Best Green Smoothie Recipe

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This green smoothie is a fresh, healthy, and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings. It’s nice and slushy, naturally sweet, and a simple way to enjoy an extra serving of fruits and vegetables! 

Glasses of green smoothie.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

I’ve been making this green smoothie recipe for decades, it’s my go-to! And while you can make variations to it (see my tips below), it really is an everyday green smoothie that you can turn to repeatedly. In fact, it might actually get you excited to get out of bed in the mornings to blend it up! So, what makes this recipe the best? 

  • It’s super simple — just five basic ingredients.
  • It’s well-rounded with nutrients and quite filling.
  • Unlike other recipes, this one actually tastes good. It’s not overly bitter and has a hint of natural sweetness.

The key to a great green smoothie is choosing the right ingredients with the correct quantities. Proportions are everything, for both texture and flavor. Today’s recipe is perfectly balanced and great option for beginner smoothie enthusiasts, but consider it a building block that you can then tweak to your liking. And after you nail this recipe, you can master the perfect green juice

Ingredients for a green smoothie.

Green Smoothie Ingredients

While the ingredient list is extremely flexible, this is my favorite combination of fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. It’s simple yet so delicious.

  • Milk: My favorite options for a creamy smoothie are cashew milk, oat milk, or almond milk. But feel free to use whichever dairy or dairy-free milk you prefer.
  • Vegetables: Spinach is an easy leafy green superfood to add to green smoothies. Plus, those big containers of baby spinach are very budget-friendly. 
  • Fruits: You’ll need an apple, avocado, and a banana — a good balance of fruits and healthy fats. If you want to swap any of these, I’ve got ingredient substitutions listed below.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Green smoothie ingredients in a blender.

How To Make A Healthy Green Smoothie

It couldn’t be any easier! Just add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy. It should only take about 30 seconds! 

Tips & Substitutions

If you haven’t read my post on how to make the healthiest green smoothie, make sure to do that. But here are a few quick tips:

  • Switch up the greens: A few leafy greens that blend well are kale, spinach, or chard. But if you have celery, mustard greens, or romaine on hand, those are great options.
  • Stick with a healthy liquid base: Since you’ll already be adding fruit into your smoothie, it’s best to not add any additional sugars with fruit juice. Instead, opt for water or milk (dairy or dairy-free, your choice).
  • Make it thicker or thinner. If you want your smoothie a bit thicker, add another ¼ slice of avocado. If you want your smoothie a bit thinner, just add more liquid.
  • Mix up your fruits: A 2:1 ratio between fruits and vegetables is a good rule of thumb. Over time, you can increase to a 1:1 ratio for a lower sugar smoothie. Some of my favorite fruits are frozen bananas, strawberries, mangos, and pineapple.
  • Don’t forget about healthy fats: Healthy fats help you absorb all of the nutrients from vegetables and fruits. If you don’t have an avocado, add healthy fats from almond butter, or other nuts and seeds. 
Pouring green smoothie into a cup.

Common Questions

What if you can’t eat bananas or avocados?

Substitute the banana with mango or pear. For the avocado, try a tablespoon or two of almond butter. Alternatively, you can add frozen cauliflower or frozen zucchini to help bulk the smoothie.

Can you add protein? 

Definitely! I do this in my post workout green smoothie. Feel free to add a scoop of your favorite collagen, powder powder, or some Greek yogurt. If adding Greek yogurt, keep in mind that it’ll add a tangy flavor.

Can you meal prep green smoothies?

You can, but just be aware that anything with avocado will brown over time. So it may look a little murky the next day (though it’s still fine to drink!). But because this recipe is so easy, I usually make it fresh on the spot.

Green smoothie in a cup with a straw.

More Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Next time you’re at the market, grab a handful of seasonal ingredients and whip up these other smoothie ideas!

I hope this green smoothie recipe makes it into your weekly rotation! Once you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

A glass of a green smoothie.

Best Green Smoothie Recipe (5 Ingredients)

4.94 from 61 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This green smoothie is a simple, healthy and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 ½ cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 apple
  • ¼ avocado

Instructions 

  • Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until creamy.
    Blending green smoothie.

