Green smoothie recipes that taste like fruit, not grass
Seven green smoothie recipes for beginners and up, the greens-to-fruit ratio that makes them taste good, how to blend them smooth and who should go easy.
The short answer
Use about 1 cup greens, 1 cup liquid and 1 to 1 1/2 cups fruit, at least half frozen. Start with baby spinach, which has almost no taste, and move to kale once you are used to it. Blend the greens with the liquid first for 30 to 45 seconds: that is what makes it smooth.
- Add Greek yogurt, protein powder or seeds to make it a breakfast that keeps you full.
- Blending frees fruit sugar, so the NHS counts smoothies as one portion of 5 A Day at most.
A green smoothie should taste like fruit, not like a lawn. The trick is proportion: start with mild greens such as spinach, keep the fruit at about one and a half times the greens, and blend the greens with the liquid before anything else goes in so there are no fibrous bits. Do that and a cup of spinach disappears into a glass that tastes of mango or pineapple. Below are seven green smoothie recipes for beginners and up, the ratio behind them, and what to know about drinking them every day.
The green smoothie ratio
For one large glass: 1 cup of packed leafy greens, 1 cup of liquid, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fruit, at least half of it frozen. Add a protein if the smoothie is breakfast, and a tablespoon of seeds or nut butter so it holds you longer.
| Green | Taste in a smoothie | Good for | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby spinach | Almost none | First green smoothies | Use up to 2 cups once you are used to it |
| Romaine or butter lettuce | Fresh, watery | Light, hydrating blends | Adds volume with very few calories |
| Cucumber and celery | Clean, a little salty | Cooling summer smoothies | Peel the cucumber if your blender is weak |
| Kale (lacinato) | Earthy, slightly bitter | Once spinach feels too easy | Strip the stems; balance with pineapple or lemon |
| Swiss chard | Mineral, beet-like | Rotating greens | Remove thick stems |
| Fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil) | Strong | Flavor, not bulk | A small handful is enough |
Rotating greens week to week keeps the taste interesting and avoids eating large amounts of any one plant.
7 green smoothie recipes
| Smoothie | Ingredients | Taste |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical beginner | 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup coconut water, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 frozen banana | Pineapple, no green taste |
| Mango lime | 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup milk or soy milk, 1 cup frozen mango, juice of 1/2 lime | Bright, creamy |
| Green protein | 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup (170 g) plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1 tbsp chia (about 26 g protein) | Tangy, thick |
| Apple pie green | 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 apple cored, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 tbsp oats, cinnamon | Warm, spiced |
| Peanut butter green | 1 cup baby spinach, 1 cup soy milk, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 frozen banana, pinch of salt | Like a milkshake |
| Kale pineapple ginger | 1 cup lacinato kale (stems removed), 1 cup water, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1 tsp grated ginger, juice of 1/2 lemon | Sharp, fresh |
| Cucumber mint cooler | 1 cup romaine, 1/2 cucumber, 1 cup coconut water, 1 cup frozen honeydew or green grapes, a few mint leaves | Light, very cold |
One large glass each. Protein figure approximate, from USDA values.
How do you blend it smooth?
- Greens and liquid first. Blend them alone for 30 to 45 seconds until no flecks remain. This one step is the difference between smooth and stringy.
- Then soft ingredients: yogurt, nut butter, fresh fruit, seeds.
- Frozen fruit last, on high, until thick. Add a splash of liquid only if the blades stall.
A high-powered blender handles kale stems and whole apples; a personal blender is fine with baby spinach and frozen fruit cut small.
Are green smoothies actually good for you?
They are an easy way to eat more leafy greens and fruit, which most people need. Two things are worth knowing, though.
- Blending releases fruit sugar. The NHS counts juices and smoothies as one of your 5 A Day at most, up to 150 ml, because crushing fruit frees its sugars and they behave more like added sugar, especially for your teeth. Keeping the fruit to about a cup and a half, adding greens and protein, and drinking it with a meal rather than sipping all morning keeps that in check.
- Some greens are high in oxalate. Spinach and chard are among the highest. If you have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, the NIDDK advises limiting high-oxalate foods, so rotate in romaine, cucumber or kale and ask your doctor. People on warfarin should keep their intake of leafy greens steady, because vitamin K affects the drug; a daily kale smoothie is fine if it is daily, not occasional.
None of this makes green smoothies a detox or a cleanse. Your liver and kidneys do that. What a green smoothie does well is fit two portions of produce into breakfast. For a version that keeps you full until lunch, use the green protein recipe above or any of our protein smoothie recipes with a cup of spinach added. Our gut health guide explains why the fiber from whole fruit and greens matters more than any supplement.
Related guides
Sources: USDA FoodData Central (nutrient values)
Read next: Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss That Keep You Full · Protein Pancakes: 3 Fluffy Recipes, No Powder Needed
Questions people ask about this
What is the best green for a beginner green smoothie?
Baby spinach. It has almost no taste once blended with fruit, so you can start with one cup and build up to two. Kale is more bitter and works better once you are used to green smoothies.
How do you make a green smoothie taste good?
Keep the fruit at about one and a half times the greens, use sweet frozen fruit such as pineapple, mango or banana, and add lime or lemon to brighten it. Blending the greens with the liquid first removes the gritty texture people dislike.
Can I drink a green smoothie every day?
Most people can. Rotate your greens, keep the fruit to about a cup and a half, and drink it with a meal. If you have had kidney stones or take warfarin, check with your doctor because of oxalate and vitamin K.
Do green smoothies help you lose weight?
Only if they replace something higher in calories and keep you full. A green smoothie with protein and fiber can be a filling breakfast; one made with juice and three cups of fruit is a large dose of sugar.
Can I make green smoothies ahead of time?
Yes, for up to a day in a sealed jar in the fridge. They separate and may turn darker, so shake before drinking. Freezer packs of greens and fruit are the better make-ahead option.
