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The Best Green Smoothie

49 Comments

After trying dozens of recipes, we finally tweaked this Green Smoothie recipe to perfection. This smoothie is delicious creamy, nutrient-packed, and 100% kid-friendly. It’s one of favorite ways to fill in those nutritional gaps!

two green smoothies in glasses with paper straws

Why We Love This Simple Green Smoothie Recipe

Green smoothies can completely transform  how we get fresh fruits and veggies into our kids’ growing bodies. We spend a lot of time talking about healthy eating, but despite our best efforts it can be difficult getting all those nutrients in. Fruits and veggies are the most under-consumed food group (especially among kids), and green smoothies can help reluctant veggie-eaters get the nutrition they really need to thrive. But we all know that “But it’s so good for you!” isn’t always a great selling point when it comes to kids. Luckily, this tried-and-true recipe delivers big time when it comes to taste.

Are Green Smoothies actually good for you?

The short answer is: yes. The long answer is: absolutely, yes.

Fruits and leafy greens contain a plethora of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that protect and promote health in people of all ages.

So are there any exceptions to the green-smoothies-are-amazing rule? As with anything, balance matters. So drinking green smoothies every day isn’t necessary, or necessarily best. These vibrant drinks tend to contain little to no fat or protein, so kids (and you!) should aim to round out your day’s meals with other foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, meats, and dairy. Make sure your base is made with whole fruits and veggies, and go light on the juice.

an overhead shot of green smoothies, bananas, spinach, and oranges

Ingredients for our Green Smoothie:

  • Spinach– Spinach is considered a power food for good reason! It’s a good source of vitamins including A, C, and K, as well as several B vitamins like folate and iron. It’s also high in calcium and antioxidants.
  • Milk– Milk is an excellent source of calcium, a good source of high-quality protein, and Vitamins such as D and B12.
  • Orange Juice– orange juice is a good source of Vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals.
  • Mango– Mangos are a good source of Vitamins C and A, as well as potassium and beta-carotene.
  • Banana– Bananas are a good source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium.
  • Chia Seeds– Chia seeds are amazing! They are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber. They are rich in essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, protein, various minerals, and have high levels of antioxidants.
ingredients to make a green smoothie

How to make our Green Smoothie recipe:

  1. Firmly pack the spinach into your measuring cup and put it in the blender first. This will ensure that the spinach gets good and pulverized. Those spinach bits can can deter a hesitant eater!
  2. Add your ingredients to a high powered blender. Invest in a good blender- it really does make a difference!
  3. Blend well until your mixture is smooth and creamy.
process shots for how to make a smoothie

Tips & Substitutions:

Just getting into green smoothies? Creativity and an adventurous spirit will take you far! All you really and truly need to make a green smoothie is fresh and frozen fruit, a handful of raw leafy greens, and a splash of water, milk, or juice.

1. Use lots of greens!

They offer a huge nutritional punch, and you honestly can’t taste them. So be generous! Adding the greens to the bottom of the blender, or blending the greens with your liquids before adding the rest of the ingredients, will help ensure it will blend well without leaving a lot of green flecks.

2. Follow the 2:1 ratio.

Smoothies are one of the most forgiving recipes out there- we love to play around with different ingredients to find a new favorite. For ultimate success, follow the 2:1 ratio. Two parts fruit and veggies to one part liquid.

3. Skip the ice.

For a super creamy smoothie, use frozen fruits for your chill factor and skip on the ice.

4. Make freezer smoothie packs.

One of my favorite timesaving tips is to prep smoothie packs on the weekend. Buy your ingredients in bulk and spend a few minutes portioning them into individual freezer bags. On busy mornings all you have to do is put a smoothie pack in your blender, add your liquid, and blend!

5. Avoid added sugars.

We always bananas to our smoothies because they add all the sweetness our smoothies need! The riper, the sweeter. I like to buy a large bunch of bananas and let them get good and ripe on the counter for a few days. Then I slice and freeze them for our smoothies.

6. Boost the protein.

Adding greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, nut butter, or protein powder to your smoothie is a great way to add additional protein to your diet.

