Enjoy 7 Days of Green Smoothie Recipes! They’re healthy, quick & easy, and you can even make freezer smoothie packs! Use spinach or kale, and try them with Greek yogurt, kefir, or non-dairy milk.
There are two basic types of green smoothie makers:
TYPE A. The person who throws in whatever they think sounds good and VIOLA! – They have a deliciously healthy smoothie.
TYPE B. The person who follows a recipe because they’re slightly afraid that just throwing in this or that will make their smoothie taste bad. And then they’ll feed bad for wasting all that produce. And then drink the smoothie anyway.
I’m type B. I want my smoothies to taste good, so I follow a recipe. Mr. Crumbs is type A. He doesn’t care what it tastes like in the end as long as he’s getting a glass full of fruits and veggies. He says that it tastes “good,” but I’ve tasted a few and it’s hard to get past the look of it in order to qualify the smoothie as edible.
So I stick to the plan. Mostly.
I spent 7 days drinking 7 healthy new smoothie variations – off of a base green smoothie recipe – and I just want to say….
THESE ARE DELICIOUS SMOOTHIES! SERIOUSLY.
I’m addicted. I can’t imagine having anything else for breakfast for the rest of my life. Cross my fingers that I never have to eat scrambled eggs with bacon and homemade biscuits!
Mmmm… maybe that should be on the dinner menu then…
I figured if I liked them, you would too, so I’m sharing some basics and some variations for you to try.
7 Days of Green Smoothie Recipes
Not only are drinking green smoothies a delicious way to enjoy a plant based breakfast, they are also:
- Healthy! Of course, it’s a no brainer. But with leafy greens (like spinach or kale), which are high in fiber, protein, iron, folate and a bunch of other vitamins and minerals, you can’t beat a green smoothie for breakfast!
- Quick and easy. Perfect for weekdays on the go, where there’s no time to fix pancakes, waffles, or a breakfast casserole.
- Convenient. Did you know that you can make frozen smoothie packs ahead of your week? Then you just pull a pack from the freezer each morning, whiz in your blender, and go!
What are the ingredients in a basic green smoothie?
- 1 cup milk (see this page for a listing of homemade non-dairy milks like coconut milk or almond)
- 1 banana
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed (optional)
How to make a green smoothie
- Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth.
Note: Add ice cubes to the blender if you want it extra cold and thick. Or use a frozen banana / frozen mango in place of ice.
What are the best green smoothie recipe variations?
These variations are ALL delicious, but day #4 was one of my very favorite green smoothie recipes – with the pineapple and mango! YUM!
Feel free to use these variations or mix and match ingredients to your liking. Don’t forget that you can always switch up the greens, non-dairy milks, or add chia seeds rather than flax seed.
Day 1: Switch to non-dairy milk and add kefir
- 1/2 cup kefir (or use Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
Day 2: Add strawberries to this green smoothie
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 4 whole strawberries
Day 3: Add blueberries
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 1/2 cup blueberries
Day 4: Pineapple juice and mangoes make this green smoothie amazing
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (strained from canned pineapple, or use orange juice)
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 1/2 mango
Day 5: Add peanut butter for protein to this smoothie with greens
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Day 6: Nutella makes this green smoothie rich & nutty
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 1 tablespoon Nutella
Day 7: A mixed berry variation makes this green smoothie bright and flavorful
- 1/2 cup kefir
- 1/2 cup plain almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 tablespoon flax seed
- 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries
Additional Variations for Green Smoothie Recipes:
- Substitute 1 cup kale for 2 cups spinach
- If you’re not ready for kefir, use 1/2 cup homemade yogurt and 1/2 cup coconut water
- Increase the protein naturally with these other easy changes
- Find 10 more smoothie recipes here, all tested and approved – and enjoyed – during a 5 day smoothie fast!
- 30+ high protein recipes in my new eBook, High Protein, No Powder!
How do you add healthy protein to smoothies?
