Want to try green smoothies but don’t know where to start? This simple guide takes you from zero to deliciously green in just 5 minutes!
So I’ve got to admit, even though I studied nutrition and cook healthy food for a living, sometimes I struggle to get in as many veggies as I know I should. I blame my sweet tooth, which urges me to think about dessert far before I think about what I’ll make as a vegetable side dish. But I found a way to get a healthy dose of veggies into my diet easily and without fuss…green smoothies!
I make a green smoothie almost every morning as a way to get the tulip-man and I filled up and ready for the day (and to pack in a few servings of veggies without bother before 9am).
Eatmail subscribers know that I’m all about smoothies, but I’m realizing that not everyone is as accustomed or comfortable with throwing a salads-worth of spinach into a smoothie. So today we’re breaking it down to the basics.
Green Smoothie Ingredients
The nice thing about green smoothies is you can adjust them to whatever you’re craving (or whatever you have stocked in your kitchen!) The basic ingredients in all great green smoothies are:
- Leafy Greens: Spinach is my favorite because it breaks down easily in a blender, though kale is a runner up!
- Creamy Ingredient: Something to make the texture smooth and creamy, like banana, yogurt, coconut milk, or even silken tofu.
- Fruit: Fruit adds natural flavor and sweetness. You can use fresh or frozen, and virtually any fruit works well here (apples, mango, berries, stone fruit, kiwi, pineapple…you get the gist).
- Optional Enhancers: Feel free to add seeds (like chia or flax) nutritional supplements (like protein powder) or flavors (like spices or honey).
How to make green smoothies taste good
The secret to ultra-smooth green smoothies is in blending the liquids and greens together first, then adding in the rest of your ingredients. This step prevents having chunky bits of spinach or kale floating around your smoothie!
Then we’ll need a creamy base. I usually use chopped and frozen bananas. Pro tip: Cut your bananas into 7 pieces then freeze, that way when you need to pull the bananas out of the freezer for the smoothie, you’ll know exactly how many pieces equals one banana! If you’re not a fan of bananas, plain yogurt works well too!
Next we have fruity flavors. You can use virtually any fruit you’d like here, but today we’re going with kiwi and pear.
Finally, we have the optionals. You can throw in optional superfoods, like chia or flax seeds. You can also add optional flavor enhancers, like cinnamon, vanilla extract, or cocoa powder!
By the way…this is the spinach smoothie recipe I make every morning. It’s a simplified version of this green smoothie recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup liquid milk or juice
- 1 cup leafy greens spinach or kale
- ½ cup creamy base 1 banana or ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup fruit today that’s 1 kiwi and 1 pear
- 1 Tbsp optional superfood topping chia, flax, or hemp seeds
- 1 tsp optional flavor enhancer cinnamon, vanilla, honey
Instructions
- Combine liquid and greens in a blender until smooth.
- Add the rest of your ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
GW says
Chia and flax seed to tag the Omega 3s. Great idea. People who.havent tried your green smoothie ideas just don’t understand how easily the taste of spinach is masked by other things. Have,you tried bagged frozen spinach? Not the blocks,
Sarah says
I didn’t know you could buy frozen spinach in any form other than cubed! I’ll have to try that, might make the smoothie extra icy 🙂
GW says
You have lived in Europe for a while as cubed spinach isn’t a thing in the USA. There are some frozen chopped varieties in the USA. I think the cubes are a German thing, but they work great and like your chop the bananas into seven pieces idea, the cubes make an easy measuring device. I think many people can’t get around the color of veggie smoothies. The taste can be great. Like yours!
Sarah says
I wonder, do you know how much fresh spinach is in frozen spinach blocks?
Daniela says
Loved your beginner’s smoothie, I’ll be making it for a mid afternoon snack today 🙂 green juice is new to me and I am testing out a few recipes to see which ones I like best. Yours seems yummi 🙂
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Daniela! Let me know how it goes! If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to my Eatmail where I send free weekly smoothie recipes, in case you need more inspiration 😀
Daniela says
Sara, the smoothie was amazing!! Even my boyfriend liked it and he is not a big fan of greens!