7. Get creative!

The sky is the limit! Here are some of our favorite smoothie ingredients:

  • spinach
  • kale
  • avocado
  • pears
  • bananas
  • strawberries
  • peaches
  • raspberries
  • blackberries
  • mango
  • pineapple
  • oranges
  • blueberries
  • dragonfruit
  • coconut
  • oats
  • flaxmeal
  • hemp
  • almond butter

Let kids mix and match their own ingredients. Even toddlers can lob fruits and veggies into a blender. The more involved they are, the more likely they are to enjoy the final product.

green smoothie in a clear glass with a yellow polka dot straw

Our Favorite Smoothie Recipes:

 

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3.6 from 103 votes

Green Smoothie

After trying dozens of recipes, we finally tweaked this Green Smoothie recipe to perfection. This smoothie is delicious creamy, nutrient-packed, and 100% kid-friendly. It's one of favorite ways to fill in those nutritional gaps!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 183kcal

Ingredients

Peaches and Cream Green Smoothie

Instructions

  • Tightly pack the spinach in a measuring cup. Be generous! You won't taste it.
  • Add the spinach to a high-powered blender along with the milk, orange juice, frozen fruit and chia seeds.
  • Blend well until the mixture is creamy and no spinach flecks remain. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 2589IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword : Green Smoothie

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.

Learn More about Natalie
3.56 from 103 votes (102 ratings without comment)

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49 Comments

I also always add rolled oats for the fiber and protein as well as greek yogurt for the low calorie protein.

Thanks! I’ve discovered my 3 year old loves green smoothies. Do you know if you can use frozen spinach or cooked and cooled greens? It’s hard for me to have fresh greens on hand especially during the winter, but I wondered if I froze small servings to throw in. I’m just not sure if it is food safe or would taste weird. Thanks!

My Blendtec is hands down my favorite appliance. It’s truly an amazing machine. I’ve owned mine for almost 2 years and used it over 1,000 times. Thanks for the tips on green smoothies. I have made many in my day, but there are a few things on here I hadn’t thought of. I am always interested in new combos to keep things exciting.

Yum! Green smoothies were my daily breakfast for years. Maybe it’s time to dust off the Blendtec and buzz one up again!

I really love your website and blog, by the way. So many healthy, creative snacks! My son is almost two, and we’ve enjoyed your recipes very much, especially the “cheesy spinach bites.”

I’ve been blogging pictures and recipes of real food for little ones on my blog, Kid Can Eat! if you feel like looking. 🙂

Keep up the good work!

Cannot wait to try with my kiddos! Do these have a banana flavor, and if so, what is another creamy option?

Thanks.

It really depends on what else you put in your smoothie. Banana does have a strong flavor, but a lot of times when combined with other fruits it is very subtle and not distinct banana – just more sweet. If you absolutely hate banana, try avocado for your creamy option.

Pineapple is a great fruit to add some natural sweet flavors into any veggie smoothie. My mom used to add it to this mix of spinach, broccoli and celery when I was a kid and I used to just drink it up because of the pineapple. One question for you: to drain or not to drain? My mom kept always all the fibers and everything, but as an adult I now prefer to filter all the solids.

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This may sound like a dumb question to you Green Smoothie regulars, but I’m a newbie, in your template, am I to use all the ingredients in each section or choose one from each?

Karen – Not a stupid question at all! Typically you would just choose one of the items from the section, except for the fruit section. Once you have started making them for a while you can mix it up. You could add a few different greens, 2 different healthy fats, etc. Hope this helps and good luck!

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Can someone please tell me how not to make smoothies so thick? I just have a regular blender. Where can I buy a blendtec and how much does it cost? I usually put a cup of skim milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a cup and a half of frozen chopped kale or Swiss chard or fresh kale/spinach/Swiss chard
mix, a scoop of greens powder, a teaspoon of spiralina, a scoop of whey vanilla protein powder, three tablespoons ground flax seed, two hemp and chia, 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries and peaches or frozen pineapple fruit mix/mango, 1 cup coconut water. Thanks!

