Yesterday when I shared my 2012 foodie goals with you, the one at the top of my list was getting more fresh fruit and leafy greens into my diet. I promised you a killer green smoothie recipe, and here it is! Given my aversion to vegetables, I had been giving the skeptical side-eye to green smoothies for the better part of a year before I finally caved in and tried one. I love smoothies and I love fruit, and (shockingly) I even like spinach (although it has to be raw, like in a salad – I hate it cooked), but I just never thought I would like it. When I took my first sips, there was definite shock and awe – not only did I not gag, but I actually really, really liked it. Such a bright, fresh flavor and if you do happen to be spinach-averse the good news is that you absolutely cannot taste it at all. Seriously! It just tastes like a blend of banana and citrus – I love it!
Last year my mom and sister each did a pretty intense cleanse and my mom put together a binder of smoothie recipes that were in line with the cleanse guidelines. Not surprisingly, I am not a cleanse girl. Attempting to eliminate anything from my diet pretty much guarantees that I will crave it in 0.2 seconds. I just can’t do it, I love food too much. Instead, I stick to my “everything in moderation” and 80/20 rule of eating healthy 80% of the time so I can indulge and enjoy what I want the other 20% of the time. It pretty much works for me, but I know that I have trouble with fresh fruits and vegetables. I simply don’t eat enough of them. Enter the green smoothie – a great solution to my problem and an easy way to get 2+ servings of fruit and 2 cups of leafy greens into my daily diet without really trying. I mixed and matched some different elements of the smoothie recipes my mom had saved, with this being my favorite combination.
This makes a little over 2 cups of smoothie – you can drink it all at once or separate it into two servings. When I make this I usually like to drink half for breakfast, and then save the second half for an afternoon snack. You can store your portions in airtight containers in the refrigerator. (I actually think the smoothie tastes even better when it’s well-chilled.) When you’re ready to drink, give them a good stir (it will thicken in the fridge) and enjoy!
Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes? Feel free to share them in the comments below, I’m always looking for great new ideas!
Two years ago: Chocolate Babka
Four years ago: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Basic Green Smoothie Recipe
Yield: 1 large smoothie (1 to 2 servings)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
2 cups cold water
1 banana, cut into chunks
1 orange, peeled and separated into segments
½ apple (your favorite variety), peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
½ lemon, peeled and separated into segments
½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cups baby spinach1. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and completely combined.
2. Drink all at once, or separate into two servings. The smoothie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. When it comes out of the fridge, it will have thickened, so give it a brisk stir (or use a small whisk) and enjoy!
Tags: Cold Drinks
Mmmm, that sounds very yummy. Congratulations on crossing something off your list so fast. I’ve never tried a green smoothie because so many people suggest you use a vitamix which is really expensive. Did you use a regular blender for this? I’d really like to try it.
I have this KitchenAid blender, which is what I use to make my smoothies: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSNVEM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=broeyebak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000CSNVEM
I got a juicer a couple of months ago and I’m addicted to kale/pear/apple juice.
Silly question…when you say 2 cups of baby spinach, do you pack it into the measuring cups, or just kind of loosely pile it in?
I can’t wait to make this! I love the Naked brand green smoothie, but I have a feeling that a DIY version is much healthier!
Hi Maggie, Not silly at all! I’m such a kitchen nerd with my scale, I actually use it to measure my spinach too! (85 grams for 2 cups) However, if you are using a measuring cup, then I would definitely pack it in.
Fave smoothie recipe…well, it doesn’t exactly win any health votes but I recently made a white chocolate and cookie butter (Biscoff or TJs) banana smoothie.
And I was just in Aruba for the month of December and blogged about tons of smoothies I made when I was there..mango, pineapple, banana, you name it, I blended it.
Green is good. But cookie butter is better
Averie… That should be a motto… Bumper stickers and all
Wow, I hope it tastes good, I am such a picky person,lol. Thanks for sharing it!
I’ve still not had a green smoothie, but I am kind of morbidly fascinated by them. Thanks for the recipe!
I could not agree with you more! Green smoothies are incredibly healthful and a delicious way to get in your leafy greens and fruits! I have a recipe that I have been using for a while and it really helps energize me. I vary the type of greens that I use between kale, spinach, collards, beet greens, and swiss chard. They all have different vitamins and minerals, and since you don’t really taste them, I think it is best to vary them. Here is the method I use….
