People ask me all the time whether they will lose weight by drinking green smoothies.
The definite answer to this question is “Maybe.”
It really depends on your specific circumstances: how much smoothies are you drinking, what are you eating in addition to smoothies, what is your physical activity level, how often do you exercise, how committed you are to your diet and exercise, etc.
Generally speaking, green smoothies should help most people lose weight because they help you super-charge your body with nutrient-rich foods, foods that are nutrient-dense, and yet low-in-calories.
He claims that diets don’t work, because people who are already nutritionally deficient, when they cut back on calories, they become even more nutritionally deficient. Then their body develops a series of cravings and sensations that drives them to overeat preventing them from successfully losing weight.
Until the addiction is addressed and removed, people cannot comfortably eat less calories. Since they desire MORE calories, not LESS, to tell them to eat less food is like telling a person to breathe less oxygen for five minutes – and they’ll soon be gasping for air (read the whole post here).
The problem is this: Making moderate changes does not lead to dramatic health achievements, weight loss, and reversal of diseases. If you want dramatic results, moderate changes simply don’t work.
So, how much weight can you lose by drinking green smoothies, and how quickly this will happen, it all depends on your overall health, your overall diet, and activity level – and to what extent you are willing to abandon your old habits and adopt new, healthy lifestyle.
How Green Smoothies Help People Lose Weight
One of the most riveting stories of weight reduction ever chronicled with regards to blending is the story of Clent Manich who dropped 240 pounds in one year simply by consuming green smoothies daily. He was also able to beat Type II Diabetes, and was completely off all of his medications and insulin within 3 weeks! His amazing story was captured in Victoria Boutenko’s book titled Green Smoothie Revolution.
Clent had made it a practice to start each day by making a gallon of blended fruits and vegetables, and he drank some of it every 2 to 3 hours. This helped eliminate his food cravings better than anything he had ever tried before. Most other diets always made him feel hungry and weak. Clent Manich lost 240 lbs in one year. He describes how he did it:
“I went full-bore into drinking Green Smoothie every day. I also cut out animal products, fat, and dairy, and the weight started flying right off. The rapid weight loss encouraged me to stay on the diet.
At the beginning of each day I would blend one gallon of green smoothie and drink some every two to three hours. Sometimes after drinking a green smoothie I ate a few veggies.
I found that green smoothies helped me to eliminate food cravings better than anything I had ever tried before. … Most other diets I’ve tried made me hungry and weak. … On the green smoothie experiment, I didn’t have to count calories.
I have lost 240 pounds and have attained my dream weight of 170 pounds. … To my surprise I don’t have any hanging skin. My skin has tightened without any need for surgery, which I attribute entirely to the green smoothies.”
One reason GREEN Smoothies are so good for weight loss is because they’re so high in nutrients.
They are high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, carbohydrates and even protein. Yes, green smoothies have lots of protein. The cow gets her protein from grass, a leafy green. Wouldn’t it be simpler to get your protein from leafy greens too, rather than eat the cow or drink her milk? If it’s simple, you know it’s true.
Plant foods are generally less dense in calories, which means you can eat as much as you want of these foods and still be able to maintain a healthy weight.
For example, an entire head of lettuce or a bunch of kale or other leafy greens weighing over one pound contains less than 100 calories. That means that the caloric density of lettuce is less than 100 calories per pound. On the other hand, one single tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories. So you have more calories in 1 tablespoon of oil than in a pound of lettuce. But guess which one is going to fill you up more?
If you add that oil to your salad dressing and pour on that head of lettuce, you will not even notice it,but the number of calories consumed willhavedoubled.
Green Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss
Let’s look at the calories of some of the ingredients in green smoothies:
1 cup spinach, raw (30g) = 7 calories (!); 1 bunch spinach (340g) = 78 calories
1 cup cabbage (89g) = 22 calories
1 cup kale (67g) = 33 calories
1 cup collards (36g) = 11 calories
1 cup parsley (60g) = 22 calories
1 large celery stalk (64g) = 10 calories
1 cup cucumber (102g) = 16 calories
1 cup zucchini (124g)= 20 calories
1 cup beets (136g)= 58 calories
1 cup carrots (128g) = 62 calories
1 cup squash (140g) = 63 calories
All these foods are high in nutrients, yet extremely low in calories, so if you stick to more savory smoothies and soups recipes, you can literally have a gallon of this per day, fill up your body with valuable nutrients, and still have a calorie deficit. (For the complete list of best foods to eat for weight loss and health, check out 100 Best Foods to Eat post and download the full list.)
