Green smoothies are just what the name implies: thick drinks made of blended fruits and vegetables. The main difference between a regular and a green smoothie is in the amount of leafy green vegetables used. This is exactly what brings green smoothies their amazing and fresh color.
The trickiest part in drinking green smoothies is in getting used to their taste. Many people report that it is too “grassy,” and that they needed some time to start loving it. Let’s take a quick look at some simple tricks you can use to ease the process:
- Start slow, don’t throw aside all fruits at once! Naturally, fruity smoothies with plenty of berries always look more appetizing to the inexperienced wellness adept. But it’s always a great idea to gradually lower a number of sweet components, switching them for grassy and green ones. This will make the process more pleasant and the end results much more significant!
- Spice up your green smoothie with a strong component to override the vegetable taste. One of the most popular ingredients for this matter is citruses, like lemons and limes. Apples work great too. This trick will help you to consume plenty of vegetables without fighting too hard with the grassy taste.
- Be persistent and regular. People need time to get used to new stuff, especially when it’s not too pleasant right away. Focus on the benefits of green smoothies for your health, and this will help you to drink them regularly and start loving them sooner.
- Chew on it. We are used to eating vegetables, but drinking them can be rather hard and seemingly absurd. The solution? Chew on your smoothie! It supports digestion and will help you to get used to the green smoothie concept.
- Drink right away! Green smoothies taste better when consumed right after blending. If that’s not possible or you’re making the drink for the next day, store it in a tightly closed container filled to the very top. This will minimize oxidation and preserve most of the original taste.
Now that we’ve checked on the basics, let’s jump straight away to some fantastic green smoothie recipes.
#1 The Essential Green Smoothie:
- Green grapes – 1 cup
- Pineapple (diced) – ½ cup
- Spinach (fresh) – 2 cups
- Banana (peeled, sliced) – ½ cup
- Water – ½ cup
- Ice cubes – 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: this simple recipe is the smoothest start for your smoothie journey. An abundance of green grapes helps to sweeten the mixture, and a banana touch turns it into a real fruity cocktail. Spinach is considered to be one of the best greens for beginners, as it has a very mild taste compared to other leafy vegetables. In other words, if you were looking for the best smoothie to start, look no more, as this recipe is hard to trump!
#2 Oz’s Green Drink
- Spinach (fresh) – 2 cups
- Cucumber – one-half
- Celery – ¼ head
- Parsley – ½ bunch
- Mint (fresh) – 1 bunch
- Carrots – 3 whole pieces
- Apples – 2 whole pieces
- Orange – ¼ of a piece
- Lime – ¼ of a piece
- Lemon – ¼ of a piece
- Pineapple – ¼ of a piece
Benefits for your weight loss: this well-balanced recipe is very low in calories and rather fruity in taste. Leafy vegs bring their fibers and nutrients, citruses present you with a boost in metabolism. The diversity of ingredients creates a unique flavor that will amaze you every time you prepare this healthy drink. No wonder that it was created by one of the most competent and well-known doctors on the modern media!
#3 Kimberly Snider’s GGS (Glowing Green Smoothie)
- Water (filtered, very cold) – 2 cups
- Spinach (chopped) – 7 cups
- Romaine lettuce (chopped) – 6 cups
- Celery (chopped) – 1½ cups, roughly 2 stalks
- Apple (cored, chopped) – 1 piece
- Pear (cored, chopped) – 1 piece
- Banana (peeled) – 1 medium piece
- Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) – 2 tablespoons
Benefits for your weight loss: packed with greens of all tones and tastes, the famous GGS can be tricky to get used to. But a number of healthy nutrients you’ll get from it is absolutely worth the trouble. Romaine lettuce is rich in vitamin A, C, and organic fibers. Spinach brings you calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. Celery contributes with a good dose of vitamin K, B6, antioxidants and beneficial enzymes. And all this for a microscopic amount of calories!
#4 Green Smoothie for a Metabolism Boost
- Orange (peeled) – 1 piece
- Strawberries – ⅓ cup
- Spinach (fresh, raw) – 1 cup
- Almond milk (unsweetened) – 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: iron and fibers from the spinach, vitamin C from the orange and strawberries. Top this with a fantastic creamy touch from the almond milk, and voila! Your sweet boost in metabolism is ready to rock the day (and not ruin your diet along the way.)
#5 Broccoli & Strawberry Green Smoothie
- Strawberries – ½ cup
- Pineapple – ¼ cup
- Broccoli (florets) – 1 cup
- Honey (optional) – 1 teaspoon
- Almond milk (unsweetened) – 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: broccoli is a real bomb of healthy nutrients. Vitamin B1, A, E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and selenium – the list just goes on and on! Fibers will help you to keep hunger away, and strawberries will smoothen the vegs’ grassy taste.
#6 Strawberry & Banana Green Smoothie
- Strawberries – ½ cup
- Banana (peeled) – 1 medium piece
- Spinach (fresh, raw) – 1 cup
- Almond milk (unsweetened) – ½ cup
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
Benefits for your weight loss: when you get tired of the vegetable treatment, give this green smoothie a chance. The strawberries, banana, almond milk and vanilla extract combine into a delicate fruity taste, and you still get your daily dose of spinach power! If you want to lose weight fast and effectively, don’t skip this tasty recipe.
