Imagine yourself lounging on a chaise, surrounded by white sand and palm trees, with the sound of ocean waves gently lapping the shore. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: high-powered blender Servings: makes 6 cups Or imagine yourself post workout, sweating, with tired muscles. Now imagine yourself holding a frosty glass filled to the brim with a soothing green smoothie, filled with refreshing flavors of apple and tropical fruits. You’ll love this green apple smoothie! It’s super simple to prepare, it’s so refreshing to your body and soul, and it won’t fill you up with empty calories, fat, or artificial sweeteners. This green smoothie is loaded with the green leafy vegetables your body needs to stay healthy, and fruit to add fiber and nutrition, and it’s only 75 calories per serving (one and a half cups). Get your blender whirring and enjoy a green apple smoothie today!
About this smoothie recipe
Here’s a big green healthy hint! Always have bags of spinach, kale, or other greens in the fridge, pre-washed and ready to go. I find that if I wash the greens shortly after I get home from the store, I tend to incorporate those healthy greens in everything I cook, including smoothies. It’s just so much more convenient when the greens are washed and I can grab a handful or two to add to a salad, sandwich, wrap, stir fry, or whatever I happen to have going. Sautéed spinach is about the easiest side you can make. And those pre-washed greens are just what you need for this smoothie. It’s a breeze to put together, less than five minutes hands on time, if your greens are ready.
Ingredient Notes
Greens: For this smoothie, try a mixture of spinach and kale. They are mild flavored greens that work well in a smoothie. Apple: A Granny Smith apple is green so the color blends in with the smoothie but any apple variety works. Water or Milk: It’s up to you. Yogurt is fine, too, but you may need to use less ice or add a bit of water to thin it down especially if you use Greek yogurt. Tropical Frozen Fruit Mix: There are several different kinds of frozen fruit mixes. The one I used for this smoothie has pineapple, strawberries, and mango. Ice
How To Make A Green Smoothie
So let’s get going. Are you ready? Stuff a handful of kale, a handful of spinach, and a chopped Granny Smith apple into your blender, and add a cup of water. Cover the blender and watch it whirl. (You can also blend it all at once, as pictured, but blending it in steps like this will be a little easier on your blender.) When that mixture is smooth, add a cup full of frozen tropical fruit and a handful of ice. Blend until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour your frosty green beverage into a tall glass, and enjoy!
Make It Your Own
It’s easy to swap out ingredients. Consider this super simple green smoothie recipe a starting point, a recipe for beginners. Make your own wonderful green concoction! Keep reading for suggestions.
Fruit to use in a green smoothie
This green apple smoothie uses a tart Granny Smith apple and a frozen tropical fruit blend. Tropical fruit blends consist of frozen pineapple, mango, banana, and papaya. There are variations depending on which brand you purchase. The options for fruit in a smoothie are nearly endless, though! Here are some ideas:
any variety of apple bananas (bonus points if they’re frozen bananas) See the tip below. peaches papaya mango pineapple blueberries (be sure to try my blueberry smoothie, too) strawberries blackberries raspberries citrus (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit, or tangerine)
Vegetables and Greens to use in a green smoothie
Add green leafy vegetables to your smoothie: kale, spinach, mild arugula, collard, or Swiss chard. Stay away from “spicy” or bitter greens like mustard greens or radicchio, unless you’re a green smoothie veteran. Broccoli, cauliflower, or celery – make sure you have a powerful blender for these! Fresh herbs such as parsley or mint add unique flavor, loads of nutrition, and play nice with the fruit flavors. Avocado
Add protein to a green smoothie
Want to make your smoothie more of a power drink? Add protein! Here are some options:
Use any kind of milk: whole milk, half and half, non-fat milk, soy, coconut milk, almond milk, etc. instead of water. Add yogurt (Greek or regular). Add grains: Try a half cup of uncooked rolled oats or a half cup of cooked quinoa. Protein powder: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. Nuts and seeds: Nut or seed butters (peanut, cashew, almond, sunflower, etc), flax seed or ground flax seed (flax meal), chia seeds.
Other Green Smoothie Add-ins
Coconut oil Spices: Try cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, or a sprinkle of cayenne if you’re feeling daring. I love freshly grated ginger root, too. Sweeteners (honey, agave, sugar):I don’t think they’re necessary but if you’re new to green smoothies, you could ease in this way. Vanilla extract Flaked or shredded coconut (avoid sweetened coconut)
Make it a smoothie bowl
Can you make a green smoothie into a smoothie bowl? Sure! Here’s how to do it:
Make the green smoothie a little thicker. Add more ice or more frozen fruit, and substitute a cup of Greek yogurt for the water. Blend this mixture well and pour into two serving bowls. Toppings: fresh fruit, coconut, nuts or seeds, or a sprinkling of your favorite granola. An extra dollop of Greek yogurt on top would be great!
Storage Tips
Store left over green smoothies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You’ll want to give the mixture a good shake to mix it up again before you drink it.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Option 1: Make a big batch of green smoothies and pour the mixture into freezer safe serving size containers, or pint sized canning jars. Don’t overfill the jars because the mixture will expand slightly as it freezes. Take a frozen smoothie out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before you want to drink it. It should be mostly thawed by morning. Give it a good shake and enjoy! Option 2: Freeze the mix pre-blended if you prefer. Place all ingredients except liquid ingredients into a freezer bag. Label and pop into your freezer and just pour into the blender with milk or water and blend when you’re ready to enjoy!
