Get ready for some smoothie-savvy swaps! Allergies and inaccessibility to ingredients can definitely make you shy away from certain green smoothie recipes. Yet have no fear! We’ve compiled a list of great substitutions so you can still reap the rawesome results!

If you are on the fence on joining one of our seasonal cleanses, this guide can help give you some easy swaps and answer the question of why cleanse?


Ingredient: swap with…

Almonds, raw: Any other raw nut: Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts

Almond milk: Any other nut milk, coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk

Apples: Another variety of apple, pears

Apricots: Peaches, nectarines, mango

Bananas: Avocados (for same creamy texture)

Beets: Carrots, red cabbage

Blackberries: Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries

Blueberries: Blackberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries

Broccoli: Cauliflower, cabbage

Cabbage: Spinach, bok choy, romaine, chard, watercress

Cantaloupe: Honeydew or another melon variety, peaches, papaya

Carrots: Sweet potatoes, beets, pumpkin

Cashews, raw: Any other raw nut

Cherries: Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries

Cilantro: Parsley, basil, mint

Coconut water: Filtered water, coconut milk, almond milk

Collard greens: Kale, beet greens, spinach, Swiss chard, bok choy

Cranberries: Cherries, raspberries, pomegranate arils

Fennel: Celery (for texture) and anise seeds (for flavor)

Garlic: Shallot

Ginger, fresh: 1 tablespoon fresh ginger = 1⁄2 tablespoon dried ground ginger

Grapefruit: Clementine, orange, tangerine

Honeydew: Cantaloupe or another melon variety, green grapes

Kale: Arugula, watercress, spinach, Swiss chard, green cabbage, collard greens, beet greens

Kiwifruit: Mango, orange, tangerine, lime

Lemon: Lime, orange, tangerine, clementine

Lime: Lemon, orange, tangerine, clementine

Mangoes: Peaches, nectarines, papaya, apricots

Nectarines: Peaches, mangoes, apricots

Oranges: Clementines, tangerines, mangoes, papaya

Parsley: Kale, arugula, watercress

Peaches: Nectarines, mango, apricots

Pears: Apples, peaches, nectarines, plums

Pineapple: Oranges, mangoes, peaches

Plums: Apricots, peaches, nectarines

Pomegranate arils: Cranberries, pineapple, strawberries

Raspberries: Blackberries, blueberries, cherries, strawberries

Romaine: Spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens

Strawberries: Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines

Swiss chard (silver beet): Kale, spinach, romaine, collard greens, beet greens, cabbage, watercress, arugula

Tangerines: Oranges, clementines

Watermelon: Cantaloupe, honeydew

About the Author

Simple Green Smoothies

I went from exhausted mama to running across the Grand Canyon, riding & hiking to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America with my kids. How? I fell in love with the smoothies and plant-based meals you can find on my blog.

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