#7 Mango & Cucumber Creamy Green Smoothie
- Mango (peeled, diced) – ¼ cup
- Orange (peeled) – 1 piece
- Cucumber (chopped) – 1 cup
- Flax seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Spinach (fresh) – 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: scientific studies showed that people who regularly eat mangos slim down easier and much more significantly. And they taste like heaven! No doubt, this smoothie is perfect to help you lose excess weight in the healthiest way possible.
#8 Kale & Berries Green Smoothie
- Cherries (seedless) – ½ cup
- Blueberries – ½ cup
- Kale (fresh) – 1 cup
- Honey – 2 teaspoons
- Almond milk – 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: kale is fat-free, fiber-rich, nutrient-packed, and low-carb. What could possibly be better for your diet? Top this with a good cup of berries for taste, and your perfect kale cocktail is ready to savor!
#9 Green Tea Smoothie
- Banana (peeled) – 1 medium piece
- Almond milk (unsweetened) – 1 cup
- Matcha (green tea powder) – 1 tablespoon
- Spinach (fresh) – 1 handful
- Vanilla protein powder (optional) – ½ scoop
Benefits for your weight loss: matcha (green tea powder) is the unique source of a powerful class of antioxidants called catechins. They have cancer-fighting properties, promote regeneration of cells, and help you to stay young for longer. In the meantime, spinach will provide you with its valuable nutrients, and the fruity components will sweeten the drink’s taste.
#10 Avocado Detox Green Smoothie
- Spinach or kale (fresh, stemmed and chopped) – 2 cups
- Apple (unpeeled, cored, chopped) – 2 medium piece
- Avocado (peeled, chopped) – ½ piece
- Water – add gradually until reaching desired consistency
Benefits for your weight loss: avocado is, perhaps, the only fruit with a significant amount of monounsaturated fatty acids like omega-3. This substance if able to lower your blood’s fat levels (triglycerides amount, specifically), fights inflammatory processes, prevents depression, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Besides all the said, avocados are also a great source of proteins, vitamins K, C, E, potassium, and magnesium. Pair it with all the benefits of spinach, and there you go! But take into account that this green smoothie isn’t the best choice for beginners, as it has a rather low amount of sweet fruits in it, so it might be better to start with something more usual to the taste.
#11 Classic Monster Green Smoothie
- Almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk) – 1 cup
- Spinach or kale (fresh, destemmed) – 1 cup
- Banana (frozen, peeled, chopped) – 1 large piece
- Almond butter or peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
- Chia seeds or ground flax seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Ground cinnamon – 1 pinch
- Protein powder (optional) – 1 scoop of your favorite one
- Ice (optional) – 2-3 cubes
Benefits for your weight loss: this drink is named “monster” for a good reason, and it’s not the taste (which is fantastic, by all means.) Any guesses? The monster green smoothie is called this way because it’s one of the best options for one sticking to a green smoothie diet. It is exceptionally rich in fibers, vitamins, and other nutrients, still being low-carb and suitable to take during any diet.
#12 Pineapple & Banana Detox Smoothie
- Pineapple (diced) – 1 cup
- Banana (peeled, chopped) – 1 medium piece
- Spinach (fresh) – 2 cups
- Water – add gradually until reaching desired consistency
Benefits for your weight loss: How about something exotic in your usual green smoothie menu? Bananas are a potassium bomb; they strengthen your heart, help to control blood pressure levels, and lower blood glucose levels (thanks to the present fibers.) Pineapples promote digestion, have anti-inflammatory properties, and help to keep eye disorders at bay. And, of course, a good amount of spinach helps you to stay full for longer and aids you in your weight loss journey.
#13 Apple & Berries Cleanse Smoothie
- Mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) – 1 cup
- Apple – 1 large piece
- Spinach (fresh) – 2 cups
- Water (or unsweetened almond milk) – till meeting desired consistency (1 cup approximately)
Benefits for your weight loss: all green smoothies are perfect in terms of cleansing your organism (detox, in other words), but this may be one of the best and easiest recipes. The ingredients are well-balanced and compliant, rather sweet in taste, and exceptionally effective for when you want to reset your organism into a more nature-friendly state. So, detox? Apples, berries, and spinach!
#14 Banana & Kiwi Detox Smoothie
- Kiwi (peeled) – 1 piece
- Banana (peeled) – 1 medium piece
- Pineapple (diced) – ¼ cup
- Celery – 2 stalks
- Spinach (fresh) – 2 cups
- Water – till meeting desired consistency, roughly 1 cup
Benefits for your weight loss: another great option for those days you want to take a break and cleanse your body. But, in comparison with the previous recipe, this one is for more experienced “smoothers,” as it has more vegs and less sweet components. Don’t worry though, as the taste is still fantastic, and the effect on your health and weight loss almost magical.