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If you’re new to green smoothies—or just want one that actually tastes good—this is the recipe to start with. This simple green smoothie blends spinach with banana, mango, and pineapple to create a naturally sweet, tropical drink that comes together in minutes. It’s proof that healthy can be easy, delicious, and something you’ll actually want to make again tomorrow.
Table of Contents
What is a Green Smoothie?
A green smoothie is a blended drink made with leafy greens, like spinach or kale, and naturally sweet fruit such as bananas, berries, or tropical fruit. The fruit balances the flavor of the greens, creating a smooth, refreshing drink that’s easy to enjoy. Green smoothies are a quick and simple way to add more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your day in one glass.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Everything you need to make my favorite green smoothie recipe is found in a garden, farmer’s market, or the produce section of your grocery store. I’ve found that the closer we eat to nature, the better we feel. This green smoothie recipe is a great way to start that journey.
- Fresh spinach: Baby spinach is the most mild version to use in smoothies, and also the most easy to find. I suggest using organic spinach because it’s on the Dirty Dozen List.
- Pineapple: I buy frozen pineapple at Costco in bulk to make Frozen Meal Prep Smoothie Packs. If it’s on sale, I’ll cut up pineapple and freeze it myself.
- Mango: You’ll find frozen mango next to the ice cream in the freezer section. I love how it’s already peeled and cut for you and ready to add to the blender. If fresh mango is on sale, you can always cut the mango and freeze yourself. Check out my guide on how to cut mango.
- Fresh banana: Bananas add a creaminess to smoothies that is hard to replicate. It’s magic! You can also freeze bananas to use them in green smoothies, yet the best results come from blending with a fresh, ripe banana.
- Water: The liquid base in the smoothie is water. Use filtered water to avoid any unnecessary chemicals or pollutants.
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How to Make a Green Smoothie
The only equipment you need to make this green smoothie recipe is a blender for smoothies. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy smoothie.
- Blend 1 cup of spinach in a blender with 1 cup of liquid. Blend until all leafy chunks are gone.
- Toss in frozen mango, pineapple, and bananas in the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If you want your smoothie to be extra chilly or possibly even turn it into a smoothie bowl, use more frozen fruit. (You can freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple, or berries.)
- Add in superfoods once the smoothie is nice and creamy. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, and flax seeds are all great choices.
- In order to break down the cell walls of the plants, you need to blend at high speed. You shouldn’t have any leafy chunks or weird texture in your smoothie if your blender is powerful enough.
- Drink immediately. To get the maximum amount of nutrients from a smoothie, drink it immediately after blending it.
Recipe Tips
- Following a simple smoothie method in my How to Make a Smoothie guide helps balance greens, fruit, and liquid for a smooth, great-tasting blend. Tossing in random greens can lead to bitter flavors or a thin texture.
- Frozen fruit makes smoothies thick and creamy without ice, which can dilute flavor and strain your blender. I use a fresh banana for creaminess, plus frozen mango and frozen pineapple for sweetness.
- Invest in a high-speed blender for smoothies if you plan to make green smoothies a daily habit—it makes blending faster, smoother, and easier to stick with.
Ingredient Swaps
- Banana: You can substitute it with a quarter of an avocado.
- Mango: Swap with frozen pineapple, red apple or peaches for a fiber-rich alternative.
- Pineapple: Swap with a naval orange to get that juicy citrus flavor.
- Water: Use oat milk, almond milk, coconut water or orange juice depending on your health goals.
- Spinach: Swap for kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or any leafy greens of your choice.
How to Store a Green Smoothie
Store your green smoothie in the fridge with an air-tight lid (ex: mason jars are great) for up to 48 hours, yet I think it tastes best if consumed within 4 hours after blending. The longer your smoothie is exposed to oxygen, the more it breaks down and the nutrients deteriorate (aka: oxidation).
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
- Protein powder: You can turn any green smoothie recipe into a meal replacement by adding a serving of my Homemade Protein Powder to the blender.
- Natural sweeteners: Increase sweetness by using more natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, bananas, or dates. A smoothie can taste like dessert without any refined sugars.
- Chia seeds: A simple way to add more healthy fats and protein is to add 2 tbsp chia seeds. It won’t alter the taste, but drink fast or it will congeal. Some recipes suggest adding almond butter, yet that’s disgusting in a tropical green smoothie
- Collagen: Unflavored collagen is a simple way to add additional protein and support gut health.
- More vegetables: Try adding 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower for a fiber boost without altering the flavor.