1/4 C. carrot juice
1/2 C. 0% fat french vanilla or plain yogurt
2 big handfuls of leafy greens
1 banana
5-6 ice cubes
1 Tbs. ground flaxseed meal
1 squirt flax oil
1 small handfull of fresh or frozen berries
Blend until mixed in a normal blender and enjoy!
Brave girl! I find it so hard to drink green smoothies – I think maybe I use too much spinach. I have been craving a smoothie but it’s below freezing in WI…have to wait until the weather warms up!
Amazingly enough the smoothie looks really good! Smoothies are the big January thing, just read a bunch of recipes in my Health Magazine yesterday. I guess I”ll give them a try. I like the ingredients in your smoothie, nothing weird in it! The only thing about smoothies, is they don’t keep me filled up! But then again, it could be in my head! lol
I’ve done the green drinks before but never with a banana, looking forward to trying your version.
We have friends who swear by green smoothies but we’ve always been afraid to try them. It’s the ‘green’ thing….yours looks delicious and I may give it a whirl (pardon the pun!)
My sister is a huge smoothie fan and keeps pestering me to try a healthy one. This is going to be my first go at a green smoothie, thanks for the recipe!
Looks great, and by my calculation 252 calories. I wonder if adding a scoop of protein powder would whack out the flavor profile?
I think an unflavored or vanilla protein would blend right in. =) (I don’t apologize for my puns.)
My new favorite smoothie I have nicknamed the good for you banana split:
32 oz of Chocolate soy milk
2 bananas’s cut into large chunks
1 pkg of frozen sliced strawberries without juice
1 heaping Tablespoon unsweetened almond butter
1 Tablespoon honey
2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
Mix in blender, makes about 4 12oz servings. I store in 12 oz disposal coffee cups in the freeze. You can either take out the night before and store in the fridge or if you forget remove from freeze and microwave for about one minute ten seconds. Perfect on the go breakfast.
I have yet to try a green smoothie, but I know I will soon. One of my favorite smoothies consists of frozen bananas, apples, Greek yogurt (any flavor), coconut or almond milk, cocoa powder, and sometimes a spoon of Nutella. It is so delicious!
i make a smoothie almost every weekday morning for breakfast, and i use an immersion blender which is amazing and so easy to clean .
one of my faves is a mango banana smoothie: 1 banana + 1 big handful spinach, 1/2 cup frozen mango + few spoonfuls plain greek yogurt + splash of mango juice (no sugar added).
i like using frozen fruit because it makes the smoothie thick and cold. i also got a re-usable tumbler at target with straws that change colour to take my smoothie on my morning commute!
This looks great, but I just can’t get past the texture in smoothies. Something about them makes me gag, especially if its getting thicker in the fridge! Too bad, I guess I’ll just have to eat my fruits and veggies in salad form.
I am excited to try your recipe, but I have to watch my acid and two citruses is too much. Can I leave out the lemon without much change? Also, how do you feel about adding yogurt?
Hi Barbara, You can leave the lemon out; feel free to add in the other half of the apple or a 1/2 cup of another fresh fruit of your choice. I don’t add yogurt to keep any extra sugars out, but I think you could probably add some – some other readers have included recipes in the comments here and a few do include yogurt.
Sorry to plug, but cascade fresh yogurt is only sweetened with fruit juice, no other added sugars. The sugar/artificial sweetener thing really bothers me about yogurt, so I was thrilled when I found this brand. They have excellent citrus flavors that are very bright.
Here’s my go-to green smoothie. 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup orange juice + 1 banana + approx 3/4 cup frozen fruit (I usually do half mango and half strawberries) + greens to loosely fill to top of blender (usually spinach, kale, or chard, and it is likely about 2 cups). I’ll also sometimes vary the juice to use whatever I have on hand, or add in some ground flax seed, or a small handful of any fresh fruit I want to use up, like berries that are looking suspect. Blend and enjoy!
This sounds perfect. Nice and simple! Excited to try it, but I’ve heard that frozen spinach is just as good (if not better b/c it’s flash frozen). However, I’m really curious if the small amount of water/ice from the frozen spinach would affect the smoothie?
Thanks!
kim
Hi Kim, I would probably avoid the frozen spinach – the texture will be vastly different, and I think the flavor would be a bit different as well.
I just posted a green smoothie recipe too! Check it out, I think you’ll like it!
http://tofusurprise.blogspot.com/2011/12/pear-banana-and-kale-smoothie.html
Yeah..I am pretty much an everything in moderation girl too. I just can’t give up food!!!! This looks refreshing!
I’ve been drinking these for a while and have a couple of tips. I add almond milk instead of water because it’s a simple way to add protein. Also, I love to add frozen green grapes. They don’t dilute the smoothie like ice would but they help give it a nice slushie texture!
