The very first green smoothie recipe I ever tried was this one, the Very Berry Smoothie– and it changed my life. At that time, my husband and I were financially struggling as he transitioned to a new job as a pastor.

We had no health insurance and our kids were at that age when all they did was pass colds back and forth (and they almost always turned into an ear infection). This berry smoothie recipe gave us the immunity boost we needed to stay healthy, as well as caused us to fall in love with green smoothies.

Berry smoothie in 2 glasses with paper straws.
Table of Contents
  1. Berry Smoothie Recipe for Immune Boost
  2. Blend a Quality Smoothie EVERY Time
  3. Ingredient Swaps
  4. More Berry Smoothies
  5. Citrus Berry Smoothie Recipe

Berry Smoothie Recipe for Immune Boost

For the past 8 years, I’ve sipped green smoothies with my family, and used real, whole food to keep us healthy. We also use natural remedies to heal our body. We haven’t needed any prescriptions (or over the counter meds) since starting green smoothies, so that’s proof enough for me that real food heals!

Specifically, this berry smoothie’s got over 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It also boasts 8 grams of fiber, which keeps the body regular. Fiber is often overlooked, yet getting enough fiber daily can combat Type II Diabetes, obesity, certain types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease. That makes it an important ingredient in my opinion!

2 glasses of purple smoothie with paper straws on a table surrounded by fresh produce.

Blend a Quality Smoothie EVERY Time

Follow these steps to a perfectly blended smoothie, no matter the blender! First, make sure you start with a mix of fresh + frozen ingredients. I recommend at least 1 frozen fruit in each smoothie, so that it is nicely chilled.

I also follow the 1 1/2 + 1 + 1 rule: 1 1/2 cups of fruit, 1 cup of leafy greens, and 1 cup of liquid in every smoothie. Finally, if you are blending with a non-high powered blender, then make sure to blend your liquid + leafy greens first. This will minimize the leafy chunks at the end, and also help your blender break down the ingredients better.

Note: this berry smoothie recipe has a little less water in it, because oranges act as a liquid and a fruit, they’re so juicy!

How to measure leafy greens

I often get the question, “How do you measure leafy greens?!” It’s a great question, yet the answer varies depending on the person. If you are new to green smoothies, I recommend a lightly packed 1 cup serving of spinach. If you’re a #greensmoothiequeen, then stuff those greens in as much as you can!

Seriously though, if you need to start with 2 spinach leaves and work your way to more, then that’s great. I know that you’ll be adding more greens to each smoothie in no time, just like I did! These days, I just grab a few *big* handfuls of spinach for my smoothie, and skip the measuring cup.

bowl of fresh ingredients including strawberries, blueberries, cherries, banana and spinach.

Ingredient Swaps

Green smoothies are super versatile, so don’t be afraid to make these recipes fit your pantry, as well as your tastebuds. I like the strawberry/blueberry combo in this berry smoothie, yet choose the berries you like best. Cherries + raspberries are also a great combo.

If you need to cut down on the sugar, swap the banana with 1/2 cup cauliflower, or 1/2 avocado. That way your smoothie stays creamy and your blood sugar stays happy. If fresh oranges aren’t easy to find, you can sub in 1/2 cup 100% orange juice, just make sure it’s the kind with lots of pulp!

More Berry Smoothies

Berries are easy to add to smoothies, so I’ve got a whole list of recipes for you berry lovers to try:

What berry combos are your fav? Leave a comment and let me know! Let’s keep that antioxidant love going.

Healthy Berry Smoothie Recipe
4.55 from 222 votes

Citrus Berry Smoothie

Taste the very first citrus berry smoothie recipe that I ever made… and immediately fell in love with. It's loaded with vitamins and flavors, making it a great kid-friendly immune booster. 
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Smoothie
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 1

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup spinach
  • cup water
  • 1 orange
  • cup strawberries frozen
  • cup blueberries frozen
  • ½ banana
  • 1 serving homemade protein powder optional

Instructions 

  • Blend spinach, water & orange until smooth.
  • Add fruit and blend again.

Video

Notes

  • You can swap the orange for 1/2 cup of orange juice with lots of pulp. Remember— fiber is our friend! 
  • Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
  • Swap in any leafy green you want.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 29mg, Potassium: 727mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 3178IU, Vitamin C: 116mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

You might Also Like…

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I don’t always have good luck with adding oranges (probably need a better blender!) But today’s was delish!

  2. 5 stars
    I loved the citrus flavor of the Very Berry smoothie. Drank mine before my morning workout. This is a keeper.

  3. 4 stars
    Very good. I added a little too much liquid but enjoyed the smoothie.

  4. This one is super refreshing but oranges and blueberries together aren’t my favorites! It’s still yum though and I’m enjoying the daily boost!

  5. Mine came out smooth and creamy because I used a whole banana which added more sweetness to the drink. I enjoyed it.

  6. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! refreshing and satisfying. I will definitely make this again!

  7. 5 stars
    I typically don’t like the berry smoothies mostly because I like eating my berries whole. But this was tart & sweet.
    Definitely going to do this again.

  8. 5 stars
    I loved this smoothie but I think with changes I didn’t make it taste light and fresh like I think it was suppose to. I’ll be making again with no changes even though my changes of omitting banana, adding cauliflower + coconut milk & chia seeds made a fantastic smoothie

  9. This one was pretty good. The orange flavor was strong so I would probably substitute or leave that out next time.

  10. 5 stars
    Day 4 Very Berry, I added Kale today as well as extra spinach, so my smoothie was Very, Berry Green, super yummy.

  11. 4 stars
    Really like this one and the sweetness that is in it. Did it with just blueberries and turned out great.

  12. 4 stars
    This was really nice and refreshing. I left out the orange as I‘m not a big fan. I also used up some rice milk that needed to go instead of water.

  13. 5 stars
    I enjoyed this smoothie, just as much as the others. The orange flavor really stood out. I didn’t taste the berries though. I had to add a bit more water, I think I was a bit heavy handed with the spinach…gotta have my green leafy vegetables, lol