Weight Loss Smoothie & Soup Recipes
If you really want to cut down on calories, check out some of these savory soups and smoothies:
Mediterranean Green Soup
3 cups spinach
3 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 cucumber
1 jalapeno pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 spring oregano
1 spring thyme
2 cups water
Blend well all ingredients. Serve in a bowl, like a soup. Garnish with fresh herbs and/or a few pieces of avocado. Yields 3 quarts.
Celery Zing Soup
2 yellow bell peppers
1 lemon
½ cup basil leaves
1 cup celery, tops and greens
1 cup kale
1 cup water
Yields 1 quart
Celery Soup
4 stalks celery
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tomato
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups water
Spicy Thai Soup
2 cucumbers
5 leaves kale
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
2 cloves of garlic
½ inch fresh turmeric root or ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
½ inch fresh ginger root or ¼ teaspoon dried ginger powder
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Savory Tomato Basil Soup
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 bunch fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup water
Stir into the smoothie
2 cups Savoy cabbage, chopped
½ avocado, cubed
½ cup dulse
Fennel Soup
1 stalk fennel
2 cups kale
2 celery stalks
½ lemon
½ avocado
¼ inch turmeric root
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Dandelion Cleansing Soup
2 cups dandelion greens
2 stalks of celery
1 green zucchini
2 pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fresh ginger root
1 dash cayenne pepper
Bok Choy Soup
2 cups bok choy
1 celery stalk
1 apple
½ cup fresh cilantro
½ zucchini
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger root
¼ teaspoon fresh turmeric
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Arugula Orange Soup 2 cups arugula
½ orange bell pepper
2 oranges, peeled
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
Stir into the soup
½ avocado in chunks
Sweet Apple-Dill-Avocado
4 stalks celery
1 bunch dill
2 apples
1 avocado
1 lemon
2 cups water
Raw Family Green Soup Recipe 3 leaves chard
1 stalk celery
1 large avocado
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 cups water
Stir into soup
Grated veggies, such as carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, etc., and sprouts
Even considering that you add a large avocado to each soup, you will still end up well below 500 calories in 2 or 3 quarts of soup or smoothie.
1 large avocado, Florida, raw (340g) = 365 calories
1 avocado, California, raw (136g) = 227 calories
So, you can literally eat these soups to your heart’s content and help yourself lose weight.
Green Fruit Smoothies & Meal Replacement Smoothies For Weight Loss
If your goal is to lose weight, the temptation may be to cut out the fruits and all sweeteners from the recipes completely to reduce the amount of calories in the smoothie.
While it’s OK to add more greens and veggies to your drinks and cut the amount of fruits a little, there are two risks associated with cutting down on fruits too much.
First of all, the smoothies will not be as tasty, and you may end up not liking them and not drinking them as often as you should.
Then there is also a second danger of not consuming enough calories.
For many people, a vegetable-based smoothie will not provide sufficient calories to be a meal replacement smoothie.
Even if you made a 32-ounce smoothie with just one apple, 1/2 cup blueberries and a ton of vegetables and greens, your smoothie will be extremely low calories. You’d be lucky to get 200 calories.
The problem with this is that you might still feel full from the fiber, but you will not be consuming enough calories. This is fine, if you are getting enough calories in the rest of your diet from healthy whole plant foods. If not, you will still be hungry after your smoothie, and risk overeating unhealthy foods. Getting too few calories will sabotage weight loss and may lead to nutrient deficiencies and health problems.
In short, fruit-based green smoothies can replace meals and are effective for weight loss. Vegetable-based smoothies are often too low in calories to be considered meals, so they are better used to supplement a calorie-sufficient whole foods diet between meals or consumed with meals.
