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Green smoothies are an easy way to eat more fruits and vegetables. I love how you can’t taste the spinach at all, so it’s great for beginners. I like to enjoy it as a meal replacement for breakfast, or as a snack during the day!
Why Are Green Smoothies Good For You?
According to the CDC, only 1 in 10 adults eat enough fruits and vegetables every day. Green smoothies can help in this department!
My green smoothie recipe below has 2 cups of fruit and 1 to 2 cups of leafy greens per serving, which will have you well on your way to meeting your daily fiber and nutrient needs. And you’ll actually enjoy it, because it tastes amazing!
Which Greens Should You Put in a Smoothie?
The best green to add to a smoothie is spinach, if you’re just starting out. It blends easily in blender, and you can’t taste it at all in the recipe below. I even add spinach to my favorite chocolate smoothie, because it’s so neutral in flavor!
As you get more adventurous, you can branch out and start adding other greens to your smoothies, like kale, swiss chard, or romaine. You can even add other vegetables, like frozen broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots!
How to Make the Best Green Smoothie
To make a delicious green smoothie every time, you’ll just need to follow this simple formula:
- 1 cup water or milk. I like to use almond milk or hemp milk, for plant-based protein.
- 1/2 cup orange juice. This helps hide the green flavor, if you’re new to this, or if you’re planning to serve picky kids. You can also use a freshly peeled, seedless orange for the added fiber, or add a pitted Medjool date for sweetness, instead. Or, try adding a spoonful of raw honey or maple syrup if you need a boost of sweetness.
- 1 frozen banana. Here’s how to freeze bananas the right way. Be sure to slice it into coins if you don’t have a powerful blender.
- 1 cup frozen fruit. Use mango or pineapple if you want a green color, or use blueberries if you want to hide the greens from a picky eater. Frozen fruit will thicken your smoothie, without diluting the flavor like ice would.
- 1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach. I use raw spinach in smoothies, because store-bought frozen spinach is usually stronger in flavor.
- Optional Add-Ins: You can add a tablespoon of almond butter or a little avocado for creaminess and a source of healthy fats to help you stay full. I don’t use protein powder very often (try this smoothie recipe if you do want to use protein powder), but I do like to add hemp hearts as a complete source of plant based protein, too.
If you only have fresh fruit on hand, instead of frozen, you’ll want to cut-down on the liquid so that the smoothie isn’t too runny in texture. In that case, you might want to add some ice at the end, to help thicken it up, but only after all the fruits and veggies are broken down in your blender.
The Benefits of a High-Speed Blender
Since we’re talking about smoothies, I also wanted to quickly mention that the type of blender you use will make a big difference in the final result.
I’m in love with my Vitamix (I bought this certified refurbished model to save money), but I’ve also had good results with KitchenAid’s K400 blender, the Instant Pot Ace blender, and certain models of Ninja. (Only with the ones with Auto IQ in the individual size… I have tried older models, and the larger pitcher, and wasn’t as impressed in that case.)
A high-speed blender will give you a smoothie that is silky-smooth, with an ice cream-like texture and no flecks of leafy greens to chew. Smoothies are so much more pleasant that way.
If you think you’ll be making green smoothies often, or dairy-free sauces like Cashew Queso or Cauliflower Alfredo, or healthy desserts like Avocado Pudding or Vegan Frosting, then a good blender is a worthy investment.
I use my blender at least twice a day every day!
More Healthy Smoothie Recipes
If you have other ingredients on hand in your fridge or freezer, try one of these other popular smoothie recipes!
- Kale Smoothie
- Strawberry Mango Smoothie
- PB&J Smoothie
- Favorite Smoothie for Kids
- Spirulina Smoothie
- Flax Seed Smoothie
- Energizing Matcha Smoothie
I hope these recipes, and the one below, will give you a good jumping-off point for your next smoothie. These are easily adaptable to use what you have on hand in your freezer, so feel free to get creative!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water or milk (I like to use almond or hemp milk)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (see notes)
- 1 to 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 frozen banana , cut into coins
- 1 cup frozen mango (or other fruit, like frozen strawberries or blueberries)
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1-2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter
- 1/4 ripe avocado , peeled with pit removed
Instructions
- Add the water, orange juice, and spinach into the blender and blend until the greens are completely broken down. This will ensure you don't get bits of greens in your final smoothie. If you are adding in any of the optional add-ins, like almond butter or hemp hearts, you should blend them during this step, too.
