We love green smoothie recipes because you can drink your breakfast smoothie and get a serving of greens all at the same time!
Don’t be intimidated by the color, I promise there are many green smoothie recipes out there that hide the bitter taste of power greens but that give you all of the benefits at the same time.
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Why Make a Green Smoothie?
Oh the burning question, are green smoothies really that good for you? If you make them right they are! Green smoothie recipes can be great for getting a LOT of nutrition in one sitting.
In most green smoothies, the green color comes from the greens you use such as kale, and spinach. Greens can be boring to eat, but when you put them in a smoothie. It’s easy breezy. Greens are:
- High in fiber
- Protein-filled
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
How to Make a Green Smoothie
Let’s break down exactly what you need to make the perfect green smoothie! In the Fit Foodie Kitchen, we use a basic recipe that we deviate from depending on what’s in the fridge and what our bodies are craving.
So…what’s in a green smoothie?
Frozen Fruit – we like to use frozen fruit in order to omit ice from our green smoothies so that you can get a smoother, creamier smoothie. We recommend banana, berries, mangoes, pineapple, etc. For a single serving, shoot to use around 1 cup of frozen fruit.
Greens- obviously every green smoothie has some kind of green! Whether it’s spinach, kale, or microgreen, any kind of green will work. Here are our favorites:
- spinach
- kale
- microgreens
- arugula
- baby kale
- lettuce
- beet greens
pro tip
Instead of throwing out greens that are about to go bad, freeze them and use them later in a green smoothie! Try and pack in as many greens as you can…no less than 1 cup!
Milk/Liquid- you’re going to need some kind of liquid for your green smoothie and our favorite is almond milk. While you can use any kind, we found that unsweetened almond milk isn’t super overpowering and a great base milk for pretty much any smoothie. Use anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup for a single serving.
Other liquid options include: orange juice, water, coffee, coconut milk, oat milk, cranberry juice, and apple juice.
Seeds- because why not amp up your green smoothie with more nutrition! We try and get around 1/2 tablespoon of ground seeds such as flax or chia per smoothie.
Kitchen Accessories for Smoothies
The one thing that has made a difference time and time again for really pulverizing your greens so that you CAN’T taste them, is a high-speed blender.
Below we are sharing some of our favorite kitchen accessories (and protein powder!) to not only help make your smoothie, but drink it too!
What greens to put in a smoothie?
The most popular greens for a green smoothie are kale or spinach.
Can you use frozen greens for a green smoothie?
Both fresh and/or frozen greens work for a green smoothie!
Is it OK to drink a green smoothie every day?
It is 100% OK to drink a green smoothie recipe every single day.
What does a green smoothie do to your body?
Green smoothies add fiber, protein, and tons of vitamins and minerals helping to detoxify your body.
Does green smoothie make you poop?
Typically green smoothies are made with kale or spinach, which are both high in fiber thus helping your digestive system! So yes, green smoothies help you poop!
Can you make a green smoothie ahead of time?
You can easily make any smoothie ahead of time. Store your smoothie in the refrigerator and drink for the next 1-2 days.
You can even pop it back into the blender and add a handful of ice to make it more smoothie-like the next day.
Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe
Looking for a basic green smoothie recipe? Check out our favorite green smoothie base recipe and then deviate from it with your favorite add-ins to get a green smoothie of your own.
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 0 minutesTotal: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen fruit (banana, mixed berries, tropical mix)
- 1 cup of fresh greens (spinach, kale, or arugula)
- 1/2 – 1 cup milk (almond, soy, coconut, cows, etc.)
- 1/2 tablespoon ground seeds (flax, chia, etc.)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender.
- Blend on high until smooth. We recommend starting with 1/2 cup of milk and going up from there depending on how thick you like your smoothies.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- Our favorite frozen fruit to use for green smoothies is banana because they’re sweeter than the average fruit and add a delightful flavor.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 146 Sugar: 14 Fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 30 Fiber: 5 Protein: 3
Keywords: green smoothie recipes, green smoothie
Top 3 Greens for a Green Smoothie
I was totally that girl that was intimidated to drink green smoothies because of the color. I mean, drinking anything green is kind of scary 😛
I thought I’d chit chat about oue top 3 kinds of greens you can add into your green smoothie…especially for those starting out vs. expert green smoothie drinkers!
Spinach
Green smoothie newbie- I’d definitely suggest starting out with fresh or frozen spinach as your green of choice! Spinach has a very mild taste compared to a lot of other greens and if you do it right, you won’t even be able to taste it!
Try our Spinach Smoothie!
Kale
Green smoothie princess: Not a beginner, but not an expert? Try kale! Fresh or frozen kale is a great step up from spinach, but not an overkill. We suggest buying kale on the stalk, not the kind prepackaged for the best results.
Try our Kale Smoothie!
Arugula
Green smoothie queen- If you’re a green smoothie maven, then I suggest arugula as your next green of choice! Arugula is spicy, flavorful, and packed with so many antioxidants!
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
We shared our basic green smoothie above, but don’t let that stray you away from adding other amazing ingredients to your smoothie!
There are so many other things you can add to your smoothie to give it a different flavor or to help it serve a different purpose for your health and wellness journey. Here are some green smoothie add-in suggestions:
- Greek yogurt
- nuts
- nut butter
- extracts
- matcha
- cold brew
- coconut oil
- protein powder
- spices
- fresh herbs
I also wanted to note that you can totally take your favorite smoothie recipe (mine is our breakfast smoothie recipe) and simply add a handful of greens to that! It’s as easy as that.
Bowl vs. Glass
And now, the real question…do you go bowl vs glass? Well, there are benefits to bowl!
Green Smoothie Bowl
- You can use a spoon! Anyone else obsessed with eating smoothies with a spoon or is it just me?
- Toppings on toppings. Toppings are a great way to turn your green smoothie recipe into more of a complete and hearty meal! Add toppings such as granola, fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds to complete your bowl.
Try our favorite Green Smoothie Bowl recipe!
Classic Green Smoothie (in a glass)
- On-the-Go. Green smoothies in a glass are great for on the go. You can even find to-go, reusable smoothie cups these days to make your green breakfast smoothie a breeze.
- Straws: There is definitely a crazy straw following of people who love eating and drinking through a straw. Well, then you’re likely a classic green smoothie kind of girl who loves to drink her smoothie from a glass!
And now, check out 17 of the best green smoothie recipes from Fit Foodie and around the web! Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite green smoothie recipe is.
More Green Smoothie Recipes
- Favorite Green Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Peanut Butter Green Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Tropical Green Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Banana Matcha Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Healthy Green Smoothie Bowl from Fit Foodie Finds
- Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Cold-Busting Green Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Mint Chip Shake from Fit Foodie Finds
- Minty Avocado Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds
- Kale Smoothie from Fit Foodie Finds