When I first heard of green smoothies, I was already sold on the need to eat lots of raw, green foods. That’s why raw green smoothies made perfect sense to me from the get-go.
More than that, they provided an easy solution to my pressing problem, namely: how to consume lots of leafy greens without spending whole day chopping and chewing veggies, LOL.
However, I know people who heard a mention of a green smoothie and wanted to gag. For them, green smoothies is something they have to ease into …
If you are in this category, I have some recipes for you that will make that “easing into” really EASY.
Note: What ingredients NOT TO USE: If you are a beginner, forget about strong tasting greens, such as watercress, Swiss chard or mustard greens. If you’re a beginner, or are trying to introduce the concept of green smoothies to a picky eater, stick to mild tasting greens and veggies, such as young spinach leaves or celery sticks.
The following recipes are what you should try for the first few weeks.
Note: Try to use organic produce and ingredients when possible. If not possible, clean produce well, and peel where noted.
5 Easy Green Smoothie Recipes for Beginners
Easy Smoothie For Beginners: #1. Tropical Pineapple Blast
- 1 banana (ripe and peeled)
- 1 rib of celery
- ¼ cucumber (peeled if not organic)
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple
- 1 small handful of baby spinach
- ½ inch piece of ginger (or less if you’re new to ginger)
- 1-2 cups of water or coconut water
Easy Smoothie For Beginners: #2 Creamy Green Drink
- 1 avocado (ripe, peeled and pit removed)
- 1 banana (ripe and peeled)
- 1 orange (peeled and seeds removed)
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1-1 ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- For a sweeter smoothie, add 1 tbsp agave nectar, maple syrup, or 1 pitted medjool date
- *Optional: 5-6 ice cubes
Easy Smoothie For Beginners: #3 Tropical Cleanse
- 1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple
- 1 small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 cup water or coconut water (unpasteurized)
Easy Smoothie For Beginners: #4 Banana-Berry Smoothie
- 1 banana (ripe and peeled)
- 2 cups of spinach
- 3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries (or fresh strawberries or blueberries)
- ¼ cup of raw nuts or raw seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, flax seeds or chia, or a combination of the above)
- 1-2 cups of water or coconut water
Easy Smoothie For Beginners: #5 Green Strawberry-Kiwi Lemonade
- 1 kiwi (peeled)
- ¾ cup of frozen or fresh strawberries
- ¼- ½ cup of frozen or fresh pineapple
- ½ lemon (peeled and seeds removed)
- 2 cups of spinach
- 1-1 ½ cups of water or coconut water (unpasteurized)
Even if you aren’t ready to use leafy greens, you can make any fruit smoothie a green smoothie.
Simply add cucumber, celery ribs, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint leaves, spirulina, sweet pea, or broccoli sprouts.
As you get comfortable with green smoothies, I suggest working your way up to 2 cups of leafy greens such as spinach (best for a beginner), kale, spring greens, Swiss chard or romaine lettuce (kale is my favorite).
Then add 1-2 servings of fruit (I always use at least 2 different fruits) and for a super charged smoothie add up to ¼ cup of raw nuts or seeds, use coconut water or nut milk for the liquid and add super foods such as goji berries, chia seeds, acai, maca, or raw cacao.
Use a high power blender such as Vitamix, Blendtec, or even Nutri-bullet. Enjoy!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!