And last but not least, I NEVER have time to cut up kale in the morning before work, so I’ve taken to washing/cutting it up when I come home from the grocery and then I put it in a big bag in the freezer. I just grab a couple of handfuls when I’m ready for a smoothie! Happy New Year!
I also freeze my greens. I make a smoothie every day for my toddler son so I cut up greens (and other veggies like cooked sweet potatoes) and stuff into ice cube trays then freeze. It makes a perfect one ounce block that I can just throw into the blender. It works wonderfully.
I was cleaning spinach in the mornings to use, then started washing it when i brought it home. The salad spinner works well to get most of the moisture out but I store it in a container with a clean tea towel to further absorb moisture. It keeps well for the work week. Sometimes when I’m super busy, i buy the prewashed stuff and just give it a quick rinse before using. Def. going to try your frozen green grape idea, sounds refreshing!
ok ok i’ll try it.
That looks awesome!
I love green smoothies. Such an easy way to start the day off on a healthy note. My favorite is super simple: 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, couple of handfuls of spinach, 1 tablespoon almond butter – blend until smooth. If I’m feeling crazy, I may through in a 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder. Now if I could only convince my husband that it doesn’t actually taste like spinach.
Just have him close his eyes and take a sip. That’s what I had to do with my BF. He still won’t drink them, but he admitted that they really good. That’s a start
Good luck.
Green smoothies rock. I have never tried it with a banana though. Happy New Year.
I’m going to try to eat a little better myself. Although I must admit that I have been lagging so far. This will be at the top of my list come next week!
My boyfriend and I did a cleanse last year and bought a vitamix on a whim within the first three days. It’s one of my favorite kitchen appliances now. My usual morning smoothie consists of almond milk, some pomegranate juice, spinach and mixed berries. I’ve started to add plain greek yogurt for extra nutrition. You can’t even taste the spinach. Wonderful way to get my fruits and veggies which I don’t eat enough of.
This looks so good – I don’t know why but I love any drink that’s green! I’m weird!
Sounds like a super healthy smoothie. Great way to get your fruits and veggies for the day.
I, too, have been quite skeptical of all of the green smoothies that I’ve been seeing on blogs for a while. But, if you can do it, so can I, right? I need to give this a try.
I love green smoothies! Kale and spinach are my favorite leaves to add. If anyone’s worried about it tasting “leafy,” it doesn’t! Pineapple and blueberries are my secret weapon for good flavor. Though, if you add blueberries, it’s not really a green smoothie anymore. Kind of purple.
i, too, am interested in what kind of blender you used. i tried a green smoothie last year (it contained kale) and could not drink it. i couldn’t puree down the leaves and…. gag. i’m pretty sure i used a simple KA blender too. perhaps i should have blended longer?
thanks for the recipe though. our family is back on the healthier eating wagon (for now), and i’d love to try this.
Hi Jamie, This is the KitchenAid blender I use: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSNVEM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=broeyebak-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000CSNVEM. The leaves blend down just fine (as you can see) – I would try pureeing for a longer amount of time. I let mine go for a couple of minutes.
I make a delicious green smoothie:
white grape juice concentrate (you can sub grapes), banana, greek yogurt, a slice of pineapple (core and all), half an orange, and two good sized handfuls of spinach. I blend it with some ice, deee-licious! I do use a Vitamix with awesome results.
I’m drinking this smoothie right now and I have to say I love it. I think next time I will cut down on the lemon and maybe add more banana. Very great, thank you for this!
I’m so afraid to try these, even though I’ve been wanting to for a while and I like all of those things. Sigh. I’m nervous, haha.
Congratulations on a new discovery! It looks delicious and I’m sure tastes even better.
I really hate to bring a sad note into the discussion (and complicate it), but if you’re trying to cleanse, you should also be aware of pesticides. Almost none of us can buy all organic, but here’s a list of the worst contaminated foods, called the “Dirty Dozen…and on the bright side, there’s also a “Clean Fifteen”! It will at least help you prioritize if you decide to buy some organic food.
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
I just made this and drank the whole thing! THANK YOU!!! I especially love the fresh ginger and lemon juice for the refreshing zing they give—kind of like ginger ale!
I tried this morning, and I am happy to report that this tastes pretty good. As I posted before, I was skeptical that I would like it. I thought the fresh ginger was the ingredient that really made the taste “pop”.
