Green Julius Recipe
A healthy Orange Julius – plus some extra greens! This frothy “Green Julius” is sweet, citrus-y, and creamy – packing in Greek yogurt and spinach for a healthful boost. You’ll never need a sugary, processed Orange Julius again.
The Green Julius is sure to be a family favorite.
Come to find out, a small Orange Julius has 50 grams of sugar in it! That’s in the smallest size! The ingredients include sugar, powdered egg, fruit juice, and I’m sure some additives you’d rather not have.
Our healthier version is something you can feel good about. Whole oranges are better than just juice because you get more fiber and carotenoids. And to make the Julius creamy, we use milk and plain Greek yogurt for some protein. Finally, we throw in a few cups of spinach for a superfood boost! Hence the name – Green Julius!
Now you can enjoy a Green Julius guilt free, as a fun summer treat!
A healthier Orange Julius: The Green Julius
Orange Julius
- 210 calories
- 50 grams of sugar (including added sugars)
- 0 grams protein
Green Julius
- 152 calories
- 23 grams sugar (none of it added!)
- 8 grams protein (bonus!)
- **plus extra iron, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals from fresh spinach and oranges
How to make a healthier Orange Julius
The process to make a Green Julius is super simple. All you need to do is throw the following into a blender:
- 2 oranges, peeled
- 1 banana, on the ripe side
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups of packed spinach
- a handful of ice
Now blend it all up for a couple minutes until everything is blended and the Julius is frothy. Serve right away!
Some tips: If you want your Green Julius on the sweet side, make sure to use bananas that are getting pretty ripe. The riper the banana, the sweeter the drink. If they’re too brown you might taste a bit more banana than intended, though, so beware.
I know picking oranges can be tricky, but the flavor of this drink is highly dependent on some delicious oranges. Try to use the tastiest oranges you can find. I personally love the Cara Cara variety! Do you have any tips on picking out great oranges? Let us know if you do!
Enjoy this cool and creamy treat for dessert or even breakfast on a special day. Get blending and drink up!
Green Julius
Ingredients
- 2 medium orange
- 1 medium banana
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup ice
- 2 cup spinach
Instructions
- Peel oranges and banana. Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend well, until smooth and frothy. Enjoy right away!
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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Amazing combination of healthy drink… Looks vey colourful.
The recipe looks great! It says that it serves 4. What is the serving size for the smoothie?
My 2 year old woke up with a snotty nose so I figured this would be he perfect day to try out this smoothie. I only had the small, cutie sized oranges, so I used 3 of those. 3 or 4 would be perfect (I’m planning to try 4 next time). This smoothie is absolutely delicious! I’ve got a new favorite
Delicious! My four year old loved it and didn’t realize he was having spinach. I used 1 1/2 large oranges.
I do have a tip I have so far been successful with as far as picking oranges. Pick oranges that seem heavy for their size and they are usually extremely juicy. Light weight for thier size and the tend to be drier and fibrous.
I’ve been freezing our smoothies for my teething toddler. Is this recipe “popsicle friendly” ?
Definitely – it makes delicious popsicles that are a pretty green color.
Awesome smoothie! But the print option seems to have an error. ;(
Hi Lucce, thanks for giving us the heads up. I’m not seeing an error when I hit print. What does it look like for you?
Delicious smoothie my kids loved it,
this is a keeper in our recipe book.
Thank you ? I
can you use different greens?
There are a couple different greens that you could try! Kale, arugula, or swiss chard are good options. 🙂