My eBook “High Protein, No Powder” is the ONLY eBook that educates on the dangers of protein powders, teaches you how to make your own high protein smoothies using REAL food and offers 20 smoothie recipes you can make NOW. Read more HERE and continue the journey to healthy living!
What greens to put in a smoothie recipe?
Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, chard and romaine lettuce) are high in fiber, protein, iron, folate and a bunch of other vitamins and minerals that you probably didn’t know you needed. 🙂
You can pretty much add whichever greens you want. I first started with the basic recipe – the “no fail” recipe that even beginners would like – and I built the variations from there.
Are green smoothies really that good for you?
I definitely think so! Green vegetables blended with fruits, yogurt or kefir, milk (dairy or non-dairy) and natural proteins are an amazing way to begin the day. You’ll get a great start on a ton of vitamins, nutrients, protein and fiber.
Is it OK to drink a green smoothie every day?
According to myplate.gov, the average person should consume 3 cups of vegetables a day (or more). Green smoothies are the perfect way to get in a portion of your daily requirement for fruits and vegetables.
Want to learn more about healthy smoothies?
Here’s how to…
- Boost the protein -> 12 Ways to Naturally Boost the Protein in Smoothies
- Add superfoods -> 7 Superfoods to Hide in Your Smoothie
- Detox -> Detox Smoothie with Redmond Clay
Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts
Sign up to get instant access to my Freezer Cooking: Breakfasts Plan, complete with recipes, supply list, and shopping list!Basic Green Smoothie Recipe
Enjoy 7 Days of Green Smoothie Recipes! They’re healthy, quick & easy, and you can make freezer smoothie packs! Use spinach or kale, and try them with Greek yogurt, kefir, or non-dairy milk.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth.
- Add ice cubes to the blender if you want it extra cold and thick. Or use a frozen banana / frozen mango in place of ice.
Zach
Hi everybody. I’m new to this, but have decided I want to try it. I just have no clue what kefir is. Could anybody please explain? Thanks.
Tiffany
Zach,
The “what is kefir” post is here: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2012/09/what-is-kefir-why-drink-it/
and the “how to make it” is here: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2012/09/step-by-step-how-to-make-kefir-and-faq/
Finally, I wrote a guest post on the topic here too: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/02/01/whats-the-easiest-fermented-food-to-make/
Enjoy! ~Tiffany
Zachary
So does milk work just as well as kefir?
Tiffany
Milk can work just as well if you’re looking for liquid, but kefir offers MUCH greater health benefits with the probiotics. If kefir is out of the question, I’d go with 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup other liquid (milk or coconut milk would be my two choices). This way you’re still getting some digestive health from the yogurt.
Tiffany
Mat,
The peanut butter variation is one of my favorites! I’m a kefir-girl myself, but using 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup coconut water with what you have above would be my husband’s personal choice. If someone’s budget was really tight, I’ve seen frozen spinach as low as $1 per package and yogurt can be made at home for the price of milk! Thanks for sharing your recipe! ~Tiffany
Zach
What is flax in the stores? The oil or the seeds? I don’t know what I’ll be looking for.
Kitty
Flax Oil is super perishable, and MUST be bought from the refrigerated section of the healthfood store and refrigerated when you get it home.
Flax can be bought in the baking section of most supper markets. it comes in two forms, pre-ground, (also perishable) and seeds. you may use either, but must keep the ground seeds, (also called Flax meal or flax flour) in the freezer. the seeds need to be broken before consuming because they can’t be digested, and you won’t get the benefit of the omega3 oils if they aren’t broken. The whole seeds are probably referenced in this recipe, since the blender will grind them.
If you want to make your own flax meal for a recipe, such as in muffins, cakes, cookies or to sprinkle on a salad or cereal, they are super quick and easy to grind as needed in a coffee grinder.
