How to make the best green smoothie recipe! A simple green smoothie for beginners that is healthy, tastes amazing, and it's made with 4 ingredients in less than 5 minutes! Plus my tips on meal prepping smoothies!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Vitamix. As always, all opinions, photos, videos and the recipe are completely my own!
I drink a green smoothie every day, and have for almost a decade! So this post, explaining "how to make a green smoothie" with all my tips and tricks has been something I've wanted to write since I started this blog! This is a long and comprehensive post and video, so settle in while we get started!
I'll start by sharing how to meal prep smoothies! I'm always prepared to make a delicious green smoothie in a moment's notice. Because every minute in the morning before the kids wake up is precious! I don't want to waste any time measuring protein powder, chopping fruit, etc.
Next, I'll share my favorite green smoothie recipe! It's a simple green smoothie for beginners that is naturally sweetened with fruit (no added sugars) and loaded with greens and protein!
How to meal prep green smoothies
I think that green smoothies are the best when they're served fresh, straight from the blender. So I meal prep smoothies by having all the ingredients on hand and ready to go. This means I always have my freezer stocked with frozen fruit and greens and pre-portion all of the add-ins like protein powder!
1) Freeze Bananas
In my opinion, bananas are an essential ingredient to make the best green smoothies for both natural sweetness and a creamy texture. So make sure to purchase bananas designated to freeze for smoothies when you go grocery shopping!
Let the bananas ripen then cut them into halves or thirds. Flash freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container to store!
2) Use frozen fruit & greens
This green smoothie recipe calls for 1 cup of frozen fruit in addition to one frozen banana. Using frozen fruit and greens is key to the thickest, creamiest green smoothies. You'll notice I do not use ice in any of my smoothie recipes, because it waters down the flavor and gives smoothies an icy texture - which I am not a fan of.
I recommend stocking up on frozen fruit in the winter when produce isn't readily available. During the summer, purchase seasonal produce on sale and flash freeze it in the same way as the bananas!
Fruit to use in a green smoothie
Here are some suggestions for fruits to use in this green smoothie recipe. In this post I used half mango and half pineapple, which is my favorite combination! Be aware, that if you use darker fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc. the color will change and you will likely make a brown smoothie that is delicious but not green in color! 🙂
- mango
- pineapple
- strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- peaches
- cherries
- oranges
- grapefruit
Greens to use in a green smoothie
If you are making this simple green smoothie recipe as a beginner, then I recommend sticking with spinach as the green of choice. I buy large container of spinach or power greens and toss them into the freezer when we get home from our shopping. That way I know the spinach is fresh and that I'm stocked for the months ahead. Here are other suggestions:
- spinach
- kale
- swiss chard
- romain lettuce
- beet greens
- carrot tops
- collard greens
- celery
Blend Greens and freeze in cubes
If you don't have a lot of space in your freezer, you can take the fresh spinach (or other greens of choice) and blend with a small amount of water until the mixture is smooth. Then freeze in ice cube trays and store frozen cubes of greens in an airtight container in the freezer. I used to do this when we lived in a condo and didn't have an extra freezer in the basement!
3) Pre-portion add-ins
Measuring out the add-ins for my green smoothies has been a game-changer for me! I wake up early and nurse my baby, exercise, shower, eat breakfast and drink my coffee all before my 5 kids wake up for the day. So I have the morning routine down to a science to get the most alone time possible before 7:30 AM!
So, I measure out the smoothie ingredients into these small containers and prepare two weeks worth of smoothies at one time! I even have a drawer right under my Vitamix blender where I store the containers for easy access. All I have to do is pop the lid and dump the ingredients in, no measuring required!
Best Green Smoothie Add-ins
I started putting add-ins into my green smoothie recipes when my third baby was born. A few scoops of nutritional boosters gave me increased energy throughout the day and made the green smoothies taste even better! So here are some of my suggestions!
- Protein Powder - this is my favorite plant-based, whey-free protein powder in vanilla and chocolate.
- Collagen Powder - a neutral tasting protein boost! Also good for gut health!
