Green Smoothie

Everything you need to know about making a healthy green smoothie! With lots of room for customization, you can make the tastiest, most nutritious green smoothie to enjoy on a daily basis.

While I have created over forty smoothie recipes for this site, I have yet to share my go-to simple green smoothie recipe. I’m here to remedy that, as well as provide my general formula for green smoothies.

My favorite green smoothie recipe includes baby spinach, ripe frozen banana, blueberries, Greek yogurt, protein powder, oat milk, ground cinnamon, and almond butter.

This combination of ingredients provides a balance of carbs and protein as well as a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. 

There are so many different ways one can make green smoothies! 

Here is a general formula you can use to make all sorts of green smoothies using any kind of fresh or frozen fruit and/or any kind of greens.

Formula For Green Smoothie:

• 1 to 2 cups frozen fruit or fresh fruit 
• 1 to 2 cups greens of choice
• ⅓ cup to ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 to 1.5 cups dairy-free milk or juice
• 1 to 4 tablespoons protein powder
• 2 tablespoons nut butter
• 1 to 3 Tbsp superfood ingredients (goji berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, etc.) – Optional

In this way, you can create all sorts of flavors and nutrient profiles.

I deem to be the best green smoothie recipe to be low in added sugar with plenty of protein and some healthy fats for a balanced meal replacement.

After years of making countless delicious recipes, here are the ingredients I use. 

Favorite Green Smoothie Ingredients:

Ripe Banana: Adding sweetness and creamy texture to smoothies, I find bananas to be a must. I like to peel ripe bananas and freeze them in large zip lock bags to have on hand for green or fruit smoothies.

But don’t worry if you aren’t into bananas. You can easily replace them with mango or pineapple, which are also sweet fruit.

Fresh Blueberries: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants! I love adding them to green smoothies for flavor and nutrient quality.

Fresh Spinach: Any kind of greens can be used in green smoothies, but I find baby spinach tastes less green than kale or chard. Plus, you can add a great deal without really noticing it.

Greek Yogurt: To bring some smooth texture, tangy flavor, probiotics and protein, yogurt is a fabulous way of balancing out the sugar in smoothies with some protein. 

Protein Powder: Because yogurt doesn’t have as much protein as I like to get in a meal, I often add protein powder to my smoothies. Unsweetened unflavored egg white protein or goat whey protein are my top choices.

Oat Milk: We need some form of liquid to blend our smoothie, and my favorite is oat milk. Any kind of milk or juice works here. Just note if you add fruit juice, the sugar content of the smoothie will be much higher.

Almond Butter: For healthy fats and some richness, I like adding a couple tablespoons of almond butter. This completes our macronutrient profile of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. You can also use avocado if you prefer!

Ground Cinnamon: I find smoothies can taste a little one note if they are made for the sole purpose of health, so I like to add a pinch of cinnamon to spruce it up.

Looking for ways you can customize your green smoothie to achieve all your nutrition goals? Here are some great options for green smoothie ingredients. 

While almost anything can go into a green smoothie, these are the healthy ingredients that I personally think make the best green smoothies.

Other Great Green Smoothie Ingredients:

Vegetables: Baby spinach, fresh kale, chard, spirulina, wheat grass, red beets, golden beets, ginger root, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

As long as there is a combination of fresh fruit and veggies, I find smoothies can handle up to 2 cups of vegetables before they begin tasting very “green.”  That said, if you’re immune to green flavor, feel free to go big on the vegetable volume.

Fruit: Ripe bananas, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, persimmons, mango, fresh apples, pitted dates, avocado.

While any kind of fruit can get blended up into a smoothie, I find these make the tastiest smoothies with the best texture. I recommend using ripe banana, mango, or pineapple for sweetness, or any combination of your favorite fruits thereof.

Yogurt: Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, plain yogurt, or any kind of yogurt works great in smoothies. It adds creamy flavor and texture, which makes smoothies taste rich. It also evens out the texture so that smoothies don’t feel as grainy.

Liquid: Unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, cashew milk, orange juice, coconut water, apple cider, pomegranate juice, green juices, pineapple juice, etc.

Superfood Ingredients: Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, collagen peptides, goji berries, cacao nibs, ashwagandha root, maca root, etc. Smoothies are a great place to add extra nutrition, as you likely won’t be able to detect the flavor or texture.

Nut Butter: Almond butter, peanut butter, and cashew butter are delicious in smoothies. They add healthy fats and some creamy texture.

Unique Flavors: Ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, orange zest or lime zest, fresh mint, fresh basil, and cocoa powder are often used in different smoothie recipes to add flavor. 

Ice: If you aren’t using frozen fruit, I recommend tossing in some ice cubes. Not only does this make a smoothie colder, but it also makes smoothies thicker. For me, a cold, thick smoothie with great flavor is the ideal goal.

Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients in this healthy green smoothie recipe as well as potential adaptations, let’s blend up a smoothie!

How to Make a Green Smoothie:

Add all of the ingredients for a green smoothie to a high-powered blender and blend until everything is completely combined and smooth.

Note: You can use my recipe in the recipe card below or pick from the ingredient list of smoothie ingredients above to form your own concoction. The best smoothie includes some natural sweetness as well as some creaminess to make it pleasurable. 

Pour into a large glass, and enjoy!

If you have leftover smoothie, you can pour it into an airtight container such as a jar with a lid and save it for the remainder of the day. I find smoothies tend to taste funky after they sit for a while, so I recommend only making what you think you will drink.

And that’s it! The next time you’re looking for a meal in a glass, make this easy go-to recipe.

If you’re looking for a healthy habit to add in the New Year, enjoying a low-sugar smoothie on a regular basis is a game changer!

Let me know what variations you try in the comments below!

More Healthy Smoothie Recipes:

• Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie  
• Liver Detox Smoothie  
• Good Digestion Smoothie  
• Beet Berry Apple Smoothie  
• Berry Protein Smoothie  

A great way to get your greens, I hope you enjoy all of your recipes for green smoothies!

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