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I have a family member who is allergic to both bananas and avocados. Any ideas for substitutions for these? If I just omit them, what will that do to the smoothie?

It will be just fine. Bananas and avocado just make it a little thicker, and sweeter. I make them all the time without either of those and they are delicious. I have found that frozen mango makes a smoothie thick and sweet, so you might want to try that!

1. When adding things like kale, bok choy or Swiss chard to the smoothie, do you put it all in or do you get rid of the stemy parts?
2. I don’t care for avocados, can you actually taste them in the smoothie?

1. I add all of it. I have a Blendtec and it blends things really fine. If you don’t have a high powered blender, I would suggest getting rid of the stemy parts…..or purchasing a high powered blender if you are going to be making a lot of smoothies 🙂 2. No, you can’t taste them at all depending on what you add. If you any sweet fruit, I can never taste them.

Have been wondering for quite some time what the best way is to put apples in a smoothie? I always found they made my poor smoothie really grainy, even when I removed the skin.
I thought perhaps grating the apple might help? Or is it better to give it a quick blast in the microwave before pureeing or even make my own apple sauce? Then I thought perhaps instead of all this cooking (which destroys nutrients) I could freeze them – would that work? What have you found works best for apples?

We do cut them up pretty small, and then with a little water, cook them down (in the microwave). Then, you can chill it till you are ready to make your smoothie.
Or, try applesauce, made from only apples (no sugar!)

I’ve been wondering how I could add peanut butter to a smoothie, but I never could figure out how I could make it work, and I don’t know what else I could put in it (I like my smoothies creamy with chunks of some sort of fruit in it).

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Do u have to make so much at a time? It’s just for me can u keep it in the frig for the next day? I have a magic bullet I think it will work to mix it. Thank you

I enjoy green smoothies and now keep ripe peeled bananas I haven’t had time to eat in the freezer ready to add for the cold ingredient. NO more wasting food!

Hi Tina, You can actually purchase protein powder at a number of locations. You just want to be sure that it is coming from a reputable company such as those brands found in Whole Foods. For a number of years I have been using Juice Plus Complete. For many reasons it is my favorite, one important reason is that it mixes very well, in the simplest of ways. I will sometimes just toss some powder in a shaker bottle with almond milk post runs or during my kids running events. –some powders can be chalky and forms chunks when not mixed in a blender. Here is a link where you can find my favorite! http://realfood.juiceplus.com/content/JuicePlus/en.html#.VQJc8hDF9uo

We are new to smoothie making, we have just purchased a breville smoothie blender which is great. I am just wondering about the whey protein powder is this ok for children to have as I am a newbie to this I am quite curious to know and also I what quantity. Thanks

Hi Hayley! Exciting about your new blender!! Whey protein is fine, but we believe that if your child is eating a balanced diet, they don’t need additional protein in the form of supplements and powders.

My children are enjoying this recipe. I am wondering how much is a serving, especially if we use it as a meal?
Thanks!!

Thank you for your post, you made it very simple to make a green smoothie. Seems I never had all the right ingredients for other recipes I looked at. Can’t wait to share this with my daughters and grandkids.

This was very interesting information I would love to try this when my daughter gets a little bit older

GREEN SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS

Leafy Greens: Spinach is my favourite because it breaks down easily in a blender.

Creamy Ingredient: Something to make the texture smooth and creamy, like banana, yogurt, coconut milk, or even silken tofu.

Fruit: Fruit adds natural flavour and sweetness. You can use fresh or frozen, and virtually any fruit works well here (apples, mango, berries, stone fruit, kiwi, pineapple).

Optional Enhancers: Feel free to add seeds (like chia or flax) nutritional supplements (like protein powder) or flavors (like spices or honey).

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine liquid and greens in a blender until smooth.
2. Add the rest of your ingredients and continue blending until smooth.

5 stars
We’re changing to a vegan diet, so this this recipe will be great way to get se dark green leafy veg into them. Do you know the nutritional values, in all the recipes.