My Go-To Tropical Kale Smoothie

This insanely tasty tropical kale smoothie recipe was originally created for my #1 best-selling recipe book, Simple Green Smoothies. Over the years, I’ve craved it more and more… and decided it needed to be a part of our Smoothie Challenges.

After all, what’s a green smoothie challenge without a fresh bunch of kale?!

Growing up in Southern California I ate a lot of In-N-Out and Taco Bell. It wasn’t until I moved to Florida in 2011, that California started to lean into the health trends… and kale became king.

Or should I say: when California turned into Kalifornia.

This recipe uses lacinato kale, yet any kale will work. I highly recommend removing the stems of the kale before blending to eliminate as much bitterness as possible. You can compost the stems or even feed them to your backyard chickens, like me.

Why kale is good for you

Kale is one of those veggies that high in nutrients and low in calories, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. According to Self Nutrition Data, a single cup of raw kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange.

You can say a lot of good about kale, but prob the thing I love the most is the fiber. Kale is a great leafy green to blend into smoothies if you struggle with constipation or irregular bowel movements.

Health Benefits of this Tropical Kale Smoothie

Aside from it using the “leafy green king”, this smoothie is packed with fresh ingredients that’ll leave you feeling better than before. And if you make a green smoothie a daily habit, you can begin to look different than before too. This this smoothie is the BEST because we use…

• Plant-based ingredients: We only use fresh, 100% plant-based ingredients in this kale smoothie recipe. By avoiding dairy, we’ve eliminated the #1 food allergy in America. Also, this smoothie is WAY better than any kale smoothie with yogurt or milk— make it and see for yourself.
  
• Naturally sweet fruits: Instead of adding sugar, juice or sweeteners, we opt for fresh fruit that’s naturally sweet and packed with flavor.
  
• Incorporate chia seeds: these might mayan seeds are packed with omega 3’s, protein, fiber and healthy fats to keep your blood sugar levels stable, belly full and digestive system on track. Nutiva has a nice organic chia seed product that I order on amazon. I also buy from Costco when I’m down that way, which is the best price out there.
  
  In our summer smoothie challenge, we didn’t include the chia seeds. Yet if you have them on hand or want t try it this way, feel free to upgrade your smoothie.

How to blend kale into a smoothie

One of the biggest issues with a kale smoothie is the chunks. Sometimes they can be so big they take away from the entire smoothie. Yet it doesn’t have to be like that. Here’s 3 tips to help:

1. Blend the kale and your liquid base together first. This gives you the best chance of pulverizing the leafy chunks into green juice.
2. Invest in a high powered blender like the one we call “The Kale Krusher.”
3. Use baby kale which is much softer and gentler than traditional kale.

Tropical Kale Smoothie

★★★★★ 4.7 from 75 reviews

• Author: Jen Hansard
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
• Category: Smoothie
• Method: Blending
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Like the warm California sunshine, this tropical kale smoothie will brighten your day. Loaded with vitamins A, C, K, and calcium, you’ll be f illing your body with goodness that tastes great. Using chia seeds packs a mighty punch by adding omega 3’s, omega 6’s, healthy fats and protein. 

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup kale
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1 orange
• 1⁄2 cup pineapple* 
• 1⁄2 cup mango*
• 1 tbs. chia seeds

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Instructions

1. Place kale, orange and water in blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Add remaining fruit and blend again.

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Notes

Feel free to blend in the chia seeds or sprinkle on top for a crunchy texture.

Keywords: kale smoothie, kale shake

Looking for more kale smoothie recipes? Here’s a few more that have gotten rav reviews from our rawkstar community:

• Kale Mango Smoothie
• Kale Banana Smoothie
• Pineapple Kale Smoothie