- Maca -for increased fertility and hormone balance.
- Chia Seeds - added protein without powders.
- Ground Flaxseed - a dose of Omega 3s!
- Bee Pollen - boosts immunity.
- Acai Berry powder - antioxidants!
- Raw cacao nibs - a healthy way to add a little chocolate!
- Nuts or seeds
- Coconut Oil - increases metabolism, keeps you full for longer!
- Cinnamon - anti-inflammatory and delicious!
- Amazing Grass Green Superfood- great way to add even more greens!
How to make a green smoothie!
Ok, now that we've talked about all the delicious ingredients that go into making a green smoothie, let's actually dive into how to make a green smoothie recipe!
Step 1: Use a Vitamix blender!
If you’ve been around my blog for a while then you know that I exclusively blend with a Vitamix (and have for a decade)! So it’s not surprising that I will tell you that the best way to achieve silky smooth green smoothies is to use a Vitamix blender!
I bought my first Vitamix because I was sick of chewing my green smoothies (can anyone else relate)?! I wanted a blender that would pulverize anything and everything I put into my smoothies and the Vitamix was the answer. If you don’t have a Vitamix yet I highly recommend getting one ASAP!
Check out my Vitamix Buying Guide where I give my exhaustive reasons for choosing a Vitamix blender a decade ago, and my top recommendations about which model to buy!
Step 2: Add liquid ingredients
When making a green smoothie, it's important to always add the liquid ingredients into the blending container first. This ensures the other ingredients don't get stuck under the blades! It also creates a vortex that pulls everything into the blades for a smooth blend!
Best liquids to use in a green smoothie recipe
I always use some sort of non-dairy milk in my green smoothies because I think it gives them the best taste and texture. However there are many different liquids that could be used:
- Almond Milk (my personal favorite)
- Coconut Milk
- Any percentage of dairy milk
- Rice Milk
- Oat Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Coconut Water
- Water (not recommended, but can be used)
Step 3: Add the frozen greens
Next, add your frozen greens of choice on top of the liquid.
Step 4: Add Frozen Fruit and Add-ins
Putting the frozen fruit on top of the greens helps push all the leaves into the blades and prevents them from sticking to the sides.
Step 5: Blend!
Now it's time to blend our green smoothie! Start blending on low speed and gradually increase to high. Blend on high speed for 50-60 seconds or until the green smoothie is smooth!
Enjoy
Pour the green smoothie into one to four cups and enjoy! In my opinion, this recipe makes two good-sized adult servings or 4 kid servings!
FAQs about Green Smoothies
To be as helpful as possible, I want to take a minute and answer a few frequently asked questions about making this green smoothie recipe for beginners!
Yes, a thousand times yes! This green smoothie recipe has loads of protein, a good dose of fiber and is packed full of nutrients! It's a great healthy and filling breakfast or snack!
No! If you make this green smoothie recipe as it is written you will not be able to taste the spinach at all!
Spinach and kale are both great choices for green smoothies, however I prefer spinach, Kale has a stronger taste than spinach, and can be detected by my veggie police children! 🙂
You do not need any sweetener to make this simple green smoothie recipe! The fruit imparts all the sweetness necessary for even the youngest members of my family to enjoy!
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups spinach* frozen
- 1 medium banana frozen
- 1 cup fruit of choice**
- Optional add ins: protein powder bee pollen, collagen, etc.
Instructions
- Put ingredients into the container of a Vitamix blender in the order listed.
- Start blending on low speed and increase to high.
