want to turn to supplement. Thanks
Hi Ruby,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re green smoothie lovin’ rawkstars all right, but we’re not doctors or nutritionists. We suggest you talk with your doctor about any health concerns. If your physician suggests adding specific ingredients to your diet to help combat your anemia + vitamins deficiencies, we’d be happy to point you in the right direction!
Cheers 🙂
Thank you for this information. I have been using only spinach and kale. I will try all the others that is mentioned above. It will be a challenge………..Ann
Hi Ann!
You’re so welcome :). Spinach and kale are my go-to greens, as well, but the others really are a nice change! When you rotate your greens, not only do you prevent oxalate build-up, but you’re also giving your body some different nutrients. It’s a win-win!
Is it more beneficial to rotate greens from one family to the next week to week, or get both in one week? I usually have a green every night in my smoothie, and I was wondering if it would be better to do a week of kale, then a week of chard/spinach, or do a week where I switch back and forth every day. This is a really thought- provoking article, thank you for this!
Hi Nikki,
Great question! We suggest rotating week to week. That way you’re giving your body a whole week off from one leafy green family to help prevent oxalate build-up.
Hope this helps!
Oh meant to add I put parsnip in a smoothie the other day, sweet!
Hi Anne,
Yum! We love adding root vegetables to our green smoothies! Learn more about our favorites here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/fruit-and-vegetable-smoothie
That is the best article on smoothie greens I’ve ever read, have shared on Facebook because you are brilliant and the website is fabulous XX
Hi Anne,
Thank you so much for sharing the green smoothie love! <3
Thank for all inspiration. Have been doing my 2 a day since last oktober – I was sas in the challenge. Since organic leafy greens are hard to come buy in Sweden for several months during winter (I refuse to count such flewn in as organic) I mostly lean to cabbage and broccoli the last months. But it’s hard to figure out the equivalent to 2 packed cups leafy greens. Do you have a weight measure to use?
Hi Anna,
We love blendin’ with broccoli + cabbage! Looking for weight measurements? We’ve got you covered! Check out our Rawkstar Conversion Guide here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/app
Hope this helps!
Hi, thanks for your amazing site,
I have just discovered green smoothies!! 1 wk ago. Been having 2 every day. This a great informative article
I will now make sure I rotate my greens
Also what is your opinion on these super greens mix sachets, mix of wheatgrass, barley grass spirulina etc..i think you add 5g or so to your smoothie
Just thinking on lazy days!! any good? also what about protein powders do you use those?
Thankyou
Hi Lana,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us! Looking for an extra boost of leafy greens? Super green powders are a great option. Just make sure and read the ingredients. You want to make sure there’s no yucky additives.
We love adding plant-based protein powder, like hemp protein! Learn more about our favorite protein options here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-protein-powder
Cheers!
My daughter who is 12 and I found this website after she heard her teacher and I heard my boss speak of green smoothies now for months straight. This is only our forth week but we are addicted. We love trying new fruit and greens combos every day and it gives us that one on one big of togetherness every day. We have started being cautious of everything we put into our bodies now and even go do the gym 3-4 times a week. I can already feel a difference in my energy and body is craving more and more healthy food which I love. Thanks for all you share its AWESOME!
Hi Teri,
YAY! We’re so excited to have you and your daughter blending with us and we love hearing the other changes you have made in your health + wellness, and especially that you’re doing it together!!
Cheers 🙂
Hey guys,
I LOVE your website! have already participated in two challenges; and this time it stuck! I am really craving those green bastards, if I don’t get my daily smoothie every day I truly miss it. Today I tried arugula instead of the ol’ spinach and kale routine – just because, where I live, I don’t always easily come by fresh spinach or kale. Using the frozen product was somewhat underwhelming, so I tried arugula from my local supermarket – turns out it is AWESOME, pardon, RAWKSOME! :-)))
Hi Nikola,
WAHOO!! Cheers to trying new greens + loving them!! 🙂
Hi there,
I see that cilantro belongs to the apiaceae group. What about
Parsley, mint and basil? I want to rotate them, correctly.
THanks,
Hi Stephanie,
Great question! Parsley is also part of the apiaceae family, while mint and basil are part of the lamiaceae family.
Hope this helps!
Cheers 🙂
Thanks for the fabulous information on rotating greens families. My son (13) and I (52) are now blending (Ninja Smoothie Maker) various fruits and veg for weight control & health benefits. Aside from keeping the sugar content low, any other hints you have to offer would be greatly appreciated. We also use a scoop of whey powder in our blends for extra vitamins, minerals and to help us manage hunger pains. Best of luck to all & thanks again!
Hi Dubsteppa,
We’re so excited to have you + your son blending with us! Looking to lower the natural sugar content of recipes, try turning our Simple Green Smoothie Formula on it’s head! Instead of blending 3 cups fruit with 2 cups leafy greens, try blending 2 cups fruit with 3 cups leafy greens.
Or swap in a low sugar fruit!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Interested in using your green smoothie for weight loss? Have you heard our co-founder Simple Green Smoothies’ story? If not, check it out here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/about
She had great success using her green smoothie as a meal replacement. We simply suggest adding protein + healthy fats to ensure you’re fueling your body with a complete meal. Learn more about our favorite meal replacement booster combos here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-replacement-smoothie
Hope this helps point you in the right direction. Reach out with any questions! 🙂
I bought myself a Blendtec for Christmas, and I’ve been blending and checking out and enjoying your site ever since. I think I may not be rotating correctly. I’ve been blending two different families daily, and drinking those two families for the whole week, then I go to two different families daily for a week. Do you think it’s better to blend one type for half the week, switching to another type for the rest of the week? As an example, this week I’m using a kale/spinach blend daily. Is it better to go with kale only for a few days, then switch to spinach only for the next few days? Thanks!
Hi RC,
It sounds like you’re blending perfectly! As long as you’re taking time off (ex. a week) from a specific family of greens you’re giving your body the chance to reset and prevent oxalate buildup.
Cheers 🙂
I have been a fan of green smoothies for over 3 years now, and have drunk one, vitamix size, of spinach, kale, cabbage and 4 different fruits faithfully for my lunch alone for these 3 years. I had no idea about rotating greens. All I know is that I started to have serious hair loss, itching all over my body, edema in my feet, and high cholesterol. I have always had thick, thick hair and normal cholesterol. Come to find out I have chronic Vit A toxicity. I have completely stopped drinking these and hope my hair and these problems will resolve. I am vegan and never dreamed I was doing something to hurt my body.
Hi Bobbie,
So scary. We agree it’s hard to believe that something so good for you, could potentially effect your body negatively. But even healthy greens have defense properties to prevent them from being wiped out. We hope you found our article helpful and that you can work with your health care professional to determine what’s best for you + your body.
I purchased a package of spinach and mixed it with our local spinach in the Caribbean which is similar to coloured greens. My smoothies are delicious and I am getting in some organic greens. Yea!!!
Hi Jo-Ann,
Yum! Sounds delicious! We love blending with local greens! 🙂
I’ve just purchased a Ninja IQ this week and the excellent info here will get me off to the perfect start. Thanks guys! 🙂
Hi RCW,
YAY! You’ve got yourself one rawkstar of a blender and we hope you enjoy our recipes! Reach out with any questions!
Great info, thanks a lot. While at day 20 I was wondering about other greens, so your overview helps me. KUDOS for being passionate and in-depth!
Hi Saskia,
YAY! We’re so excited we could help and share some more greens that are great for blending! Which types are you looking forward to trying?
Cheers 🙂