That is why the green smoothies and meal replacement smoothies can be great for weight loss, too.
This is a great breakfast smoothie recipe. Because it contains oats, it's more filling than just fruits-and-greens smoothie, so it will keep you full longer.
Ingredients
2 cups non dairy milk (use whatever you like or have in your kitchen: oat, rice, soy, almond, hemp, coconut, etc. )
But Sometimes Even Green Smoothies May Not be Enough to Lose Weight
Sometimes, no matter what you eat, you just can’t start losing those pounds!
So, what do you do then?
What to do when even smoothies, blended soups, loads of fat and protein, or endless salads aren’t enough?
Or, perhaps, you JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE EATING THIS WAY ALL THE TIME! You just want to eat like a ‘normal person’ (whatever that means, LOL), not a person on a permanent diet.
I’ve struggled with this question recently, when during the pandemic (and well before that), my diet has been less than ideal. Yes, it’s been mostly whole-plant-based. Yes, I’ve been eating lots of veggies and drinking smoothies, but nowhere nearly as much as before.
And I started putting on weight.
And no matter what I tried, I couldn’t start to lose it.
Until I discovered a solution that made losing weight almost effortless.
Check out my Body Reset program in which I share how to CONTROL YOUR HUNGER, RESET YOUR APPETITE and finally LOSE THAT EXTRA WEIGHT.
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!
I can’t stop daydreaming about finally traveling to some exotic destination (I think I’ve watched all the episodes of Caribbean Living and the Mediterranean Living TRICE by now), taking a walk on a tropical beach (or even sun-bathing on a bench in a park near to the place where I live, but without a mask on my face), wearing my favorite pre-pandemic shorts.
Only will they still fit?
Let’s face it, I started putting on weight even before the Covid-19 lockdowns began, but with all gyms and closed for over a year, tennis courts under lockdown, and a few months of gloomy winter weather behind me that are not conducive to long walks and bike-rides—those extra pounds keep piling around my waist and tights.
YIKES!
Now I have a serious spare tire around my waist. (It’s more like a bike tire, fortunately, not a car or van tire, but still). It’s SUPER ANNOYING. As I was going through my closet, pulling out clothes for the warmer weather, and trying them on—I found that most of them have SHRUNK! LOL. Especially around my waist and hips. Muffin top, belly fat, spare tire, visceral fat—whatever you call it—I DON’T WANT IT!
So, what do I do? Do I go to the mall (as soon as they re-open) or shop online (I’m so not into buying clothes online without trying them on, if I must do clothes shopping, I much prefer to do it in physical stores)? Or do I try to lose the flab?
Only, I’ve tried some different strategies—exercising (a little), eating less, skipping meals, limiting carbs, eating more fats and protein (all vegan, of course), but without any noticeable results.
Can you relate?
You’ve tried everything, including the latest fad diets: low-carb, high-carb, low-fat, high-fat, keto, paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean, exercising, calorie counting, fasting, intuitive eating, and whatnot. But whatever weight you managed to lose in the process, you gained it right back, and you’re back to where you started (or worse).
What the heck?
What to do when nothing seems to be working?!
And why am I even in this situation?
I’m vegan. I am eating lots of whole or minimally processed plant foods.
Aren’t these supposed to be the healthiest and best for ideal weight?
Turns out—not exactly.
I had to do some digging and soul searching and have a couple of REALLY HONEST conversations with myself (which wasn’t easy).
But, after all that—I have my answers, and I’m on my way to regaining my old self, already losing pounds and inches—BOOHOO!
The good news, despite not being great for my waistline, I haven’t gotten sick, so I believe my current eating habits kept my immune defenses are strong.
But, just as my weight needs some resetting, so does my health, probably.
So, here I am.
Starting again the old-and-tested Green Smoothie Reset. (With some juices and blended soups/salads thrown into the mix J)
My goal—to fit in my old clothes again, get my energy back, and feel great, which means I need to lose about 15-20 pounds and keep them off FOREVER.
You may not think of it as a very ambitious goal. But for me it is.
And super frustrating.
You see, I was always one of those skinny people who never thought of how much I had to eat, because whatever weight I put on, I was always able to lose it quickly without effort. By eating less, moving more, and just doing whatever was necessary.
