I need some green smoothie recipes!

sarahertzberger
sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just started drinking green smoothies, and I love them, so far I've only used spinach, banana, and carrots, but my husband doesn't like banana anyone have some ideas for other fruits to put in them.

Replies

  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
    bump
  • l_ashley
    l_ashley Posts: 154 Member
    My idea of green smoothies is putting different kinds of fruits in a blender with a few cups of spinach. It really depends on what fruits you like. Personally I will mix anything together except apples, simply because they make my smoothies frothy. :/
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    mint chocolate chip ice cream, milk, and mint protein powder
  • Cakewalk25
    Cakewalk25 Posts: 71 Member
    I love green smoothies. I never grew out of my "hate vegetables" phase as a kid, and green smoothies are pretty much the only way I gaurantee I'm getting enough nutrients!

    I used to make them with juice before I realized they were getting to be like 400 calories a smoothie.

    The lowest calorie one that is still packed with nutrients I've been able to do is:

    1) 4 cups Spring Mix/Spinach (I get the 50/50 box at the supermarket)
    2) 2 cups unsweeted vanilla almond milk
    3) 1 cup frozen mangos/strawberries/rasberries (I keep them frozen to give the smoothie texture)
    4) Water to fill up the rest

    That comes to 190 calories, with 200% of my recommended intake of Vitamin A, 150% of my recommended intake of Vitamin C, and 76% of my calcium intake.

    I thought that it would be too bitter without the juice, but it's actually quite sweet and creamy with the almond milk and definitely fills me up from breakfast to lunch.

    If I'm not getting enough protein sometimes I throw in a scoop of vanilla protein powder but I try not to do that as they're 110 calories per scoop.

    Anyone else have recipes for low-calorie green smoothies?
  • kelvincornish1
    kelvincornish1 Posts: 40
    Spinach or Kale. Avocado. Cucumber. Grapes. Seeds (pumpkin etc). Lemon juice. That is my favourite.
  • ambyrcat
    ambyrcat Posts: 18
    half a banana, half an apple, stalk of celery (it really doesn't taste right to me without celery), cup of spinach, cup of romaine and about 6oz of water. About 115 cal, mostly from the apple and banana. I'll frequently add 1/4 avocado. And 1 T of chia seed right at the end of blending, I like having the little seeds to chew on.

    Personally I like to keep green/white things in my green smoothies, makes them a nice bright green color that makes me happy :D

    Oh, alternate to banana you could use pear or mango!
  • rstein18
    rstein18 Posts: 17 Member
    Try Pinterest there are tons of recipes
  • brentalanrhodes
    brentalanrhodes Posts: 82 Member
    I just tried this one tonight.

    Handful of raw spinach
    1 tablespoon of honey
    1 small container of yogurt
    2 tablespoons of wheat germ
    1/2 cup of cold water


    It was pretty much awesome
  • James_Bergin
    James_Bergin Posts: 84 Member
    Here's a green smoothie on the sweeter side. I've used it in the past as a desert, treat, and to blend with unpalatable supplements or to make a protein shake taste less disgusting.

    Recipe:
    - 1 ripe avocado
    - a small bunch of mint leaves
    - juice of 1 lime
    - 1 -2 tbsp honey (to taste)
    - 1/2 cup almond/vanilla rice milk (adds some natural protein)
    - 1 - 1/2 cup 2% or low fat milk.
    - ice if you want it chilled and a bit thicker in texture.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    My base is 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, ice, 2 cups spinach, and a wee bit of vanilla extract. Then I just add whatever else I have laying around - cucumber, oranges, apples, grapes, bananas, mango, etc. have all been good so far.
  • MissInfiniti
    MissInfiniti Posts: 142 Member
    What I do is fill by nutribullet about 3/4 full of spinach, then add the Tropi50 OJ (I think that's what its called, the 50 calorie Tropicana) and a splash of original almond milk (adds a little creaminess to take away the acidy OJ bite). I blend that until spinach is ground up. Then I pack it full with random frozen fruits. Strawberries, raspberries (only if you don't mind the small seeds), bananas, pineapple, mango... etc. Someone once told me, I don't know if it is true, that frozen fruit is healthier because it is flash frozen in fields and its nutrients are frozen, where as 'fresh' fruit has been transported, sat until sold... etc. Even if that isn't true, I personally think frozen fruit adds a better texture to the smoothie.

    Sometimes I skip the OJ and only use almond milk/water. Sometimes I add in shredded carrots in the beginning with the spinach if I have it on hand.

    My mother grounds up flax seed/chia seeds in hers, she nutribullets them before the spinach/liquid step so its a powder & not chewing on little seeds.
  • stephv38
    stephv38 Posts: 203 Member
    pineapple, a little piece of fresh ginger, blueberries, cucumber, and a wedge a lime are a few things I would add to above.... also I use a stalk of kale in addition to the spinach!
  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member
    My secret to having a green smoothie WITHOUT the consistency of pesto is AVOCADO.

    And the order that you put in your ingredients. Start with the liquids (water or juice - nothing with calcium, if you want the benefit of the iron in all these green veggies). Add in frozen veggies one at a time (spinach, kale, peas, celery, whatever) and PULSE your blender on low about 4 or 5 times each time you add, then blend for 10 seconds. Add in liquid as needed to keep from making a green "sorbet." Add in your fruit and pulse, then blend. Add in ice and PULSE your blender on low 4-5 times then blend for 10 seconds or until ice is blended. Add in 1/4 ripe avocado and blend. Consume!

    So the recipe I use most often is this:

    1/4 cup packed frozen spinach (you can nuke it in the microwave if you buy the spinach "brick" like I do)
    1/4 cup packed frozen kale (same as above…)
    1/2 cup water
    -blend-
    1/3 cup frozen blueberries
    -blend-
    1/2 ripe banana
    -blend-
    1 stalk celery cut into 2" pieces
    -blend-
    3-4 ice cubes
    -blend-
    1/4 avocado
    -blend-

    If you want it sweeter, add your sweetener in the beginning so it distributes evenly.
  • jamiemh1
    jamiemh1 Posts: 4 Member
    What you need:
    Cucumber
    Carrots
    Green Apple
    Lemon
    Kiwi
    Mint
    Water
    Spinach
    Kale

    The last two spinach and kale is what it’s really about. If you get used to the taste you can try to change the proportions by adding more spinach and kale. You can also add parsley and celery.
  • ozmakitten
    ozmakitten Posts: 16
    I always have banana, cucumber, spinach or kale, yoghurt, green grapes or pineapple, chia seeds and LSA mix with Almond milk. And ice! I've also had all of the ingredients above substituting the banana for apple. Yummy breakfast!

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