- Add in the frozen banana and mango, and blend again until smooth and slushy. Serve right away for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is for the whole batch, without optional add-ins. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know what you think. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite smoothie combination?
I made a sort of mash-up of both recipes:
I used 2 handfuls of spinach, 1 cup of unsweetened cashew milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 ice cubes, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 handful of frozen strawberries.
Thank you for all of your lovely insights always. This is a truly healthy website that I can count on for great flavor!
Hi, Megan! Recently discovered your blog and I am a huge fan! I changed my lifestyle about two years ago and have eliminated so many health issues and lost almost 50 lbs of fat. I’ve plateaued the past few months and had a recurrence of some health issues after having a daughter and pumping breastmilk for her for several months (reproductive-system-wise) and am honestly panicking. I plan to start doing green smoothies or juices for breakfast every morning but can’t decide which to go with- it just seems so overwhelming. What do you recommend? I know they each have their own benefits but if I am looking to lose fat, detox, and kick-start my adrenals which do you recommend? I’m under a lot of stress as I’ve gone back to school to become a nurse, so I can’t really eliminate that.
Thank you!
Megan, this is one of my favorite recipes. This smoothie has become my current addiction. I can’t get enough of it!!!
What’s the nutritional breakdown for the green smoothie (e.g., calories, protein, fat, etc)?
I am addicted to green smoothies. If you freeze the bananas and fruit I think they are even better!! I’ve also used cocunut water and not from concentate apple juice. It’s so fun to experiment while eating/drinking healthy!!!
I just spent hours reading your site and especially found your answers to specific questions helpful!
I have lots of gas (& very dry skin) and the principals of food combining make so much sense to me, but it always seemed confusing to put into practice. Thanks to your readers, your answers, & your recipes I think I can adopt this as a way of eating.
As I start our, I have question…if acid foods should not be combined with carbs & starches, doesn’t lemon or vinegar salad dressing affect digestion with a meal of rice or other starch? Also, would tomato in an avocado/veggie sandwich affect digestion of the bread?
Thank you!!
You can get REALLY complicated with food combining if you want to– but I personally prefer not to do that! If things get too complicated, I lose interest, so I keep food combining principles very basic, so that I don’t have to over-think my meals. It should become second-nature, rather than being something you have to think about all the time. For example, I never think in terms of “acid” foods combining with starches. Lemons, limes and raw apple cider vinegar are all actually alkaline in the body, so they wouldn’t be considered an acid, anyway. You can see how I personally choose to combine my foods by using the chart on my website. It’s not necessarily how every expert would recommend combining foods, but it works for me and keeps things simple, which I think makes the concept more accessible to those just starting out.
Tomatoes and other raw vegetables on a veggie sandwich would help improve the digestion of the bread, since they’re all alkalizing in the body and would help add hydration to the meal. Try to think in terms of hydration when it comes to digestibility, since the more hydrating a meal, the faster and easier it will digest. (Hence, why fruits digest so quickly!)
Thank you Megan for all of your recipes. I have been making the classic green smoothie for breakfast every morning for a week now….I LOVE it! It definitely gets me through the morning and holds my hunger off until lunch. I will definitely be trying out some of your other recipes as well. 🙂
Hello! I was wondering if you had ever tried making smoothies ahead of time. We are new to the smoothie world and I was wondering if it was possible to make a smoothie the night before and store it in the refrigerator without loosing the normal consistency and taste? Thanks for your blog and all ur great recipes! And congratulations on the baby announcement! 🙂
Hi Jackie! I have made smoothies ahead of time, and left them in the fridge overnight. The texture isn’t exactly the same, but it’s good enough! And definitely worth it to have a quick and easy breakfast.
Megan,
The snack-size one fooled my kids!!! It is so good. I just added a scoop of chocolate protein powder. I had some fresh apples, so I threw one in after I cored it- peel and all. But I think the lemon juice really does eliminate the bitterness. This one is a keeper. 😉
Just wondering why you add the lemon? Making this now…excited to try it! I just found your site and want to thank you for all of this wonderful information!
Lemon helps hide the “green” flavor, and is extremely alkalizing in the body. Plus, it’s delicious!