It was literally enough for me to think—okay, I need to lose 10 pounds or whatever—and before I knew it, the weight was gone and I could fit in my old clothes again. No wonder I never understood what the big deal about weight loss is about—if you want to lose your belly fat, just eat more raw veggies, cut your portions in half and get active. I literally thought it was literally that simple.
(Please, don’t hate me.)
Now I know how hard it can be.
It may be a result of my getting older, being less active due to pandemic and constant lockdowns (where I am right now, it’s really bad), binging on local news, HBO and Netflix with the refrigerator and my kitchen being a few steps away from the couch.
And—it gets worse. Recently, a new and awesome bakery opened downstairs, with a selection of artisan breads and cakes that’s just insane and oh-so-tempting.
I swear, if you’d ever tried them, you’d understand that they’re IRRESISTIBLE. And PURE DEVIL.
Caloric BOMBS full of pure sugar. And I’ve been eating them daily—as a consolation to the misery of being stuck in my apartment, while my husband and I both work from home and our teenage son is stuck in his room doing online-learning.
Trying to write and create is doable; I can’t complain. I can’t imagine what people working in medical professions are going though. I admire them every day.
I haven’t been vaccinated yet, but it’s getting close. What matters to me more is that my mom (who is 78) is already safe from the virus.
But let’s not kid ourselves. This virus—is not the only thing that we should be concerned about. Even if we vaccinate everyone, there’s no guarantee that another one just as deadly (or more) is around the corner. It’s not even the deadliest pandemic that we have right now.
What about all the people who die from chronic diseases? Diabetes, for example, is a killer. My dad passed away seven years ago due to heart disease caused by diabetes (which is quite common). What about all the people who die each year due to heart disease? Cancers? Diseases caused by poor air quality? Diseases caused by poor food quality and obesity? And the list goes on.
Expecting pills and vaccines always to cure us is naïve.
Hoping doctors will save us is unrealistic.
Doctors and modern medicine definitely have some major super-powers and can do pretty amazing stuff that’s almost god-like, but they can’t save us unless we want to be saved. We must do our part. Take responsibility for our health and well-being of our loved ones.
Do you want to join me?
If yes, sign up HERE for the Appetite Reset Challenge and the Body Reset Formula.
What will be there:
Intuitive eating—what you need to do before you even think of trying it. (Or you risk binging on your favorite junk foods and gaining more weight!)
Calorie counting—does it still work? (Spoiler alert: It does! But with this ESSENTIAL modification.)
Intermittent fasting—does it work? And if not, how to make it work for you?
The truth about breakfast no one talks about.
The problems with keto—and more.
And stay tuned for the next episodes of my Body Reset Journey.
Questionnaire:
Which of the following topics you’d be most interested to learn about—check all that apply:
Weight loss—resetting your metabolism and appetite and finally losing body fat—including that belly flab (and keeping it off forever)
Also, how to lose weight on a plant-based/vegan diet? (You thought it was supposed to be easy. Weren’t you supposed to lose weight just by going plant-based? Yes, usually, but it’s not a given. It may happen that you’ll gain weight while being vegan, and then have trouble getting rid of the excess fat (and it sucks!).
Eating for health to prevent diseases—strengthening our immune defenses in case another round of viral epidemic comes around.
Eating for health to cure diseases—getting rid of lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and other.
Transitioning to a vegan diet—how to do it right so you’re able to stick to it for the rest of your life.
When fruits and veggies are plentiful, EAT THEM UP!
And when blending, remember that GREEN SMOOTHIES are not the only game in town :-). (Hint, hint: RAW SOUPS are FANTASTIC for those who crave something more savory.)
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced 4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional) ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few springs for garnish 4 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice 1 clove garlic ½ cup of water Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 julienned radish ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips ½ cup fresh corn kernels
Method Put the avocados, cucumbers, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, water, and a dash of salt, if using, in a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about one hour or up to 3 hours. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each portion with radish, bell pepper, corn, and cilantro.