- Blend on high speed for 50-60 seconds until mixture is smooth.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Green smoothie liquid suggestions:
- Almond Milk (my personal favorite)
- Coconut Milk
- Any percentage of dairy milk
- Rice Milk
- Oat Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Coconut Water
- Water (not recommended, but can be used)
Smoothie greens suggestions:
*If you are a beginner when it comes to green smoothies, I suggest using all spinach for the best flavor and texture. You can also use kale, lettuce, etc. Note: 2 cups of spinach equals 85 g, or 3 oz fresh spinach.- spinach
- kale
- swiss chard
- romain lettuce
- beet greens
- carrot tops
- collard greens
- celery
- dandelion greens
Green smoothie fruit suggestions:
**My favorite fruit combination is ½ cup frozen mango and ½ cup frozen pineapple, but feel free to use your favorite fruits. Be aware, if you use darker fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc. the color will change and you will likely make a brown smoothie that is delicious but not green in color! 🙂- mango
- pineapple
- strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- peaches
- cherries
- oranges
- grapefruit
- grapes
Smoothie add-in suggestions:
To increase the nutritional profile of this green smoothie try some of these add ins:- Protein Powder - this is my favorite plant-based, whey-free protein powder in vanilla and chocolate.
- Collagen Powder - a neutral tasting protein boost! Also good for gut health!
- Maca -for increased fertility and hormone balance.
- Chia Seeds - added protein without powders.
- Ground Flaxseed - a dose of Omega 3s!
- Bee Pollen - boosts immunity.
- Acai Berry powder - antioxidants!
- Raw cacao nibs - a healthy way to add a little chocolate!
- Nuts or seeds
- Coconut Oil - increases metabolism, keeps you full for longer!
- Cinnamon - anti-inflammatory and delicious!
- Amazing Grass Green Superfood- great way to add even more greens!
Nutrition
More green smoothie recipes
Here are some of my favorite healthy green smoothie recipes!
- I drink this chocolate peanut butter green smoothie every day!
- This citrus green smoothie is great for winter!
- Have extra zucchini? Make this creamy zucchini smoothie!
- You can add spinach to this strawberry banana smoothie, pineapple smoothie, mixed berry smoothie and this mango smoothie recipe to make them green!
- Add spinach to this pumpkin smoothie which tastes like a liquid pumpkin pie but it's so much healthier!
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Shelley
"BEST GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE is Amazing! I've made it a few times now and it tastes and makes you feel amazing!
Angela
You are very right, most of the protein powder i have used recommend water and not milk. and also my health coach recommends water only when making the smoothies and protein drinks.
Laura
You can use water if you'd like. I just don't prefer the taste.
Tracey
Hi,
I'm just curious why you don't recommend water for the liquid?
We always use water; I think one of the protein powders we buy suggests its best with water.
Jennie
LOVED it! Followed the recipe exactly but added cinnamon, collagen powder and wheatgrass powder, and used coconut almond milk. It was hit!
Rachael Adams
I found this comment hilarious. It basically says, “I followed this recipe exactly except I completely changed it. My creation was delicious.”
Laura
A day in the life of a food blogger! 😉 But, I figure some people might be curious about certain substitutions and changes so I allow the comments often.
Michaela
Delicious! I am not one for green smoothies but this is really good. I didn’t use frozen spinach, just normal spinach but used frozen mango and frozen banana. It was perfect!
Ashley
Yummy with one change. This smoothie was a bit too icy for my taste. Once I used a regular banana instead of a frozen one, I really started enjoying this recipe. It is going to be a morning staple.
Christy Pace
I could only afford to buy a Ninja Foodie Blender and food processor. It says that it can make smoothies just fine. I am hoping that they are truthful in their claimed as what it can do. I was wondering if you know anything about the performance of this blender and food processor. I felt that was the next best blender to use in place of a Vitamix. If it does not perform as stated I return it and buy a Vitamix blender.
Shelley
The ninja and the nutribullet all work perfectly.
No need to spend hundreds of dollars on the vitamix.
I use and prefer my nutribullet
Jamie
Yum! Love this recipe - it is so creamy and smooth! How many frozen cubes of spinach do you use to equal the 2 cups? Also, I’ve tried halving the recipe because I’m the only person drinking it but then there’s not enough liquid for it to blend well. What do you do when you’re the only person drinking it - make the whole recipe and put the rest in the fridge for the next day? Thank you!
HarmonyDelong
I think you can still halve the recipe. I would suggest adding more liquid, then blending to see if it reaches your desired consistency. If not, add and blend again.