Tiffany
Kitty,
A great answer – thanks for helping Zach out! ~Tiffany
Tiffany
Zach,
Flax in the recipe is referring to ground flax seed. It can be bought in bulk at Costco, or you can buy the seeds and grind them yourself in a coffee-grinder. 🙂 ~Tiffany
Kitty
I’ve been tempted by the idea of smoothies, but can’t face the idea of drinking my meal. if I can’t chew it, I’ve not eaten. LOL not to mention I’m allergic to dairy. AND diabetic so fruits raise my blood sugar. I just can’t see how this craze would work out well. the one time I made smoothies for my grandkids they were SO not impressed. they’d rather have food, too, it seems.
Tiffany
Kitty,
I can relate to your drinking vs. eating dilemma. I’m a chewer too! We use the dairy for its probiotic benefits, but we use coconut water too. In fact, here’s a recipe your kids should love – mine drank it like a dessert!
1 cup coconut water, 1 banana, 1/2 pear, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 2 sprinkles of cinnamon, 2 sprinkles of nutmeg, 1 sprinkle of ginger, 1 sprinkle of clove.
Tastes like pumpkin pie! I’ve got even more recipes coming next week. The results from a 5-day smoothie fast and my husband drinking vegetables each morning! ~Tiffany
Madeleine
Hi Tiffany,
I have been reading your blog for quite some time, and have admittedly been afraid to try the green monster. I tried it this morning and it was delicious. My doctor told me to drink more milk/yogurt for health reasons (I am a woman in my mid-20s) and this seems to be the best way to do it. I would be curious to here how the frozen spinach went. I believe frozen spinach is cooked and has (in my opinion) a much stronger taste then fresh spinach. I personally upped the yogurt (plain greek) and added a little orange juice for the liquid.
Happy Monday!
Tiffany
Madeleine,
I’m so happy you boarded the green smoothie train! I prefer fresh spinach over frozen because some nutrients are lost when food is cooked (the degree to which is unknown, especially when you aren’t the one cooking it). Oranges and pineapples are “juicy” fruits so if you ever ran out of juice or milk or whatever, those help to keep the smoothie smooth. 🙂 Happy Tuesday to you!
Kitty
frozen spinach isn’t really cooked. try thawing it and you’ll see. I’m guessing it might be steamed a bit to wilt it so that it’ll pack in there tightly, but that’s also to stop the enzyme action so it won’t continue working (at a slower rate) in the freezer. it’s a principle of using a freezer to preserve foods. if frozen without steaming then it can darken to black in the freezer over time. the amount it’s steamed is about a minute if I remember right.
Jennifer
I had my very first green monster today for breakfast!!! Mine, like you said b/c of added fruit,was a dark greenish blue. Weird but very tasty!! In my smoothie was 1 banana, 2 cups of blue berries, 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a big ole handful of spinach!! Yum!! LOVE the idea of freezing yogurt, and also the idea of chocolate soy milk!!! I’m thinking chocolate banana and peanut butter?!?!?
Tiffany
I think the color of smoothies is the best part. My husband and I always guess what color the end result will be, based on the myriad of fruit colors. Most often we settle on “baby poop” lol. Chocolate milk, banana, small scoop of peanut butter and a big handful of spinach would be delicious! Go for it!
Kristin
I would love to make one this morning, but I am out of fresh spinach…what about frozen? Have you ever tried it?
Tiffany
I personally haven’t tried frozen spinach, but several others have tried and do recommend it. Imagine what two average handfuls of spinach would cook down to and use that for your smoothie – maybe 2-3 rounded tablespoons? Please let me know how it turns out!
Tiffany
Thanks for the update Mat! I don’t think I’d put an entire package of frozen spinach in one smoothie either. Definitely to cut the cost, but that just seems like it would be an awful lot of spinach – even for a spinach lover!
Tiffany
Mat,
Thanks for the link to the blenders. I’m sure many will find it helpful when deciding to upgrade!
I haven’t had any problems with curdling when using yogurt, or any other dairy (I use kefir frequently). I’ve even made big batches 2-3 days ahead of time without a problem. I don’t know the science behind it, but my (non-expert) guess would be that the particles that gather and curdle can’t mingle very well since there’s so many other things going on at the same time. 🙂 ~Tiffany
Tiffany
Oh, and those interested in more delicious smoothies should definitely hang around next week. There’s nearly a week’s worth coming!
