Best Green Smoothie Recipe

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Dec 26, 2023

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This green smoothie is a fresh, healthy, and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings. It’s nice and slushy, naturally sweet, and a simple way to enjoy an extra serving of fruits and vegetables!

Glasses of green smoothie. — Photo: Gayle McLeod

I’ve been making this green smoothie recipe for decades, it’s my go-to! And while you can make variations to it (see my tips below), it really is an everyday green smoothie that you can turn to repeatedly. In fact, it might actually get you excited to get out of bed in the mornings to blend it up! So, what makes this recipe the best?

It’s super simple — just five basic ingredients.
It’s well-rounded with nutrients and quite filling.
Unlike other recipes, this one actually tastes good. It’s not overly bitter and has a hint of natural sweetness.

The key to a great green smoothie is choosing the right ingredients with the correct quantities. Proportions are everything, for both texture and flavor. Today’s recipe is perfectly balanced and great option for beginner smoothie enthusiasts, but consider it a building block that you can then tweak to your liking. And after you nail this recipe, you can master the perfect green juice!

Green Smoothie Ingredients

While the ingredient list is extremely flexible, this is my favorite combination of fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. It’s simple yet so delicious.

Milk: My favorite options for a creamy smoothie are cashew milk, oat milk, or almond milk. But feel free to use whichever dairy or dairy-free milk you prefer.
Vegetables: Spinach is an easy leafy green superfood to add to green smoothies. Plus, those big containers of baby spinach are very budget-friendly.
Fruits: You’ll need an apple, avocado, and a banana — a good balance of fruits and healthy fats. If you want to swap any of these, I’ve got ingredient substitutions listed below.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Green smoothie ingredients in a blender.

How To Make A Healthy Green Smoothie

It couldn’t be any easier! Just add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy. It should only take about 30 seconds!

Tips & Substitutions

If you haven’t read my post on how to make the healthiest green smoothie, make sure to do that. But here are a few quick tips:

Switch up the greens: A few leafy greens that blend well are kale, spinach, or chard. But if you have celery, mustard greens, or romaine on hand, those are great options.
Stick with a healthy liquid base: Since you’ll already be adding fruit into your smoothie, it’s best to not add any additional sugars with fruit juice. Instead, opt for water or milk (dairy or dairy-free, your choice).
Make it thicker or thinner. If you want your smoothie a bit thicker, add another ¼ slice of avocado. If you want your smoothie a bit thinner, just add more liquid.
Mix up your fruits: A 2:1 ratio between fruits and vegetables is a good rule of thumb. Over time, you can increase to a 1:1 ratio for a lower sugar smoothie. Some of my favorite fruits are frozen bananas, strawberries, mangos, and pineapple.
Don’t forget about healthy fats: Healthy fats help you absorb all of the nutrients from vegetables and fruits. If you don’t have an avocado, add healthy fats from almond butter, or other nuts and seeds.

Common Questions

What if you can’t eat bananas or avocados?

Substitute the banana with mango or pear. For the avocado, try a tablespoon or two of almond butter. Alternatively, you can add frozen cauliflower or frozen zucchini to help bulk the smoothie.

Can you add protein?

Definitely! I do this in my post workout green smoothie. Feel free to add a scoop of your favorite collagen, powder powder, or some Greek yogurt. If adding Greek yogurt, keep in mind that it’ll add a tangy flavor.

Can you meal prep green smoothies?

You can, but just be aware that anything with avocado will brown over time. So it may look a little murky the next day (though it’s still fine to drink!). But because this recipe is so easy, I usually make it fresh on the spot.

More Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Next time you’re at the market, grab a handful of seasonal ingredients and whip up these other smoothie ideas!

I hope this green smoothie recipe makes it into your weekly rotation! Once you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

Best Green Smoothie Recipe (5 Ingredients)

4.93 from 55 votes

Prep: 5

Total: 5

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Print Pin Review Save

Description

This green smoothie is a simple, healthy and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Vitamix Blender My favorite blender for ultra-creamy smoothies!

Ingredients

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until creamy.

Lisa’s Tips

Remember to freeze your bananas ahead of time! I cut my bananas in half and then store them in a Stasher bag in the freezer.

Nutrition

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best green smoothie recipe, Green Smoothie, green smoothie recipe

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Recipe originally posted Jan 2020, but updated to include new information.

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.