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Green Smoothie
A healthy green smoothie made with spinach, cucumber, lemon, apple, kale, and banana. A nutritional powerhouse smoothie to give you energy all day long!
We all want skin that glows and hair that is soft and shiny and here’s your ticket to get it. By drinking this Youthful Glow Green Smoothie daily, you can begin to wipe away all of those holiday eating regrets and put those New Year’s Resolutions to work. It’s the first Monday in January – the time of year when you can’t even find a parking spot at Whole Foods.
Everyone is jumping on the health food bandwagon…and a great way to get started is by drinking this amazing smoothie every day. You are going to feel like a million bucks. I promise!
This is an ultra-refreshing green smoothie recipe. It has a touch of sweetness from apple juice and yet is packed with an abundance of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. The combination of spinach and kale is the best of both worlds, as both are nutritional powerhouses. The spinach flies under the radar while the kale has a more pronounced flavor.
By drinking this every day, you will feel an amazing difference. You will have more energy, more stamina, more mental focus, clearer skin, and a glow that comes from within….and the weight loss doesn’t hurt either!
And as an added bonus, it can many times help with troublesome tummy issues. It makes me feel good to mix up this drink for my kids in the morning and know they are getting a large portion of the vitamins for the day in one single smoothie serving.
What ingredients are in a green smoothie?
A green smoothie is made up of a combination of healthy greens such as spinach and kale. By adding lemon juice, it helps to cut the bitterness of the greens and freshens the green smoothie. Cucumber is a detoxifier and low in calorie. Apple is a natural sweetener and banana makes it smooth.
What are the health benefits of green smoothies?
Kale – Insanely low in calories. Powerful anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Helpful for arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Helps to create that youthful glow.
Spinach – The beauty of spinach lies in how easy it is to disguise the taste. It’s mild tasting yet packed with an abundance of vitamins, has anti-cancerous properties and is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.
Cucumber – Since it’s 95% water, it’s an incredible detoxifier. Helps with liver and kidney function.
Lemon – The “happy fruit” – one of the most important items to stock in your kitchen. It’s a highly effective cleansing agent and cuts through the bitterness of greens.
Banana – An essential in smoothies as it adds creaminess, a touch of sweetness, and helps you feel full longer. Plus, it’s rich in potassium and fiber and gives you natural energy.
Pure Apple Juice – Since it’s packed with Vitamin C, it’s a friend to your immune system. The sweet juice counteracts the bitterness of the greens and leaves a refreshing taste.
If you want to up the ante on the health benefits, swap your apple juice with water and add a whole apple instead. You will be increasing your fiber as whole fruits are always preferable to juice. My kids definitely prefer the apple juice but we do both in our home.
This isn’t your overly sweet smoothie that you will be sipping for hours. It’s best consumed right away and use a straw because you will want to stir around all of the amazing blended whole foods.
I would love for you to tell me how you feel after drinking this for a week. I challenge you to drink this for 7 straight days and let me know the amazing benefits you witness after one short week. Who is up for the challenge?
Happy Blending!
To find MORE SMOOTHIE RECIPES — you can find my 6 SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE RECIPES.
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Youthful Glow Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 Handfuls approximately 2 cups Kale or Power Greens Mix
- 2 Handfuls approximately 2 cups Baby Spinach
- 2 cups Pure Apple Juice
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 1/2 Lemon squeezed (for extra benefits, use the juice from an entire lemon)
- 1 Banana
- Ice
Optional:
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger grated
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Drink right away as the foam will rise to the top which means that you have lots of good fiber to drink.
- *Using a frozen banana will allow you to use less ice.
- *For added nutritional benefits, swap water with apple juice and add one whole apple or swap out 1 cup of apple juice for 1 cup of water and add 1/2 apple.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What can I substitute for the banana? I absolutely can not do a banana.
Found your recipe while looking for good ones to help with my Graves’ Disease. In the last 2 years, it has caused me to go from hyperthyroidism to hypo and all of the side effects that come with the slow down. I took the challenge and have done it for 8 days now and I definitely feel the difference. WAY more energy during the day and I can actually think without feeling “cloudy.”
I added 1/2 c. of frozen avacado today and it transformed this recipe! No more having to constantly stir to keep the good stuff mixed in while I drink. The avacado binds it altogether so nicely and doesn’t alter the flavors at all. Even my husband and teen girls loved it! (They tried a sip last week and all of them turned their noses up.) You should definitely give it a try!
Can I make this the night before and put in the freezer to drink the next morning?
yes you can it works fine
When is the right time to drink this smoothies?
Because I usually have coffee in the morning. Can I have it in the afternoon instead?
Just made this and it is the best smoothie I’ve ever had – I love that it has lots of kale and spinach, of which I added more for extra health benefits. I used water and apple instead of apple juice and the taste is perfect (not too sweet like most smoothies). Will be drinking this everyday of my pregnancy. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
This is amazing! So happy I found your recipe, it’s so refreshing 🙂
Would it be ok to use frozen greens when making this smoothie? I usually buy bags of frozen kale and spinach as I find it more cost efficient and longer lasting. Would there be any need to thaw it first or put it right in the blender frozen.
Hi Rose,
I used frozen spinach as well. I have a Vitamix and I put it straight in and it worked fine. For me it just meant not putting in as much ice.
Brenda 🙂
Just seeing this now but can’t wait to try it! Question for you since you make it in advance – do you make a whole batch in advance and leave it in the fridge? How long does it stay good for (ie. how many servings do you make)?
Thank you!