Variations Substitute cilantro with chopped fresh dill for tasty cucumber-dill soup. Add 1 cup chopped spinach or lettuce. Garnish with cashew sour cream. To make cashew sour cream, squeeze some lemon juice into thick cashew cream (see the Cashew Cream Recipe).
***Be sure to share it on social media with anyone who’ll listen 😉 ***
If you are looking for easy healthy recipes and an super-easy way to add super-important nutrients to your everyday diet, you are truly lucky to have found this page!
Because what you will learn here – if you just try it and stick with it – will likely change your life and health for the better (really, I don’t exaggerate one bit – because it happened to me a few years back).
Introducing…Green Smoothies
You probably heard about green smoothies by now, as everyone is raving about them. You may call them blended drinks, green shakes, green smoothies, green fruit smoothies, drinkable salads or salads straight from your blender.
It doesn’t really matter what you call them — as long as you drink them!
The fact is that if you are having problems with eating a healthy diet, and especially if you have picky-eaters in your house who will not eat a green vegetable if their life depended on it – this is a perfect solution to your problem.
The idea to blend various kinds of leafy greens, fruits and vegetables to create a liquid soup with a baby food consistency is not new. About 5 years ago that Victoria Boutenko (from the Raw Family) greatly popularized the concept of the Green Smoothie.
The Green Smoothie is essentially a blended salad made with fruits and leafy greens, with some optional water, blended at high speeds to smooth consistency. Generally, hard or savory vegetables such as carrots or tomatoes are avoided, or only added in small quantities. Only fruits, leafy greens, and some vegetables are included.
Many of you may cringe at the idea of adding spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie, thinking these greens belong to a salad or dinner side-dish and not in a sweet drink.
However, the fact remains that this is the EASIEST, FASTEST, and TASTIEST way to consume large amounts of greens on a regular basis.
Just think about it: it’s MUCH faster to drink the same amount of greens in a smoothie than that it would take you to prepare and consume (and that includes chewing properly!) the same amount of greens, fruits and vegetables in a salad or other dishes.
Great things I love about smoothies is they only take about a minute to prepare (with a good blender, such as Blendtec or Vitamix), and a minute or two to drink.
And, when you make a green smoothie, the smoothie making blender will do the chewing for you!
There is really no excuse not to have them!
Important: Quick preparation does not also mean quick consumption. Do not just gulp down the entire glass of smoothie quickly. It is recommended that you drink your smoothie SLOWLY – mixing it with your saliva for best digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Benefits of Green Smoothies versus Green Juice
Drinking freshly made juices made from vegetables, greens and fruits is an EXCELLENT way to add important nutrients to your diet. Juices contain super-concentrated nutrients that the body can absorb almost instantaneously — there is no need to digest anything! This gives the body a rest, while flooding it with great nutrition — great for people who have serious health problems and want to heal quickly.
However, juicing may or may not be an ideal solution for you.
One problem is that you may be skipping juicing — and therefore not benefiting from it — because it’s more work. I used to do a lot of juicing in the past and I still try to do it, but let’s face it – it is quite time consuming and really messy. My problem is over since I started making green smoothies. Making smoothies is a super easy way to eat lots of greens, and a great alternative to juicing. It is much faster, less messy, and you also get fiber in addition to juice, so you get that feeling of satiety. If you can discipline yourself to make fresh juices regularly, great! Otherwise, stick with green smoothies, or — I believe the best solution is to drink both!
Another problem with juice is that you leave behind the valuable fiber that slows down the absorption of nutrients and provides the feeling of fullness. This can be seen as a benefit, but can also be a problem ;-). Drinking a juice is not a “satisfying meal” in itself. So if you juice, then go on to eat junk food because you feel hungry, it’s better to have a green smoothie, that will leave you satisfied for longer.
Fortunately, whichever option you choose, you cannot go wrong. Whether you are making vegetable juices or blending green smoothies, you are doing your body a huge favor.
So, How Do You Make A Smoothie?
Let’s start with some great ingredients for your smoothie creations.
Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies
GREENS: kale, bok choy, chard, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mint, basil, cilantro, or other.
