Healthy low calorie, nutrient dense Green Smoothie recipe with 3 simple ingredients is sweet, creamy and delicious! It’s easy to prepare, tasty to consume and your entire family will enjoy.
This green shake is not only in our regular rotation for healthy breakfast but we also enjoy it as a snack or instead of a salad at dinner to make a complete meal.
Table of contents
- Why Make Vegetable Smoothie?
- Ingredients for Healthy Green Smoothie
- What Are The Health Benefits of a Green Smoothie?
- How to Make a Green Smoothie
- Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Tips for Best Results
- FAQs
- How to Serve Kale and Spinach Smoothie?
- How Long to Store Green Vegetable Smoothie?
- More Healthy Drinks Recipes
This is a very basic green smoothie we make all.the.time. Over the years, I tried to make my green smoothie as healthy as possible and as trendy as possible with ingredients like chia seeds and turmeric and never followed a recipe.
What I ended up with was “a surprise smoothie” that was too bitter, too sour or too sweet. Kids wouldn’t drink it and my husband couldn’t make it because “only I knew the recipe”. Finally, I decided to act like a responsible parent and create the best green smoothie recipe everyone will drink, the one that tastes good!
Why Make Vegetable Smoothie?
- Minimal ingredients: Only 3 ingredients, spinach, kale and frozen mango. Easy peasy green shake for busy days!
- Powerful nutrients: Dark leafy greens make this kale and spinach smoothie full of nutrients and vitamins.
- Superfoods: You don’t need ‘trendy’ powders to be healthy, fresh kale is high in vitamin C and spinach contains folate and vitamins A and K.
- Creamy: Just like in mango dairy free ice cream frozen mango make this vegetable smoothie not only creamy but naturally sweet.
- Budget friendly: Stock up on fresh spinach and kale when it is on sale, and store in the freezer for convenient low calorie smoothie later.
- Readily available: These best smoothie ingredients are easy to find in your grocery store!
Ingredients for Healthy Green Smoothie
This vegetable smoothie contains 6 cups of leafy greens and is made with 3 simple ingredients plus water. The easiest green shake you will ever make with wholesome ingredients.
- Water: Instead of water you can use coconut water, almond milk or other milk.
- Frozen mango: Mango is one of sweetest fruits that balances out bitter taste of greens. Using frozen fruit, gives smoothie creamy texture.
- Spinach: Spinach is a sweet-er leafy green with mild taste. I would not replace it with anything as it offsets more bitter kale taste.
Freezing spinach tip: If you see about to expire spinach on sale (especially organic, pre-washed, in a box), stock up and freeze right in a box. Then add to smoothies or soups frozen. It saves money and is so easy to use.
- Kale: Any type of kale works. Dinosaur aka lacinato, green, purple etc. Just remove the bitter rib cage. And always add more spinach than kale.
Freezing kale tip: Got a garden or bought too much kale? Wash, remove ribs, coarsely chop and freeze in resealable bags. You can also do the same with regular spinach.
What Are The Health Benefits of a Green Smoothie?
- Weight loss: Green smoothie does help with a weight loss if you drink it on a regular basis. Fiber from fruits and vegetables keeps your belly full longer. Plus it is low calorie – less than 100 calories.
- Detox: From the mix of chlorophyll contained in the greens to the high level of fiber to keep things moving.
- Energy: Leafy greens and fruit contain many nutrients, vitamins and naturally occurring sugars that feed your body cells with energy.
- Fruits and vegetables: Because smoothies are so easy to make, they make you eat more fruits and vegetables you wouldn’t have eaten otherwise.
How to Make a Green Smoothie
- Add ingredients to a powerful blender in exact order (don’t change): Water, frozen mango, spinach and kale. An order of liquid, frozen fruit and greens last, ensures heavy frozen fruit will get blended with liquids first and blender won’t cavitate.
- Blend until smooth: Use preset button “smoothie” if you have one, or just blend kale and spinach smoothie long enough until consistency is to your liking. If your blender isn’t powerful enough, just pause, stir and blend more.
Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- Protein additions: Protein powder – just a small scoop not to make smoothie too thick. 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (or dairy free), 3 tbsp of peanut butter/almond butter or even raw almonds like I do in almond smoothie.
- Healthy fats additions: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, chia seeds or hemp hearts.
- 1 tsp additions: Turmeric, matcha powder, fresh ginger.
- Squeeze of fresh lemon: This is a great way to bring out the flavor of all the vegetable smoothie ingredients!
- Water substitution: This will change the nutrition of your low calorie smoothie, but feel free to use coconut water or any unsweetened dairy milk like I do in kombucha smoothie (oat, almond, cashew, hemp, soy etc). Steer clear of adding ‘juice’ though.
- Layered smoothie: Make this kale and spinach smoothie recipe, pour into large glass, set aside. Now make strawberry smoothie, finally in a tall glass alternate layers of both vibrant low calorie smoothies for a sweet healthy treat. You could layer with anti-inflammatory smoothie as well!