More Green Smoothies
Once you try the recipe below, you’re gonna want more green smoothie recipes. It happens every day in my inbox! I love it! Here’s some of the most popular ones on my blog to try next:
- My son is obsessed with this Mango Orange Smoothie recipe.
- This Simple Kale Smoothie will surprise even the pickiest smoothie drinkers.
- I love this Glowing Green Smoothie with spinach and romaine lettuce for digestive support.
- Escape with this tropical Detox Island Green Smoothie to heal from within.
Dietary Adjustments & Substitutions
Need to accommodate a food allergy? Click the button below for tailored suggestions just for you:
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 banana
Instructions
- Measure: Tightly pack spinach in a measuring cup.
- Add: Put spinach to blender with water. Blend together until all chunks are gone. (Should resemble green water when blended well).
- Toss: Pineapple, mango and banana to blender. I like to use frozen pineapple and mangos to chill the smoothie down and save time cutting and prepping. It’s a win-win!
- Blend: It all together until smooth and creamy. Depending on your blender, this could take as little as 30 seconds or as long as 2 minutes.
- Pour: Into a glass and serve immediately.
Video
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Try adding a serving of Homemade Protein Powder, it’s super clean and easy to make.
- Not a fan of bananas? Swap it for 1/4 avocado, additional 1/2 cup mango or 1/2 cup peaches.
- You can use 1 cup pineapple if you’re out of mango.
- Frozen fruit is recommended to chill the smoothie (and save time cutting and washing).
- Store in the fridge with a lid until ready to drink.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
You won’t be able to taste the spinach if you use the proper ratio of fruit to spinach (1½ : 1). This green smoothie recipe tastes like a mango pineapple smoothie with a hint of banana flavor.
For busy weeks, you can create Frozen Smoothie Packs that you prep on the weekend and enjoy all week, or month. It’ll only take you 5 minutes every morning to have a green smoothie ready to go. You can also blend your smoothie the night before and store it in your fridge until ready to drink.
Green smoothies are the healthiest fast food out there. Blending spinach and fruit into a smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system, increase fiber intake, and boost your energy levels. Adding kale or spinach in a smoothie has incredible health benefits with additional phytonutrients. What we eat can truly transform our body in powerful ways!
Most smoothies you buy or find online are made with just fruit and fruit juice. This makes them crazy high in sugar, which can cause inflammation and consuming excess calories. A green smoothie, on the other hand, is made with fruit and leafy greens, typically spinach or kale. They’re loaded with iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins galore.
Any blender will work, yet to get the creamiest green smoothie you’ll need a high speed blender. Check out my Best Blenders for Smoothies guide, where I reviewed countless blenders to find the best ones for green smoothies. The key is to get rid of leafy chunks, blend quickly and provide tons of value for the price. Hint: not all of them cost $400.
is this smoothie okay to drink before a workout?
thanks
Hi Aria,
Try adding one of our 5 pre-workout boosters!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/pre-workout-smoothie
Hi !
I really love smoothie but i hate banana , is there any substitute so i can get rid of this taste ?
Also , your website has been really helpfull for me, as a smoothie begginer, all the recipe looks so yummy ! 🙂
Hi Raphaelle,
Not a banana fan? We got you covered!
Some great banana substitutes are: Mango, Papaya, Pear, Chia seeds, Fresh dates, Nut Butters, Unsweetened applesauce, Avocado (won’t add the sweetness, but will definitely add the thick and creamy texture)!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/avocado-smoothie
Hi Jen and Jadah- Thank you TONS for sharing your wisdom, time, and energy with the community. You both rock!
I had one question regarding the basis of green smoothie. As part of reviews of a blender i was buying, there were links to few articles where it was suggested that leafy greens should come towards the end i.e. after the fruit has been blended with the liquid. In essence, the order was reverse of what you have offered on your website.
The ‘logic’ behind was to prevent extra blending of greens which could lead to browning and nutrient loss through oxidation. I was wondering if you have also come across this and how to reconcile what seems like differing view points?
Thanks!!
Hi Studentsim,
We do believe that nutrients begin to “go away” and oxalate, but we don’t believe this happens right away. Our stance is that green smoothies stay good for you for up to two days, as long as they are in a sealed container in the refrigerator. So it shouldn’t effect the order you blend your ingredients. We suggest blendin’ your liquid base + leafy greens first, to ensure a smooth and delicious consistency.
Hope this answers your question!
I made my first green smoothie today, with kale,pineapple, banana and cantaloupe. Tasted okay but it hab too much pulp. How can I get less pulp and more liquid.