Some fruit and green combinations you may want to try:
Spinach with bananas and strawberries
Spinach with apples, bananas, and some lemon or lime juice
Spinach, bananas, peaches, mango
Romaine lettuce with bananas
Romaine lettuce with cucumber and bananas
Romaine and celery with blueberries
Parsley and ripe pears
Parsley, celery, apple and pears
Add 1-2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Adjust proportions to your liking. Try to experiment with different greens and fruits. Fruits are added for sweetness, so make sure they are really RIPE, especially bananas. Beautifully ripened bananas look like this:
Okay, so I need to add more spinach here, but I really love sweet taste of bananas!
In the beginning, when you are just starting out with the green smoothies, you may want to add just a little bit of mild tasting greens (such as spinach), to let your taste buds get used to the taste. Start adding more greens of various kinds (many of them are stronger tasting) later on.
Greens to add to your smoothies: spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, dandelion, kale, collard greens, beet tops, and whatever else you can find in the store or in your garden. Young, tender greens are better. Iceberg lettuce, although not very green at all, can be used too.
This is what a green smoothie looks like:
Don’t be discouraged by the “greenness” of this drink. It tastes delicious, trust me on this!
Just try it for yourself, OK?
(Plus, if you really don’t want the green color, you can easily make it into a purple or red smoothie by adding lots of mixed berries, and fewer green ingredients).
Green Smoothie Recipes
Here are more ideas for your delicious green smoothie creations. Feel free to adjust the quantity of ingredients:
Spinach-Apple-Banana
1 head of spinach
1 apple
1 banana
1-2 cups of water
Spinach-Raspberry-Strawberry
1/2 head of spinach
1/4 cup of raspberries
1/2 cup of strawberries
2 cups of water
Pinapple – Mango – Romaine
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 large mango, peeled, cored, and chopped
½ head romaine lettuce
a tiny piece of fresh ginger
You may want to add some water.
Personally I don’t really love Romain in my smoothies, but sometimes it works well. You’ll just have to try it for yourself. If you don’t care for it, substitute a different green.
Kale – Banana – Berry
2 leaves kale (kale is rather strong tasting, so you may want to start with less)
2 bananas
1 cup of strawberries or blueberries or raspberries
1 cup of water
Apple – Mango – Lettuce
5 pieces of green leaf lettuce
1 ripe mango
1 apple
1 cup of water
One note here on using frozen fruits in your smoothies. Personally, I don’t like smoothies that are really cold, so if I’m using a lot of frozen ingredients, I add some hot water to the mix to make them room- (or rather – stomach-) temperature. I know that many people like frozen drinks, but drinking a lot of frozen smoothies is not really that healthy, in my opinion.
I admit – I am totally hooked on green smoothies!
However, I never use exact recipes – I constantly experiment by adding different ingredients, depending on what sounds good to my body each day. Even thought some concoctions taste more delicious than others, I haven’t been completely disappointed yet!
Now that you know how to make some basic easy healthy recipes for green smoothies, you can experiment with other variations on this theme. When you are ready, start incorporate other, stronger tasting greens into your smoothies.
Submit Your Smoothie Recipe!
When you find a taste you love, why not submit your favorite smoothie recipe in the comment section below!
Let’s face it – with our busy schedules, we don’t always have time to sit down and eat a healthy salad or prepare proper healthy dishes that the whole family would enjoy.
So I have a solution for you! Below are some super-easy smoothie recipes. Choose one that you like and whip up a quick green smoothie for yourself (and your family). It will give you energy, and fill your belly for a couple of hours with all the right foods.
Spinach is typically thought of as a lunch or dinner ingredient in a savory recipe, so spinach in a fruit smoothie may sound strange at first, but – even if you don’t enjoy its taste by itself – the other ingredients will mask the flavor, I promise.
If you haven’t been eating your greens every day, simply jump-start your day with a green smoothie, so that before you even start your day, you’ve already sucked down your veggies, greens, and fruit to boot.
And better yet? So have your kids and other family members.
Benefits of Spinach
Do I even have to talk about the benefits of spinach? We all know it’s good for us. Spinach has been cultivated in many parts of the world for hundreds of years, not just as a food source, but also as an important medicinal plant in many traditional systems of medicine.
