Making homemade green smoothies will help to add vitamins, minerals, a wide range of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and protein to help jumpstart your immune system to help make a healthier you.

If you are having a hard time incorporating vegetables into your diet, making a homemade green smoothie will give yourself and your family a veggie boost.  Green smoothies are easy to fix. Just add your favorite ingredients from the basic recipe below into your blender. Blend until smooth and drink. You can double the recipe and store the extra in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to date the any leftovers.

Many people use green smoothies to help repair their gut microbiome.  The dietary fiber is broken down is typically broken down making it more easily to digest but there is still some dietary fiber in the smoothie. But if you have trouble digesting dietary fiber, you can actually strain the dietary fiber out of the smoothie by using a strainer like a nut bag strainer. Begin slowly to add the full amount of dietary fiber to avoid any more malabsorption.

Green Smoothie Ingredients Possibilities

Plain Yogurt

Greek yogurt

Plain kefir

Greens

Kale

Spinach

Swiss Chard

Other vegetables

Parsley

Carrots

Beets

Cabbage

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Celery

Cucumber

Fruits

Frozen banana*

Frozen pineapple

Frozen mango

Frozen strawberries

Frozen blueberries

Fruit juice like orange, pineapple

Chopped apple

Grapes

Lemons

Sweeteners

Honey

Maple syrup

Protein

Peanut butter

Whey protein

Milk

Regular milk

Almond milk

Coconut milk

Seeds

Chia seeds

Flax seeds

Other

Wheatgrass (Use gluten free if you have adult celiac disease)

Coconut water

vanilla

Spices

Ginger

Cinnamon

Turmeric

Note: If you don’t use frozen fruit, you can add some ice cubes to make it cold & slushie.

Basic Recipe per serving:

1 cup of greens (or more if you want)

1 cup of plain yogurt, milk (can substitute milk for fruit juice), kefir

1 cup of frozen fruit – can be a combination of frozen fruits or ¼ to 1 ripe avocado

1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed

1 – 2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup (optional)

Can add ice cubes for crunch (optional)

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a blender on low speed to begin with then increase the mixture to medium high until very smooth.

Suggestions for Food Pairings for Green Smoothies

1. Sweetness of carrots with like citrus fruits, ginger and beets.
2. Celery pairs well with lemons, apples, ginger and any leafy greens
3. Pair tomatoes with celery, cucumber & parley.
4. Make your own pairings with fruits, vegetables, spices and seeds like chia seeds and ground flaxseeds to get more nutritional bang for your buck.

How to Freeze Bananas for Your Smoothies

You can easily freeze bananas and use them for smoothies or can be put in your favorite banana bread recipe.

1. Remove the peel.
2. Cut the banana in chunks.
3. Arrange the banana chunks on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Put the baking sheet in the freezer.
5. It takes 3 to 4 hours to freeze.
6. Transfer to a freezer bag, press air out, date and seal. You can also use a reuseable silicone bag or glass storage container but make sure it is freezer safe.

Below is one of my favorite Green Smoothie recipes. 

Spinach-Avocado Green Smoothie

1 serving

Nutritional Information Per Serving:  381 calories, 14 grams protein, 14 grams of fat,  56 grams of CHO,  12 grams dietary fiber,  496 mg sodium.

Ingredients

1 cup of Kefir

1 cup fresh spinach

1 frozen banana (about ¾ cup)

¼ avocado

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon honey

½ cup ice

Instructions

Put all ingredients in a blender on low speed to begin with then increase the mixture to medium high until very smooth.

The Bottom Line

Making homemade green smoothies will help to add vitamins, minerals, a wide range of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and protein.  

Image from: https://oliviabudgen.com/spinach-smoothie-healthy-recipe-for-detox/

Sources

https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cilantro

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-apples#10-benefits

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/lemons

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mango

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-pineapple

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-vegetables-to-juice

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/best-vegetables-to-juice#vegetables-to-juice

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-reasons-to-eat-berries

https://www.healthline.com/health/video/11-reasons-to-eat-berries#1

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-healthy-berries

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/fresh-berries-are-among-the-healthiest-foods-you-can-eat/