Thanks
Hi Bonnie,
We like to blend our leafy greens + liquid base first, and then add the remaining ingredients. It helps to create a great smooth texture! If you’re finding the smoothies too thick, you can always add additional liquid base to find the consistency that works for you!
Cheers 🙂
This has an awful lot of sugar with the fruits (avg. about 16g of sugar per cup of fruit). I love fruit but my insulin resistance and PCOS are pretty sugar sensitive. Do you have any suggestions/considerations for helping to lower the sugar content of some of these recipes? They all look so good and I’d love to participate in the challenges, but a lot of your recipes seem to rely on the more sugary end of the fruit spectrum
For example, the greener the banana, the lower the sugar content is.
Hi Natasha,
Thank for reaching out to us. Since we are not doctors or nutritionists, we suggest that any member of community with health concerns to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm that green smoothies and the natural sugars are okay for their eating plan. Here is a link to our favorite low sugar fruits.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Hope that helps.
I just made my first Green Smoothie ever and I made it just the way the recipe called for. It was a lot better than I expected.
Hi April,
That’s rawsome! This one is my favorite, so very happy to hear you enjoyed it! Let us know how you like our other recipes!
Cheers!
Hi! What is a good substitute for almond milk? I hate it!! Could I just use regular cow milk or water? Thanks!
Hi Jess,
Check out our suggestions for liquid-bases, feel free to swap any of them in place of almond milk!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dairy-free-smoothies
What kinda of water is used, regular tap?
Hi Linda,
Yes, we use just regular tap water for our smoothies. Feel free to swap out water for another liquid base!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dairy-free-smoothies
Hello Ladies,
Thank you soooo much for sharing you green smoothie recipes and information. I’m am looking forward to making the Beginners Luck smoothie.
I have been doing smoothies since Feb. 25th, looking to lower my A1C, to lose weight and most importantly to be an example to others that it can be done with Jesus help. 🙂
Hi Dee,
We love sharing our Simple Green Smoothies with you, and we love that you’re sharing your journey with us! Keep us updated on how you’re loving green smoothies, and let us know if you have any questions along the way!
Cheers to health + happiness!
For those who opt for almond milk, which I love, I recommend paying attention to the label. Much of the almond milk has sugar added. I prefer the unsweetened vanilla almond milk for added protein in my drinks. Organic is hard to find, but it’s out there too.
Lisa,
Thanks for the great reminder! It’s so important to look at labels to ensure we’re not adding unknown sugar to our recipes! We like all of the sweetness to come from the delicious fruits we add to our smoothies!
I’ve read that consuming too much raw kale can cause your body to block the absorption of iodine. Is this a myth?
Hi Melissa,
All raw leafy greens carry a small amount of toxins that protect plants from being entirely consumed by other animals—and wiping out the plant species. But before you dump your green smoothie down the drain, you should know that this isn’t anything to worry about as long as you are rotating your greens. Throughout the week, use a variety of leafy greens in your smoothies— like kale, spinach, romaine, herbs and carrot tops.
Here are some of our favorite leafy greens:
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/leafy-greens
My smoothie today consists of spinach, cilantro, freshly squeezed lemon juice, some cilantro/lemon/cucumber water, a banana and some frozen mixed fruits (peaches, raspberries, blueberries) It was delicious. I will not be going food shopping until Friday so I used what I had on hand.
Elecia,
Sounds delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hello! At the moment I don’t even have a blender but will go to the city in a day or two when my funding comes in. The concept of drinking something green is still sounding a bit horrid to me, but in my 6.9 decades of life, I have ingested stranger stuff.
Fortunately, i live in Thailand and have all sorts of greens and fruits available.
Hi Richa,
We are so excited that you’ve found us, and that you are excited about the green smoothie lifestyle! They’re green + delicious!! Please let us know if you have any questions along the way!
I just registered with your web site as i have just started to take green smoothie.
since I am diabetic I am not allowed to take banana or mango or any sweet fruit.
i had nuts and raisins with apple and melon and make the smoothie with few mint leaves.
pl advise
HI Kausi,
Thank for reaching out to us. Since we are not doctors or nutritionists, we suggest that any member of community with health concerns to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm that green smoothies and the natural sugars are okay for their eating plan. Here is a link to our favorite low-sugar fruits.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
Hope that helps.
used Coconut -Amond milk .We are hooked
Heck yes! My favorite! I couldn’t decide which one and then BAM there it was 🙂
Hi Erika,
This is one of our favorites as well! Cheers!
Yum!
My husband was skeptical but I added Coconut-Almond Milk, it’s a winner.
Joann,
Adding coconut-almond milk sounds delicious! It took a little convincing, but my husband loves the green smoothie life now too!