Spinach benefits cannot be overstated. In the past it has often been regarded as a plant that helps restore energy, increase vitality, and improve the quality of the blood. The main reason for this is that spinach nutrition provides twice as much iron as most other greens.
Other nutrients it contains include calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and the B-complex vitamins. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
Spinach, just like other greens that contain chlorophyll and carotene, is a remarkable protector against various diseases, including cancer, anemia, digestive problems, skin problems, as well as acting as a mild laxative. Women who are worried about osteoporosis should consume spinach because it is a rich source of calcium and vitamin K.
In fact, when compared calorie for calorie to other vegetables, some say that nothing is as nutrient dense as spinach, while also being very low in calories. And no, you don’t have to worry about the oxalates in spinach hurting you.
Spinach is Super Low In Calories & Super Dense in Nutrients = Great For Weight Loss!
Spinach, it’s really low in calories, so it’s an excellent ingredient for all weight loss smoothies, as well as meal replacement smoothies.
1 cup spinach, raw (30g) = 7 calories (!)
1 bunch spinach (340g) = 78 calories (!)
The great thing is that once you try a spinach smoothie recipe, you’ll be consuming lots of it and it won’t matter anymore if you or your picky-eaters at home don’t enjoy munching on spinach salad!
Just adding a few spinach leaves to a your smoothie recipe, is so easy, tastes delicious, and it’s also incredibly good for you!
A bunch of spinach has a mere 78 calories, while providing 10g of protein.
So, how do you prepare a spinach smoothie?
When preparing spinach smoothie recipes, as in the case in most other greens, feel free to experiment and include a wide variety of other fruits and veggies.
By experimenting with different combinations, you will be able to come up with something that you and the whole family will love. You’ll even have an easier time getting your children on board to adopting a healthier diet.
The great thing about spinach is that it’s mild tasting, so it’s a perfect starter green for green smoothies. Even the most picky eaters won’t mind a few leaves of spinach in their fruit smoothie (use some deep colored fruits, such as berries, or colored glass containers to mask the green color for those most green-resistant eaters).
Generally speaking, Vitamix or Blendtec blenders will do a great job with any type of greens, including the tougher greens such as kale, collard greens, or celery tops. These smoothie makers will give you smoother liquid, compared with other blenders.
However, even if you have an inexpensive blender you can make spinach smoothies without worrying about rough texture – spinach is soft enough, so most blenders will handle spinach well.
First, when buying fresh spinach it should be dark green and free from any evidence of decay. Choose spinach that has vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that have a slimy coating as this is a sign of decay. Slightly wilted spinach can be revived to freshness by dipping it in cold water.
Do not wash spinach before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the spinach, squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
Prior to preparing a smoothie, wash spinach under running water. If using non organic spinach, you may want to soak or spray it with a biodegradable wash, then rinse. Use a salad spinner to dry.
The leaves can be used as is. You don’t need to remove the stalks, as you would for a salad.
Put the leaves into your smoothie blender together with your fruits and veggies – bananas, strawberries, apples, celery, etc.
That’s basically all there is to it!
Spinach Smoothie Recipes
Here are a few green smoothie recipes with spinach for you to try!
I encourage you to experiment mixing spinach with other fruits, greens and vegetables. Also, I’m really not good with exact proportions, so you will need to experiment with quantities, to get that perfect green smoothie for your taste.
2-4 cups of fresh spinach
a handful of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 raspberries (fresh or frozen)
(OR 1 cup of mixed berries from BJ’s)
2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cup water (more or less, to desired consistency)
For the Mixed Berries Smoothie I usually use frozen organic mixed berries I buy at BJs – a big 3 lbs bag for $9.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!
Spinach-Blueberry
1 large banana, ripe
1 cup blueberries, frozen (or Wild Blueberries from BJ’s)
1 cup oz spinach, fresh
1 1/2 cups water (more or less, to desired consistency)
This is my son’s favorite. For this smoothie, I’m using frozen Wild Blueberries from BJ’s – a big 3 lbs bag for $7.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!