Lisa’s Tips

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2927IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best green smoothie recipe, Green Smoothie, green smoothie recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted Jan 2020, but updated to include new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




162 Comments

  1. This is actually TWO reviews!
    The 1st for this green smoothie recipe – which is one of the BEST smoothies I think I’ve had!
    Ok- if you’re looking for a super sweet,
    Frou-frou smoothie- then this may not thrill you, but that does NOT mean there’s no natural sweetness. In my opinion it is the perfect amount of sweetness to compliment the spinach (the not-so-sweet part)
    I used my homemade almond milk (I should really do another review on Lisa’s recipe for that…), and I incorporated about 1/4 cup of whey from Greek yogurt I made.
    Only other thing I did was add a couple tablespoons of ground flax.

    This smoothie is luxuriously creamy (thank you avocado!!), and your whole self will be thrilled with the nutritional load!!
    I’ll be making this all the time now!

    Ok- review #2- is for Lisa’s continual recommendation of the vitamix.
    I’ve wanted one for ages.
    I’ve had a *nutri-bullet* and felt like it was fine for smoothies, but Lisa’s recipes and varied uses of the vitamix truly helped nudge me to make the investment. I watched for a sale at Costco and then grabbed it!
    BEST DECISION!
    I love it!!
    I make almond milk >effortlessly< several times a week with it. I have been trying different smoothies and today’s green smoothie whipped into a creamy dream in no time!!
    ZERO creepy little chunks to take you by surprise as you’re sipping along. No stopping to smoosh down ingredients and scrape sides. It just works!! Some of this is also the right proportion of ingredients in this green smoothie recipe.

    I’m super thankful for your site, videos, recipes, and book Lisa!
    Thank you!
    I’m a fan!!
    – Robin5 stars

  2. Hello Lisa!

    I’, LOVING all of your recipes and not only have I been making them but I’ve been sending them to my family along with the groceries to make them. I do have a question – I’m VERY allergic to avocado and need a good substitute as it’s an ingredient in many recipes. Any suggestions?

  3. Love this green smoothie! I’m going to incorporate the Green Juice and Green Smoothie in my weekly routine- Green Juice to take when I play pickleball and Green Smoothie along with my oatmeal for breakfast before exercising. Thank you for the delicious recipes!5 stars

  4. Hi, I am still new-ish to my Vitamix. I need to use it A LOT more this year and get back to lots of veggies! Am I supposed to peel the apple before it goes in or does the vitamix handle the peel too? Chunk/dice it first? thank you for your blog, book, videos, just being you! You help so many people! :)
    Happy New Year!

  5. Thanks, Lisa, for the fantastic green smoothie recipe! Love the simplicity and the healthy ingredients. Excited to try it out!5 stars

  6. I love the pleasant balmy taste of this smoothie! The apple adds the perfect amount of sweetness. I love how I can’t taste the spinach at all. I used peanut butter instead of avocado and it added a delightful layer of flavoring.5 stars

    1. Hi Mariam – I’m happy you loved this green smoothie! And peanut butter is a great swap to help thicken it as well.

  7. Love this smoothie! It is the best green smoothie in my opinion! I’ve made it for my husband and kids numerous times. This morning I added a little bit of creamed local honey, shaved ginger root, and pineapple. Yummy as is or with add ins😊5 stars

  8.  hello lisa, i’m new to life with a blender.  use a blend jet 2. i have several dietary restrictions, but i’m hoping that the bj will solve some of them🤞 my biggest issue at the moment it’s that i cannot do anything with bananas!! they’re not even allowed in my house. i was looking at some of your smoothie recipes. i’d like to try the green smoothie; what might i use as a workaround for banana? 

    do you have any recipes that call for beets or celery? anything that’s sorta like v-8 juice?

    THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH🫶🏼 i’m72, disabled & i have severe dental issues. gi issues, too. i’d be most helpful for any help you might be able to give me🙏

    1. Yes! I have an apple carrot beet smoothie recipe you can try. Just search for smoothie in the search bar and you’ll find it there :)

  9. I tried your green smoothie today. I love it. Mostly I’ve been satisfied with all your recipes. I’ve done the honey chicken thighs and I love the Greek chicken. So my question to you is do you say there’s two servings how do you save the other serving for a next day or so? Because one serving is enough for me. Love what you’re doing thank you. 5 stars

    1. You can enjoy the second serving the following day. Just make sure to give it a good shake or stir.

  10. Lisa, I love your recipes. Many thanks for your work. This is very valuable!
    I have a question: is there a video on how to freeze vegetables and fruits correctly?

    1. Hi Tatiana – I don’t have a specific video for that, but I do have a few posts written about frozen zucchini and cauliflower on my website!

  11. Recipes show there are two servings in it. However the nutritional displayed information… Is it per the two servings?4 stars

  12. Been checking best Tips of veggie smoothie, as am busy with my health and tips of the best foods to eat before workout and gym lifting.
    Now I got help how to be healthy when exercising and weight loss5 stars

  13. I tried making Green Smoothie, and it came out zesty and delicious! Just tweaked the recipe a bit. I was adding some B12 drops in addition to products for fighting my deficit. I use Wellabs B12 drops. I add 2 pipettes to my lunch Green Smoothie glass and drink this fresh beverage. I noticed that my bloat was absent, and my skin improved.5 stars

  14. I just started reading your downshiftology and I
    Am amazed at how much there is to learn to be healthy.!!! You make it look easy so I am going to try everything  !!!   Can you freeze avocados?  Thanks 

    1. I find that the texture isn’t as good after frozen, so it’s best to use fresh avocados!

  15. The Green Smoothie was very good and quick to make. The simple blend is very smooth drinking.        I used Swiss Chard instead of Spinach, because I have plenty in the garden and I added a little cinnamon.5 stars

  16. I’ve been looking for a green smoothie recipe that didn’t taste so loaded with sweetness that it was essentially pointless to drink while also not tasting like I’m drinking blended grass. THIS. IS. IT.5 stars

  17. Excited to try this recipe in the morning! But I’m wondering if using skim milk would make the smoothie too thin? Or should I go with almond milk instead? 

  18. How does this have 164 calories? 105 per banana, 60 for avocado, but 100 plus apple, so that’s over 250… then there’s the milk. Same thing with the sugar. Banana has ~14, an apple ~19. I just want people to know what they’re consuming. 

  19. Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh? Is there a major difference in flavor and/or nutrient content? By the way, thank you for all your healthy tips and recipes! 5 stars

  20. Delicious!! I used 2-3 frozen bananas and a whole avocado, and used frozen pineapple, mango, and coconut instead of apples. Amazing!!5 stars

  21. I recently discovered your YouTube channel and I LOVE it! Tried this smoothie this morning and it was so delicious… followed your recipe to the letter and it came out perfectly. I appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet, and it was very filling. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 💕5 stars

    1. Welcome to the Downshiftology community Nancy! Glad you enjoyed this smoothie recipe and I’m excited to see what you make next :)

  22. This looks delicious, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions for food substitutions. I am allergic to both avocado and banana.

    1. Hi Barb – you can add another fruit of choice for the banana (maybe a pear?) and try a tablespoon or two of almond butter for the avocado. Enjoy!

  23. This smoothie is giving me life right now. I’ve been drinking smoothies for a full week (and counting) post tooth extraction and as someone who eats green salads almost daily I was really missing my veggies. This smoothie is packed with nutrients and actually tastes good. I’ve already made it twice and will be keeping it in my rotation even when I’m back to solid foods.

  24. Love this smoothie,  but would like to sub the avocado with chia seeds.  Avocados are very expensive right now.  How much chia do I add?

    1. You will lose some of the thickness of the smoothie without avocado. But you can sub it with a bit more banana and a tablespoon of chia seeds.

  25. This smoothie is just DELICIOUS. It’s got the perfect thickness and flavour; I think the apple made it really refreshing. Thanks for the great recipe!5 stars

  26. Not a comment, but rather a question. Can you use other greens instead of just spinach, like say a Spring Mix?