Green Smoothie Recipe

This is my absolute favorite Green Smoothie recipe! It’s packed with good-for-you ingredients, yet it tastes great! No more plugging your nose to chug down greens; you’ll crave this smoothie every morning!

After you’ve gotten hooked on this Green Smoothie, be sure to try out our other healthy breakfast recipes: Healthy Banana Bread, Healthy Blueberry Muffins, and Healthy Zucchini Bread.

First things first: a Green Smoothie (as its name suggests) is green in color. This smoothie gets its green color from the green fruits and/or vegetables that are added to the smoothies. Generally, they’re made with leafy vegetables, a myriad of fruits, and a nutrient-rich liquid such as nut milk, rice milk, or coconut water.

There are so many benefits to drinking a Green Smoothie (more on this below), and plenty of ways to switch up your recipe to gain benefits from various fruits and vegetables.

Disclaimer: While I do have a background in health (B.S. Exercise & Wellness) I am not a doctor or certified nutritionist. Make sure to consult your doctor or certified nutritionist as needed.

How to Make a Green Smoothie

1. Blender: Make sure you’re using a powerful blender for this smoothie. I use this Blendtec® blender and love it. While other blenders can definitely do the trick, it may take a bit more patience and blending to get a perfect consistency.
2. Measure: While it might seem silly to actually measure out ingredients for a smoothie instead of just throwing everything in, I recommend measuring everything the first few times you make this– until you have a feel for the right quantities. (Throwing random ingredients in a blender can often end up giving you way too much smoothie or tasting, well, gross.)
3. Blend greens: Start by blending the greens with the liquid. This helps break them down and ensures you won’t have small chunks of spinach in your drink. 
4. Blend fruit: Next, add in the frozen fruit and a little more liquid (the lemon). Blend until smooth.
5. Taste and adjust: While this Green Smoothie recipe below details exactly how I make it, sometimes you’ll need to make minor adjustments. For example, if your banana wasn’t very ripe, you might need to add a teaspoon or so of honey to add some sweetness. If the oranges weren’t juicy, you may need to add additional citrus. Taste, adjust, and enjoy!

Benefits of Green Smoothies

Check out the ingredients used in this green smoothie recipe and a few of the health benefits associated with each one. Just to be clear, while I do have my background in health (B.S. Exercise & Wellness) I am not a doctor or certified nutritionist. Make sure to consult your doctor or certified nutritionist as needed.

• Coconut Water: Not to be confused with coconut milk, coconut water is found in the center of a young coconut and is a great source of many important minerals including vitamin C and fiber. Coconut water has also been linked to reducing blood pressure and improving kidney health. Read more about the benefits here.
• Spinach: This leafy green has been linked to cancer prevention, bone health, and healthy skin and hair. Read more about the benefits here.
• Oranges: Oranges are known for their antioxidant properties and are also linked to stroke prevention, blood pressure reduction, and skin health. Read more about the benefits here.  
• Mango: This fruit is also high in antioxidants and is linked to boosting immunity, improving digestive health, and supporting eye health. Read more about the benefits here.  
• Pineapple: Pineapple is linked to cancer risk prevention, suppression of inflammation (de-bloats your body), and speeding up recovery after exercise. Read more about the benefits here.
• Banana: Studies link bananas to moderating blood sugar levels after meals. That also means it may reduce appetite as the stomach empties slower. Read more about the benefits here.  
• Lemon: Lemon is linked to preventing anemia and kidney stones. It’s also theorized to help with weight control and improve digestive health. Read more about the benefits here.  

Variations and Substitutions

• Chia seeds: Sometimes I’ll sprinkle a handful of chia seeds on top right before eating for some added nutrition. Don’t store leftovers with chia seeds or the seeds will begin to gel. 
• Ginger: I don’t love ginger in my smoothie, but many people swear by it for a zip of flavor and the health benefits. Feel free to add a half-inch slice or so of freshly grated ginger if desired.
• Hulled hemp seeds: Blend in about an ounce for added protein and energy.

Green Smoothie FAQs

Do Green Smoothies help you lose weight?

Green Smoothies have vitamins and minerals that support overall health and wellness and make a great addition to a weight loss regimen. While there is no magic weight loss potion, filling up on a Green Smoothie can take the place of unhealthier options.

Is drinking Green Smoothies good for you?

 Don’t you just love it when something delicious is also good for you? Green Smoothies provide plenty of fiber, which helps offer relief to the symptoms of common digestive issues. They also help rejuvenate your body! Chlorophyll, the substance found in green plants, can improve the immune system and rejuvenate the entire body. And lastly, Green Smoothies can help improve skin health through the high amount of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants they contain.

Can I drink a Green Smoothie every day?

 Green Smoothies are a great way to get in the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. While nutritionists don’t recommend a diet of ONLY Green Smoothies (or any other single food), drinking one each day as part of a healthy diet can be very beneficial to your overall health. For variety’s sake, I would recommend switching up the ingredients in your green smoothie or trying an Acai Bowl (four recipes in that post).

Three quick notes

1.  Start simple: This recipe is what I like to call an introductory green smoothie. It’s genuinely delicious and fairly sweet, thanks to the quantity of fruit used. If you’re new to Green Smoothies, this is the recipe to start with! Once you get more accustomed to them, you can introduce different greens or replace fruit with vegetables.
2. Ingredients matter: The quality of the ingredients you use definitely matters. Ripe bananas, juicy citrus, and good-quality frozen mango and pineapple make all the difference! We love juicy halo clementines, Meyer lemons, Dole® frozen mango, Dole frozen pineapple, and Simple Truth® Organic coconut water (not sponsored; these are just what we use and love!).
3. You can freeze fresh spinach: Worried you won’t use all the spinach before it goes bad? Fresh spinach freezes well for Green Smoothies. Pack one-cup portions in airtight container(s) and store in the freezer; add it frozen to your green smoothies.

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Green Smoothie

5 from 4 votes

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This is my absolute favorite Green Smoothie recipe! It's packed with good-for-you ingredients yet tastes great!

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Green Smoothie

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

This is my absolute favorite Green Smoothie recipe! It's packed with good-for-you ingredients yet tastes great!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword green smoothie, green smoothie recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 large green smoothie

Calories 253kcal

Author Chelsea

Cost $2.31

Ingredients

• ▢ 3/4 cup coconut water (or unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• ▢ 1 packed cup baby spinach
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen pineapple (or 2 clementines; Note 1)
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen mango
• ▢ 1/2 large banana (about 1/2 cup)
• ▢ 1/2 of 1 lemon, peeled

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• The night before making your smoothie, remove the peel on a ripe banana and cut it into coins. Put the coins in an airtight freezer bag and freeze.
• The next day, combine the coconut water, baby spinach, and peeled clementines (if using) in a blender bottle. Blend until smooth.
• Next, add in the frozen pineapple (if you didn't use clementines), frozen mango, frozen banana, and lemon. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. 

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Clementines: When clementines are in season and ripe/flavorful, I like adding those. Other times of the year we do frozen pineapple.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1large green smoothie | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.8g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 219.7mg | Fiber: 6.9g | Sugar: 39.8g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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