Green smoothies love you and your body.
It's a way to pack leafy greens—which contain more vitamins and minerals than any other food group—into an easy to drink, delicious tasting drinks. You can boost your immune system, fight disease with powerful antioxidants, improve health and longevity, and naturally boost your energy.
It's the best kind of fast food there is.
I love this smoothie—I drink one big glass in the morning and I am ready to take on the day—full of energy and healthy greens.
So let's break this bad boy down, shall we?
Avocado - Full of brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, inflammation reducing antioxidants, and blood pressure reducing potassium (30% more than a banana!).
Kale - High in digestive-aiding fiber, liver boosting iron, and vision boosting Vitamin A.
Apple - Adds a bit of sweetness plus endurance-boosting antioxidants, and immune helping Vitamin C.
Spinach - One of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, containing cancer-fighting antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and 40% of your magnesium requirement daily.
Coconut Water - Nature's gatorade, full of dietary fiber, enzymes, Vitamin C, amino acids, and potassium.
Mint - A touch of minty freshness finishes this drink beautifully and will aid digestion, clear up your skin, and stimulate your senses.
Energy Boosting Green Smoothie
- 1/2 avocado
- 4 leaves kale, stems removed
- 1/2 apple
- 1 handful loose spinach
- 1 cup coconut water
- 4-5 fresh mint leaves
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until green and smooth. Drink right away—perhaps with an earth-friendly stainless steel straw.
Here are some of their tips for a great green smoothie experience:
For the best ratio, follow the 60/40 formula. For example: 3 cups fruit, 2 cups dark leafy greens, 1-2 cups of water. Makes 32-40 oz or 4-5 cups.
If bitter or too “green tasting,” add an extra dose of nature’s sweetener. Sometimes, smoothies can taste a little bitter or overpowering from the leafy greens. To fix this, just add a natural sweetener such as bananas, mango, apples, pears or pitted dates.
For optimal nutrient content, drink your smoothie right away. Fresh is always best, but sometimes you will have leftovers. Store in airtight containers, like a mason jar with lid, to limit oxidation (which breaks down nutrients and changes the color.) You can keep green smoothies in the fridge for 24 – 48 hours.
Change up your liquid base from time to time. Water is a great base for green smoothies, but it’s nice to change it up and incorporate more nutrients and vitamins occasionally. Coconut water is low in fat and calories, yet high in potassium, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. For a more creamy texture, add unsweetened nut milks to your smoothies like almond milk or coconut milk, which are packed with bone-building calcium and vitamin E.
Want your green smoothie to be extra chilly? Freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple or berries. This is also a great way to not waste ripe fruits and veggies.
That smoothie looks amazing, I have a mint obsession !! Mint makes everything !
Thanks for this recipe. I love green smoothies and I’m always looking for new ideas:). God Bless!
This smoothie make my body feel better. Other green smoothies do not have enough greens in them. This does. It helped my gut heal from last night’s dinner. Thank you for the recipe. Since I’m allergic to coconut, I used water with coconut flavored stevia. I can see how each ingredient is necessary. Maybe next time I’ll add chia seeds and cucumber. But really it’s perfect just the way it is.
OK – now that I have my juicer and I am going to try this. You have opened up a whole new world to me!!!
Could you give some recommendations on juicers? I want to incorporate juicing into my life in 2014.
Hi Nish! For a basic beginner juicer, I recommend this model by Breville: http://amzn.to/1cJ9sik
I also freeze my fresh spinach and kale which keeps it from wilting so fast when just in the fridge. I have been using the NutriBullet daily for over a year and love, love, love it! Super easy clean-up and you can screw on a little rim and drink right out of mixer cup.
This a great smoothie maker!
Hi Carol! Great idea of freezing for on-the-go mornings.
can you show me some smoothies which can make my skin more smooth and pinky-white
Hi han! I would try adding strawberries and cucumber to your smoothies to improve skin. But really all leafy greens are super alkalizing and your skin will love it.
I really tried to love juicing but there’s just too much sugar. Chia helps regulate blood sugar as well as being packed with nutrients. I like my smoothies a little…a lot…more indulgent with more goodies disguised as nutrients! This is what I drink every day, twice a day (makes enough for 2 12 oz. glasses), everything but the milk (hormone free) and banana are organic:
12 oz. milk
2 tbsp. finely ground chia seeds (whipped up in little coffee/spice grinder)
2 tbsp. natural cocoa (not Dutch)…or more!
1 banana
1 packed cup greens (kale, chard, spinach)
raw agave to taste
water to adjust consistency
It’s rich and satisfying, and as a hard core chocoholic that won’t pass up a chance to make anything chocolate, this really hits that spot!
I love blending about any fruit with almond milk and spinach or kale and sometimes a little lemon zest adds a little kick to the smoothie as well.
I’ve been adding lemons (with the rind) lately and loving it, Sherry!
Your smoothie looks perfect. I just love that it have avocado in it. I might just add some ground chia or flax seeds.Pinning this one . Thanks
I tried the 60/40 idea, and my, it is bitter enough for me. Thanks for this suggestion!
what about protein? are you a believer in 100 grams a protein a day necessary intake? if so, would you add some to your smoothie? or do you feel you don’t need it all morning? thanks! trying to reconcile all the info out there…
I sometimes add in seeds for protein (hemp hearts, flax, pumpkin, and sesame are my fave) or plant-based protein powder from Amazing Meal or Vega.
Hey guys! I love this smoothie recipe… It looks amazing and tasty… But I have a problem, I live in Colombia and we don’t have kale here. That vegetable has so many properties and I really like to use it but we dont have it. Could you tell me an option forma replace it?
Try another green. Maybe spinach?
Can you pretty much just mix in whatever fruits you would like into this same recipe and it would still taste good?
Play with it and see what flavors you like best!
All these recipes sound amazing.
I don’t like coconut water can I just use water ?
Sure you can!
I’m sure you won’t taste it once you mix everything.
Can you really freeze Spinach and kale ? I seem to always have to throw some away as I end up buying too much.
The spinach is raw or cooked?
I really like the ingredients in this smoothie. I’m going to try it lately I’ve been feeling very week. Thanks.
How many cups does this make ?
Any suggestions for replacing apple. I am highly allergic and I find most recipes have apple in them.
This may sound silly but do you add ice to these smoothies? Or is just the ingredients above?
Any sub for the apple as I’m highly allergic?
Use pears.
I’ve begun to make little baggies with the ingredients for each individual shake and then throw it into the Vitamix. It’s so much easier than to pull together all of the ingredients daily( and you also avoid the greens going bad before you use them) .. also you don’t need ice since the frozen fruits and veggies chill the drink. I vary the ingredients but use some combination of kale, spinach, cucumbers, beets, different fruits and often turmeric root and ginger root. I take the frozen combination, put it into the Vitamix and then add Protein powder and almond milk.