Vanessa
hi 🙂 i am just starting the green monster smoothie plan 🙂 all these recipes sound great. first one i am trying is
2 cups organic baby spinach
1/2 cup low cal. coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen greek vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1 tsp cocoa powder
lets see how it goes…
Tiffany
Your recipe sounds deliciously cold and thick – like a morning milkshake! Yummy!
Kelli
Ha, ha! I’m sort of type A, except leave out the delicious part. I’ve always used green smoothies and green juices to cram as many nutrient-dense, disease-fighting plants into myself. I chug them. It’s the way I can get greens and other intense cleansing plants into my body without the annoyance and gross-factor of chewing them. I have made a couple of fruit-based or cacao-flavored things that were good. Those are treats. Usually I’m pounding down leafy green-blueberry-onion-lemon-ginger-turmeric-black pepper-oregano-rosemary-kelp-dulse smoothies as my breakfast staple. I do like making an omega-3 shake of hemp seeds, flax seeds, cacao, Himalayan pink salt, and stevia. That is my tasty treat. If I can fit in another green smoothie and/or a vegetable meal, that’s a good day. I think my first smoothie in my Vitamix was pretty foul. I think it included bean sprouts, carrot, and tomato and was way too thick. My green smoothies have evolved over time. I use them to get medicinal compounds in fast.
Tiffany
I find that the longer I drink smoothies, taste doesn’t remain as an important factor. I too look for nutrient dense foods and often toss them in there. The sour taste of kefir kinda evens out anything strange, lol. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to drink onion just yet, but I won’t say never!
christine sandmann
where can you buy Kefir?
Tiffany
Hi Christine! I buy my kefir at Trader Joe’s. I haven’t checked Whole Foods yet, so I’m not sure, but perhaps worth a phone call (or stop if you’re in the area). You can also make your own by purchasing kefir grains and “growing” kefir in milk, on your counter, for about 24-48 hours (depending on the temperature of your house). I’ve seen the grains on Cultures for Health and Amazon. I’ll be purchasing grains this month since I’m going through it regularly so I hope to be able to document the process for you guys!
Miz Helen
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a great week end and enjoy your new Red Plate.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Nissa
I need to try the spinach, I don’t know why but it sort of turns me off. However I was juicing avidly two years ago before my wedding and I felt amazing, I need to get back into the swing of things again with smoothies and juices… makes my mouth water.
Nissa
Trish - Mom On Timeout
So many great variations! I’ve tried berries and peanut butter and even pineapple but mango – LOVE this! Pinning and featuring today at Mom On Timeout!
emily
just wanted to let you know that this will be featured at this weeks Tasty Tuesday party. Going live tonight at 8:30. Come back and grab a featured button if you don’t already have one! Thanks for linking.
Lyndsey
I’m a reformed Type B Smoothier! I like to use spinach, plain yogurt, a T. of peanut butter, one sliced frozen banana, and a little chocolate soy milk. Yum! It’s seriously delicious! If I don’t get to make one for breakfast then I find myself craving it for lunch, it’s THAT good! I add different fruits when I have them, but the basic recipe is so good that it’s not necessary.
micupoftea
Spinach and flax?! I’m so there! THX for the recipe! 🙂
Shawn
Miz Helen
Hi Tiffany,
I just love your Green Monster Smoothies and want to try them all. Hope you are having a great summer week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
kelli- AdventurezInChildRearing
yummy! thanks for linking with kids in the kitchen! yummy!
Rise & Shine Life
Thanks for sharing all the smoothie recipes! I love smoothies but haven’t been making them as often as I should. Visiting from Foodie Friday!
Katie @ Little Becky Homecky
Looks delicious!! Thanks for linking this up to Fantabulous Friday at Little Becky Homecky!!
Christine
YUM!!! I gotta try this drink!
Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
Marci
Thanks for the recipe! I just signed up for a Warrior Dash along with some other girls from my exercise class. My breakfasts really need to get healthy! -Marci