Green smoothie bowl idea: Add to the blender additional frozen mango (or other frozen fruit), sliced avocado, raw oats, unsalted raw cashews or frozen smoothie liquid from your previous batch of vegetable smoothie. Blend. If you do not have a powerful blender, you may need to stop and use a spatula often. Once your thick smoothie is ready, power into a bowl and top with quinoa granola, unsweetened coconut flakes or cacao nibs.
Tips for Best Results
- Order of ingredients: It’s worth mentioning again! The best order to blend smoothies are liquid on bottom, frozen fruits and greens on top.
- Don’t under blend: Smoothies are already a quick healthy drink to make, don’t attempt to save even more time by under blending it. For a less than powerful blender, blend for 1-2 minutes, pausing to scrape. A powerful blender may need only a few seconds, but always check to ensure there are not any chunks of fruit or veg!
- Follow the recipe amounts: This ensures perfect smoothie consistency that doesn’t end up watery or foamy.
- A note about protein powder: They are often filled with fake sugars, GMO’s or a bunch of other ‘junk’, always check the label and if you are adding any, beware that it could lead to a chalky taste.
- Enjoy right away: Smoothies are meant to be drank right after making, otherwise the ingredients start to separate. Unless you plan on re-blending your smoothie, drink up!
FAQs
Frozen pineapple makes tasty green smoothie too, it’s just less sweet. We often add it if we run out of frozen mango. You can always add honey or maple syrup to taste. Some readers have used papaya.
Yes, you can. However, I personally find banana bloating in a green smoothie particularly. There is already kale that is high in fiber and adds to a puffy belly.
Yes, absolutely, but add 1/2 to 1 cup ice for more creamy and pleasant green shake texture and taste. You may like these healthy homemade popsicles with fresh fruit!
Swiss chard, power greens blend, beet greens, carrot tops, celery and collard greens all will work to make a smoothie. I have even heard of adding steamed frozen cauliflower, cauliflower rice and frozen zucchini! Just note that any other green or vegetable will change the taste (and color) of your green drink.
How to Serve Kale and Spinach Smoothie?
- Breakfast: Green shake is perfect with any of these healthy muffin recipes!
- Snack: With a handful of healthy granola or protein oatmeal cookies.
- Dinner: Worried about your kids (or husband) not eating veggies at dinner? Serve green smoothie as a side dish.
Make this whenever you feel the need for a healthy boost of greens! During Christmas cookie baking season, Alex is known to pop into my studio with this healthy green juice to keep me energized.
How Long to Store Green Vegetable Smoothie?
What I love about this smoothie is that it doesn’t separate much and tastes delicious even the next day.
Store: If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate in glasses or a blender jug for up to 24 hours. If refrigerated in a jug, I give it another quick blend before serving. Easy-peasy.
Freeze: I have not frozen this smoothie, but if you are planning to make a smoothie bowl, adding cubes of frozen vegetable smoothie could help thicken it! I would freeze it in ice cube trays for easier blending.
Meal prep smoothie: The best way to meal prep your smoothie is to make smoothie packs! In freezer safe bags, pre-portion your fruit, kale and spinach. All that is left to do in the morning is add your water to the blender, grab a pre-prepped vegetable smoothie ‘bag’ and blend.
More Spinach Recipes to Try
More Healthy Drinks Recipes
- Strawberry smoothie – 4 ingredient after school snack your kids can make themselves.
- Almond smoothie with a protein boost.
- Red smoothie – when was the last time you ate raw beets that tasted good?!
- Raspberry smoothie – full of healthy fats.
- Kombucha – costs 30 times less to make at home.
- Lemon water recipe – good first thing in the morning.
Green Smoothie
Instructions
- In a powerful blender, add ingredients in the order listed above (don’t change): water, mango, spinach and kale. Press “smoothie” button or blend until smooth. I like to blend more after “smoothie” cycle for a super smooth smoothie. If your blender isn’t powerful enough, just pause, stir and blend more.
- Enjoy! What I love about this smoothie is that it doesn’t separate much and tastes delicious even the next day.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in glasses or blender’s jug for up to 24 hours. If refrigerated in a jug, I give green smoothie another quick blend. Easy-peasy.
- Meal prep: Make smoothie packs by pre-portioning your fruit, kale and spinach in freezer safe bags.
- Water: Instead of water you can use coconut water, almond milk or other milk.
- Kale: Any type of kale works. Dinosaur aka lacinato, green, purple etc. Just remove the bitter rib cage. And always add more spinach than kale.
- Why exact order of ingredients? An order of liquid, frozen fruit and greens last, ensures heavy frozen fruit will get blended with liquids first and blender won’t cavitate.
- Can I use other frozen fruit? Frozen pineapple makes tasty green smoothie too, it’s just less sweet. We often add it if we run out of frozen mango. You can always add honey or maple syrup to taste. Some readers have used papaya.
- What is the best blender? The blender you use to make a green smoothie matters. To the point whether you will drink green smoothie or not, especially when it comes to kids. It has to be a high speed blender that makes smoothies smooth. I use this Blendtec and Vitamix is great too.
Delicious and low calorie! So refreshing! Best Green one out there.
So happy to hear this!
I cannot wait to create this new smoothie recipe when I return home from my trip! Thank you in advance.
Can’t wait to hear how you like it!