I’ve been wanting to try green smoothies forever, and now I have no more excuses! It looks fabulous and such a great way to get some more leafy vegetables in me. Can’t wait to try it!!
Let me say I passed this recipe around (attaching website) at work, and two of us have tried this (and both LOVED it). I am drinking mine this morning, a little citrusy which I love. You can not taste the spinach at all, and it’s only 5-6 WW points…yummm I have only drank half and I am FULL. So I could have drank half, and had less points. But I am going to drink while I work. Also the top three things to eat to naturally detox is Apples, Spinach (green leafy veggie) and citrus (lemon/orange)…so you can not go wrong with this smoothie, Thanks so much for the recipe!!!!!
Ive never been a fruit or smoothie girl. Last year I worked in a bit of fruit, this year, there will be more. I hope this smoothie kicks two birds off that list.
I regularly make green smoothies, and just tried this one. It’s my new go-to smoothie! It is so clean and light and fresh-tasting. I love it! Thanks for sharing it.
This was my first green smoothie! It was pretty good, but I think (for me, anyway) it was missing the ice factor. The 2 cups water was too much. Even after adding some frozen peaches, it didn’t help at all. So maybe next time half water, half ice? Whichever way, it’s a great base and I think I’ll be enjoying more green smoothies in the near future.
I am passionate about green smoothies, I drink 48 ounces a day. I’m always trying to figure out how to add more veggies and less fruit. If I do add fruit I cut up ripe bananas in half and freeze them. This makes the smoothie COLD which tastes way better. I freeze most of my fruit for my smoothies (berries, grapes) and I like this better than just adding ice. I ALWAYS add chia seed, and usually maca powder and acai powder. For a FABULOUS spicy green veggie- 5 ounce organic tomato juice, ice, 3 celery stalks, one carrot (with the greens/stem intact) half cup spinach, two cloves garlic, a little but onion, sea salt, pepper, hot sauce, bit of flat leaf parsley)chia seed. it is DELICIOUS. I get compliments whenever I serve it and would love to try it with vodka for a bloody Mary! You can use red pepper also if you like it.
My favorite green smoothie is:
1/2 cup ofcold water
1/2 banana
1 cup of green grapes
1/2 cup of pineapple, I like to use fresh
2 cups of baby spinach
1/2 cup of ice
Green smoothies are just so yummy! I can’t wait to try yours!
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for this recipe!
I added some silken tofu for protein, and had a rocket and baby spinach blend which added some nice flavours to it. Another good thing is it’s a great way to use up the leftover greens once you’ve sprinkled them on your pizza…
I love the recipe. I would add some kale and even a few raw carrots to the mix to bring in even more nutrients. I call that smoothie my ‘flu shot’.
Thanks for the recipe. It is really tasty. I’m going to start drinking these regularly.
Wow, this smoothie was absolutely delicious! I love the pretty, bright green colour (just what you need at this point in the winter). Also, the citrus-ginger combo is a very tasty surprise!
Bravo! I have a two green smoothies everyday (one for breakfast, one for lunch). Along with some lean protein during the day, you can’t really go wrong.
Just remember to vary up the greens from time to time. Kale is my go-to when I need a break from spinach. And mint! I love mint in almost all my smoothies.
I enjoy frozen peaches, mint, and spinach/kale.
Apple, banana, cinnamon, and greens.
Pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, and dandelion.
Banana, cocoa powder, and greens is a nice indulgence.
Hi Margaret, Thanks so much for sharing these variations. I’m excited to give them a try!
Hi Michelle, your green smoothie looks delicious! I have been drinking these things for years now to help with my weight loss goals, and get a nice shot of liquid vitamins and fiber into my diet. I became pretty passionate about this stuff so I made my own little blog of free smoothie recipes, I hope you check it out and find something you like! I would love to submit one of my recipes to your site if you would like. Here’s my site: http://www.bestsmoothierecipes.org/
Hey, I notice that most smoothie recipes include banana, what’s a good replacement fruit for banana? your smoothie looks fabulous, thanks for sharing and opening up this discussion..
You could really use any fruit that you like. Mangoes, strawberries, and pineapple are some of my favorites.
Cleanse, schmenge…I too, needed to add the extra fruits and veggies daily and warily drank my first, and became a believer! My smoothie always contains a handfull of baby carrots. The carrots really brighten up the flavour of the smoothie. I usually add the two veggies, two fruits and some ice cubes. Some days there’s yogurt in it too. I love your idea of saving half for later in the day. When i get home from work I start picking at sometimes unhealthy choices while making supper. This would fill the gap with something quick and healthy.