I’m happy to say that this will officially be my “go to” smoothie! And I have subscribed 🙂
Have a nice week 🙂
Sarah says
Yay I’m so glad you liked it!! Such a great way to sneak in those greens 😉
Joanna Keilson says
I’ve tried frozen spinach in a smoothie once…never again. Fresh is great! Frozen…you taste it. At least I did.
Sarah says
Ah yea, I guess you probably get quite a bit more spinach if you use frozen so the taste can be too strong. I love using fresh!
john JP says
We always seem to have tea left over in the tea pot. Some times peppermint and sometimes green tea. So instead of water I use the left over tea instead of dumping it out. works
fine.
Sarah says
That’s such a great idea, John!
Joan says
for the first time I tried to make a green smoothie before I read yours.
I used fresh baby spinach & arugula, orange juice, vanilla yogurt, frozen veg.
& honey. I.’m not keen about it I thing the arugula may be strong different taste should I put strawberries or blueberries in it I need iron is this a good way.
Sarah says
Hi Joan! Rather than adding frozen veggies try adding frozen fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) which will make the smoothie taste great. Then just add a LOT (2 or three big handfuls) of fresh spinach, which is packed with iron and has very little taste in a green smoothie.
Oluwakemi says
I love this idea. I am going to try it and am sure it’s going to taste great. Meanwhile v subscribed to your Eatmail. Thanks for this piece
Sarah says
So happy to hear!! Welcome to the Eatmail fam 🙂
Nancy says
Fresh spinach may be packed with iron, but it also has something in it that binds the iron so that it is not absorbed. But there are other vegetables with iron.
Sarah says
Thanks for pointing that out, Nancy! True, oxalic acid in spinach binds to some of the iron in spinach. But there are ways to make the iron more available, such as eating the spinach together with vitamin C (like orange juice and fruit in your smoothie). You can also steam or microwave the spinach to make the iron more bioavailable! 😀
Salma says
Hey Sara,
Thanks for this great post, I’ll try it asap 🙂
Sarah says
You’re welcome! Would love to hear how it goes for you 😀
Susan Toth says
Can u recommend a blender other than nutri system?
Thk u.ready to get started.
Have 9 grandchildren and hope to help them focus at school w a healthy brain & body.
👍
Obviously this machine will b multitasking!
Unless- u don’t recommend multi purpose use.
Thx
Sarah says
Hi Susan! I personally LOVE my Vitamix (https://amzn.to/2tdk9rr). It’s heavy duty and can handle smoothies as well as nut butters/soups etc. I’ve also had a lot of success with a blender/food processor combo like this (https://amzn.to/2MWQ34s), which has basically infinite uses. Hope this helps!
Crystal Merritt says
I just started juicing but I like the smoothie better I like Kale and spinach greeapple and pineapple
Sarah says
Yesss smoothies over juicing any day! So much more fiber 🙂
Bessie Ashby says
I am just getting into smoothies and am wondering if I can use raw mushrooms in them and if so have you tried it?
Sarah says
That’s a good question, Bessie! While I haven’t tried mushrooms in smoothies, I don’t see what it would be a problem. Would love to hear how it goes!
Rosie says
Followed this recipe and love my first green smoothie ever! Thankyou.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Rosie! 😀
Irene Burt says
I’m very pleased at first time making this recipe and plan to have my five a day mainly in the morning as a smoothie with extra fresh veg with my main course.
The suggestions given and various flavours will give plenty of scope to try on different days.
Also on the plus side home made will be so much cheaper than buying the ready made ones . Thanks for your advice 👍
Rosemary says
Great recipes, simple and easy to understand. The ingredients used can be found anywhere in the world. I’m from Kenya so I will try them out
Ana Kim says
My version of a green smoothie is a base of two frozen bananas
I have a vita mix so I just cut my bananas in half.
2 bananas
2 cups of fresh organic spinach.
1/3cup milk more or less depending how thick / thin you want your smoothie
Vegan Protein Powder _ i use kos and only 1/2 scoop
Peppermint oil 1/3 tsp
Piece of dark chocolate bar add at the end
You can also add avocado
Glo says
Hi when you said use liquid for example what kind of liquid apple juice orange juice?
Sarah Bond says
Yep exactly! Any juice or milk would be great 😀