Spinach-Mixed Tropical Fruit
1 large banana, ripe and peeled
1/4 avocado
6 oz spinach, fresh
1/2 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup mango, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup grapes, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cup water (more or less, to desired consistency)
For this smoothie, I’m using frozen mixed fruits from BJ’s – a big 5 lbs bag for $9.99 – great value and taste!
Spinach-Pear-Celery
2 pears
1 stalk of celery
1 cup spinach
1 cup water
Spinach-Peach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
2 cups water
Spinach-Kiwi
1 banana
2 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 cup water
Spinach-Watermelon-Strawberries
One half small seeded watermelon, peel and all
10 strawberries
1 bunch spinach
1 cup water
Spinach-Mango Green Smoothie
1 large banana, ripe
1 cup mangoes
1/2 cup strawberries
5 oz spinach
1 1/2 cups water
Spinach-Banana-Orange Smoothie Recipe
2 large ripe bananas
2 oranges
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
Spinach and Cantaloupe Melon Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cantaloupe melon
1 cup of spinach
Spinach-Tomato
Here is a savory recipe for a spinach-tomato smoothie:
4 ripe plum tomatoes
1 handful of spinach leaves
4 leaves of basil leaves
One note here on using frozen fruits in your smoothies. Personally, I don’t like smoothies that are really cold, so if I’m using a lot of frozen ingredients, I add some hot water to the mix to make them room (or rather – my stomach) temperature. I know that many people like frozen drinks, but drinking a lot of frozen smoothies is not really that healthy, in my opinion.
I admit – I am totally hooked on green smoothies!
I never use exact recipes – I constantly experiment by adding different ingredients, depending on what sounds good to my body each day.
Although some smoothies taste more delicious than others, I haven’t been disappointed yet!
Note: Because of the high oxalic acid content of spinach, some experts recommend to keep your spinach intake down to once or twice a week. While I don’t subscribe to the view that greens (including those rich in oxalic acid, such as spinach) are dangerous, if you have any health issues such as kidney stones, speak to a qualified doctor or nutritionist about your concerns and any changes to your diet.
Now that you know how to make some basic spinach recipes, you can experiment with other variations on this theme. When you are ready, start incorporate other, stronger tasting greens into your smoothies.
For all my blending recipes I use Vitamix. If you don’t already own a VitaMix, I strongly encourage you to check out what this machine is capable of! For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. You may also want to read my post about the Best Blender.
I LOVE my VitaMix and highly recommend investing in one if you are ready to make serious changes to your diet. I have had mine for almost 5 years and use it daily!
If you decide to purchase Vitamix – be sure to use Promotional Code 06-004554 to get free shipping.
The Making of Spinach Smoothie: Inside of my Vitamix
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!
As the summer is ending, I want to welcome all of you back again, hoping to be able to inspire you and maybe challenge you in various ways in the upcoming months.
Although the summer is almost gone, and most of you have probably already forgotten about it, I’m just getting back into the rhythm of my regular work-school-home routine. Most of you have not heard from me the whole summer. My father passed away this summer and I spent a couple of months back home; not working, but doing lots of thinking. It was a really sad time; I had never before experienced death of anyone so close to me. It may sound trite, but the moments like this really make you examine your life, your motives and why you are on this planet.
High Protein Blueberry Smoothie
This blueberry smoothie has additional protein added to the mix – I used tofu, but you may use chia seeds or hemp seeds, a tablespoon or two of nut butter, or a handful of nuts. I usually don’t add anything other than fruits and greens to the smoothie, but adding this will make the smoothie more filling.
Ingredients
1 banana
1/2 cup tofu
1 cup wild blueberries
1 cup greens
1 cup sprouts (optional, add more greens if not using sprouts)
1 cup water
Instructions
Blend all ingredients, pour into a glass, sip and smile!
Variations:
* You may substitute tofu with vegan protein powder, 1/cup of chia seeds, or hemp seeds.
(Now, I noticed that soy can elicit extreme reactions in some health-conscious people. If you have concerns about soy or tofu, I encourage you to read or listen to any of the Resources at the end of this post.)
Day’s Menu
Some readers have been asking me for menu suggestions.
Here is a sample day’s menu that is loaded with healthy foods:
