What if you could drink a magick potion that would revitalize you, clear your system of unwanted toxins, and take less than 13 minutes to make? Green Smoothies can do just that, and much more.
1. All you need is a blender and an open mind.
The great thing about green smoothies is that it doesn’t require much to get started. (You could invest in a Vitamix for silky-smooth shakes, but that’s totally optional.) My biggest suggestion is to give green smoothies a try before you get a better blender. That way you’ll be convinced of their effectiveness.
2. Green Smoothies are quick to make.
If you’re in a rush you can get a green smoothie ready and blended in less than 13 minutes. You can just blend and go while you drink the green smoothie on the run. You could even make a green smoothie ahead of time. Then store half of it in the refrigerator using a glass mason jar and it will still taste great one day later.
3. You get a steady stream of energy. (No crashing!)
You won’t experience the up-and-down spikes that you might from an all fruit smoothie when you make it a green one. That’s because the fiber rich greens slow down the absorption of fruit sugars, providing you with just the right amount of energy and nutrition at a pace that your body really loves.
4. Green smoothies can be enjoyed year round.
When your garden is overflowing with greens, just whip up a couple of batches of green smoothies and enjoy these inexpensive nutritional drinks. You can also benefit from green smoothies in the winter, by using frozen fruits and greens that you might have preserved from the summer. Green smoothies provide you with a lot of options all year round.
5. Green smoothies are ideal for weight loss.
Whenever you feel a craving coming on, make yourself a green smoothie instead of indulging your craving. (If you’re having a lot of trouble with cravings, consider hiring me to do a Magick Power Session and we’ll eliminate them together.) Green smoothies help cut cravings because they are satisfying and provide your body with tons of nutrition.
6. Greens are the most Under-appreciated Superfoods.
We all know green tea is great as an antioxidant. What is green tea made of, if it’s not greens? Skip the middleman and just increase your intake of greens. Green leafy veggies are great because they have tons of cancer fighting properties, immune system boosting vitamins and minerals. Upping green leaf intake has been shown to reduce heart disease and prevent other degenerative diseases. That’s what I call super. To find out more about greens, get my free special report.
7. Satisfy every taste bud.
If you have a sweet tooth you’ll enjoy making green smoothies with lots of fruit. If you want something a little edgier, you can add some Raw Chocolate powder and make it a nutritiously devious dessert. If you want to replace a meal, you can make savory green smoothies using ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and even spices to make it a satisfying hearty meal.
Fancy a bowl of a witch’s green magick goop?
8. You Get to be a Modern Witch
Modern witches use blenders to make their magick potions, because cauldrons are so 13th century. Making green smoothies is a lot like casting a spell or making a magick potion. It brings out the childlike qualities in all of us, and it even sets the magick of healing in motion. I like to eat my green smoothies in a bowl with a spoon, because it’s even more like a witch’s mysterious bubbly concoction.
9. Get your daily portion of fruit and vegetables.
One green smoothie probably contains more fruits and vegetables than most average Americans eat in a day. It’s one of the easiest ways of increasing your fruit and veggie intake. Plus you don’t need to carry an easily bruised banana around.
10. Chock full of amino acids.
If you’re worried that you’re not getting enough protein, increase your green smoothie intake. The more greens you eat, the more amino acids that you provide your body with. Your body uses these amino acids to produce protein.
11. Indulge your creativity and experiment.
You can throw almost any fruits or veggies into your blender and it will turn out tasting pretty good. (It helps if you follow some basic guidelines, of course.) Green smoothies give you the flexibility to create your own recipes, but they’re also a great way to use up leftovers.
12. Green smoothies are chimney sweepers for your body.
Over time, food that doesn’t get digested properly can get stuck in your system and become a burden on your elimination organs. Green smoothies act as a chimney sweeping brush to flush out all that toxic waste. The more green smoothies you drink, the cleaner your bowels will become, and the better your elimination. If you want to feel great, make it easy for your body to take the trash out. Oh, and that helps with releasing weight too!
13. Green smoothies are a great addition to any eating plan.
What I like about green smoothies is that they can act as a “gateway drug” to raw foods. It’s so easy to just add a green smoothie to your current diet. There’s no reason not to give it a try. If after a couple of months you’re feeling great, you might choose to increase your raw food intake a little. That, my friend, is the power of green smoothies.
The Basic Green Smoothie Recipe
Feel free to use this basic green smoothie base and experiment. (Remember #11!)
- 2 Bananas
- 1 Peach
- 5 Strawberries
- Handful Spinach (increase greens gradually over time, and you’ll find you crave more of them!)
- 1 cup water
After you make your first green smoothie, you’ll want to learn about trying new recipes and rotating your greens here.
What Are YOUR Favorite Green Smoothie Recipes?
I’d love to hear what your favorite green smoothie recipes are! I know there are tons of variations out there, but which one is YOUR favorite?
July 14th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hi Nathalie,
It's been a while – but I have made in the past – frozen strawberries, milk, vanilla yogurt, vanilla protein powder, maybe some other frozen berries, and then some broccoli. Didn't even taste the broccoli! And this was usually just a mix of what felt right…(so it was probably never the same twice…). Reminds me I should try it again, and spinach – something I hadn't thought of trying…hmmm….
July 15th, 2009 at 2:12 am
I've just made my first ever green smoothie using your basic recipe and it was delicious. Thank you. My son can eat the croissants today.
July 15th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Hi Nathalie,
It's been a while – but I have made in the past – frozen strawberries, milk, vanilla yogurt, vanilla protein powder, maybe some other frozen berries, and then some broccoli. Didn't even taste the broccoli! And this was usually just a mix of what felt right…(so it was probably never the same twice…). Reminds me I should try it again, and spinach – something I hadn't thought of trying…hmmm….
July 15th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Hi Lance!
Ooh way to go with the broccoli! I love how green smoothies let us eat more green veggies without actually tasting them. ;)
I hope you enjoy the spinach version. :)
July 15th, 2009 at 5:51 am
Hi Pauline!
Aww it's so exciting to see that you enjoyed your first green smoothie! I'm doing some cartwheels in midair (on my flying carrot stick, naturally.) and loving that you picked a green smoothie over croissants. :)
Have an awesome day!
Nathalie
July 15th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I've just made my first ever green smoothie using your basic recipe and it was delicious. Thank you. My son can eat the croissants today.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Hi Lance!
Ooh way to go with the broccoli! I love how green smoothies let us eat more green veggies without actually tasting them. ;)
I hope you enjoy the spinach version. :)
July 15th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Hi Pauline!
Aww it's so exciting to see that you enjoyed your first green smoothie! I'm doing some cartwheels in midair (on my flying carrot stick, naturally.) and loving that you picked a green smoothie over croissants. :)
Have an awesome day!
Nathalie
July 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
My green smoothie is 1 banana, 1 stalk celery, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 5 frozen strawberries, an apple, and a dose of protein powder with some water. I love the way the spinach and strawberries taste together, and I like getting all those fruits and veggies in before the day even starts!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Goodness! What a FUN post!
Have an awesome day,
Kristen
July 16th, 2009 at 1:31 am
My green smoothie is 1 banana, 1 stalk celery, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 5 frozen strawberries, an apple, and a dose of protein powder with some water. I love the way the spinach and strawberries taste together, and I like getting all those fruits and veggies in before the day even starts!
July 16th, 2009 at 7:19 am
I SO want to like green smoothies, but it's been a uphill battle. I will try your recipe with the peach. Never did that before.
July 16th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Goodness! What a FUN post!
Have an awesome day,
Kristen
July 16th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Oh yeah! The idea of getting all the fruits and veggies in before the day even starts is sooo powerful! It also sets us up for a really good day too. :)
Your smoothie sounds yum, thanks for sharing!
July 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Thanks Kirsten. :) Have an awesome day too! :D
July 16th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Try putting a little less spinach at first. Then increase it over time. You might wonder if it's possible to look forward to eating more green leafies. Hey, anything is possible. ;)
July 16th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I SO want to like green smoothies, but it's been a uphill battle. I will try your recipe with the peach. Never did that before.
July 16th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Oh yeah! The idea of getting all the fruits and veggies in before the day even starts is sooo powerful! It also sets us up for a really good day too. :)
Your smoothie sounds yum, thanks for sharing!
July 16th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thanks Kirsten. :) Have an awesome day too! :D
July 16th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Try putting a little less spinach at first. Then increase it over time. You might wonder if it's possible to look forward to eating more green leafies. Hey, anything is possible. ;)
July 17th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Looks yummy! I'll give this one a go!
July 18th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Looks yummy! I'll give this one a go!
July 18th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Awesome Liz, let us know how it turns out. ;)
July 18th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Awesome Liz, let us know how it turns out. ;)
July 19th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Thanks for the great post!
My favorite right now is: spinach, frozen blueberries or strawberries (or both), fresh ground peanut butter (just a smidge), hemp seeds, flax seeds, organic soy milk and Dagoba spicy chocolate powder. I know it's not all raw, but is really, really good, and a step in the right direction!
~nyx
July 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thanks for the great post!
My favorite right now is: spinach, frozen blueberries or strawberries (or both), fresh ground peanut butter (just a smidge), hemp seeds, flax seeds, organic soy milk and Dagoba spicy chocolate powder. I know it's not all raw, but is really, really good, and a step in the right direction!
~nyx
July 19th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Hi Nyx!
Thanks for sharing your favorite green smoothie recipe! It sounds quite delicious! Even though it's not 100% raw, you're still getting in your leafy greens (go spinach popeye power!), plus antioxidants from the berries, with lots of goodies from the seeds. Hmm now I'm quite tempted to make a raw chocolatey green smoothie!
Enjoy! :D
July 19th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I love green smoothes. The difference for me is, I have to make them without fruit, but I have gotten used to the bitter greens. :) Thank you for that reminder!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Hi Nyx!
Thanks for sharing your favorite green smoothie recipe! It sounds quite delicious! Even though it's not 100% raw, you're still getting in your leafy greens (go spinach popeye power!), plus antioxidants from the berries, with lots of goodies from the seeds. Hmm now I'm quite tempted to make a raw chocolatey green smoothie!
Enjoy! :D
July 19th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I love green smoothes. The difference for me is, I have to make them without fruit, but I have gotten used to the bitter greens. :) Thank you for that reminder!
July 20th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Ah yes, quite a few people make them without sweet fruits, I should have mentioned that! I think using cucumbers or tomatoes can sometimes help as well.
Glad you are getting used to the bitter green taste though. ;)
July 20th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
My fav consists of:
-cucumber
-lemon
-a bit of ginger
-an apple
-chia seeds
-spinach or lettuce
I'm sensitive to bananas and strawberries=(. But I sometimes make one with frozen blue berries though!
July 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Ah yes, quite a few people make them without sweet fruits, I should have mentioned that! I think using cucumbers or tomatoes can sometimes help as well.
Glad you are getting used to the bitter green taste though. ;)
July 20th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Ooh that sounds absolutely delicious Sharon. And quite different from my usual mix, so thank you for sharing – I'm going to give it a try. :)
Sorry to hear of your sensitivity to bananas and strawberries, that must be tough. :( Blueberries rock though!
July 20th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
My fav consists of:
-cucumber
-lemon
-a bit of ginger
-an apple
-chia seeds
-spinach or lettuce
I'm sensitive to bananas and strawberries=(. But I sometimes make one with frozen blue berries though!
July 21st, 2009 at 1:14 am
Ooh that sounds absolutely delicious Sharon. And quite different from my usual mix, so thank you for sharing – I'm going to give it a try. :)
Sorry to hear of your sensitivity to bananas and strawberries, that must be tough. :( Blueberries rock though!
December 25th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Hey.. great post. A family favorite (we have it almost daily, even my 2 year old!) is, well, we don't have a name,,, but here are the ingredients…
1 cup greens (spinach or parsley or cilantro, or dandelion greens, etc.. we always change it up)… 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries…
When made with parsley and fresh organic orange juice (instead of from the carton) and dbl the blueberries it almost has a taste of bubblegum. But all combos taste very good.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Hey.. great post. A family favorite (we have it almost daily, even my 2 year old!) is, well, we don't have a name,,, but here are the ingredients…
1 cup greens (spinach or parsley or cilantro, or dandelion greens, etc.. we always change it up)… 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries…
When made with parsley and fresh organic orange juice (instead of from the carton) and dbl the blueberries it almost has a taste of bubblegum. But all combos taste very good.
December 26th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Wow thanks for sharing Keith! Your recipe sounds fantastic, and I can just imagine the taste of bubblegum now. ;) Yum!
December 26th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Wow thanks for sharing Keith! Your recipe sounds fantastic, and I can just imagine the taste of bubblegum now. ;) Yum!
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
I've been making these for a few days and they are fantastic!
For mine I use:
1 banana
handful of goji berries
cinnamon
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1/4-1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
1/2 avocado
handful of spinach
4 ice cubes
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seeds
January 23rd, 2010 at 11:34 pm
I've been making these for a few days and they are fantastic!
For mine I use:
1 banana
handful of goji berries
cinnamon
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1/4-1/2 freshly squeezed lemon
1/2 avocado
handful of spinach
4 ice cubes
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seeds
January 25th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Thanks for sharing your recipe Michelle, it sounds great! :)
January 25th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for sharing your recipe Michelle, it sounds great! :)
February 12th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Whao this is a great article! Can you convince my friends too? Also it would be nice to see an article on which blender to use if Vitamix/Blendtech is not an option.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Glad to hear it Jose! :) Well send your friends over and I'll see what I can do… ;)
As for a good blender other than Vitamix/Blendtec I think as long as it's got a good motor and costs more than about $50 you're going to be doing alright. Then save up for one of the other blenders! ;)
February 12th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Whao this is a great article! Can you convince my friends too? Also it would be nice to see an article on which blender to use if Vitamix/Blendtech is not an option.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
My favorite green smoothie is mango, peach and parsley. I love the fresh taste the parsley gives it.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Glad to hear it Jose! :) Well send your friends over and I'll see what I can do… ;)
As for a good blender other than Vitamix/Blendtec I think as long as it's got a good motor and costs more than about $50 you're going to be doing alright. Then save up for one of the other blenders! ;)
February 12th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Glad to hear it Jose! :) Well send your friends over and I'll see what I can do… ;)
As for a good blender other than Vitamix/Blendtec I think as long as it's got a good motor and costs more than about $50 you're going to be doing alright. Then save up for one of the other blenders! ;)
February 13th, 2010 at 7:19 am
My favorite green smoothie is mango, peach and parsley. I love the fresh taste the parsley gives it.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:19 am
My favorite green smoothie is mango, peach and parsley. I love the fresh taste the parsley gives it.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
I have been drinking for a couple years now- frozen blueberries, frozen banana, milk, yogurt, spinach and ground flax seed. I know I should have variety but I love it so!
February 24th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
I have been drinking for a couple years now- frozen blueberries, frozen banana, milk, yogurt, spinach and ground flax seed. I know I should have variety but I love it so!
February 25th, 2010 at 1:23 am
Sounds like a nice mix. Definitely try switching at least the greens every few days… you don't want to become allergic to spinach. ;)
February 25th, 2010 at 1:23 am
Sounds like a nice mix. Definitely try switching at least the greens every few days… you don't want to become allergic to spinach. ;)
April 8th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
I have had one green smoothie so far…spinch, banana and soy milk. Shared it with my adult daughter -WOW it was awesome! How long will a green smoothie last? Will it hold its thickness if I take it to work for lunch? (Noticed the spinach taste got stronger over night)
April 8th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
I have had one green smoothie so far…spinch, banana and soy milk. Shared it with my adult daughter -WOW it was awesome! How long will a green smoothie last? Will it hold its thickness if I take it to work for lunch? (Noticed the spinach taste got stronger over night)
April 8th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Hi Amanda! Glad you liked your first green smoothie. :) I think a green smoothie is best within the first 24 hours, stored in a sealed tight container in the refrigerator. One trick I like to use is to put all the ingredients for a smoothie in my blender, then put the blender container in my fridge and just take it out and blend in the morning. :)
April 8th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Hi Amanda! Glad you liked your first green smoothie. :) I think a green smoothie is best within the first 24 hours, stored in a sealed tight container in the refrigerator. One trick I like to use is to put all the ingredients for a smoothie in my blender, then put the blender container in my fridge and just take it out and blend in the morning. :)
April 13th, 2010 at 1:50 am
I am new to green smoothies, raw food, and this website: all of which I am very excited about!
My question is : can you recommend some combinations for the following fruits/veggies :
mango, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, arugula, parsley, cilantro, romaine, oranges, apples, bananas.
These are the smoothie friendly (I hope) items I have in my fridge. Also, I want my 3.5 and 1.5 year old children to enjoy them too!
April 13th, 2010 at 1:50 am
I am new to green smoothies, raw food, and this website: all of which I am very excited about!
My question is : can you recommend some combinations for the following fruits/veggies :
mango, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, arugula, parsley, cilantro, romaine, oranges, apples, bananas.
These are the smoothie friendly (I hope) items I have in my fridge. Also, I want my 3.5 and 1.5 year old children to enjoy them too!
April 13th, 2010 at 1:51 am
I am new to green smoothies, raw food, and this website: all of which I am very excited about!
My question is : can you recommend some combinations for the following fruits/veggies :
mango, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, arugula, parsley, cilantro, romaine, oranges, apples, bananas.
These are the smoothie friendly (I hope) items I have in my fridge. Also, I want my 3.5 and 1.5 year old children to enjoy them too
April 13th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Hi Tammy! The beauty of raw food is that you can just throw stuff in the blender and adjust course if it doesn't taste like you want it to. I suggest start with 1 or 2 fruits and some greens then go from there. Mango, and strawberry is a great combo, so is banana papaya.
Have fun experimenting!
April 13th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Hi Tammy! The beauty of raw food is that you can just throw stuff in the blender and adjust course if it doesn't taste like you want it to. I suggest start with 1 or 2 fruits and some greens then go from there. Mango, and strawberry is a great combo, so is banana papaya.
Have fun experimenting!
May 18th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I have been drinking green smoothies for almost 3 years now and love my blendtec. I use red grapes or pineapple/mango to sweeten my green smoothies. I put the following organic veggies in all my green smoothies: carrots, parsley, celery, beet, cucumber and switch between spinach and kale and add 1 tablespoon of flaxoil. Tastes really great!
My one and only fruit smoothie we have sometimes for breakfast goes like this: 2 cups frozen strawberries, 2 cups blueberries, hand full of walnuts or 3 tablespoons of flax seeds, 1/2 cup yogurt and some non flavored protein powder. Enjoy.
May 18th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I have been drinking green smoothies for almost 3 years now and love my blendtec. I use red grapes or pineapple/mango to sweeten my green smoothies. I put the following organic veggies in all my green smoothies: carrots, parsley, celery, beet, cucumber and switch between spinach and kale and add 1 tablespoon of flaxoil. Tastes really great!
My one and only fruit smoothie we have sometimes for breakfast goes like this: 2 cups frozen strawberries, 2 cups blueberries, hand full of walnuts or 3 tablespoons of flax seeds, 1/2 cup yogurt and some non flavored protein powder. Enjoy.
May 19th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Thanks so much for sharing what your daily smoothies look like! :)
May 19th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Thanks so much for sharing what your daily smoothies look like! :)
June 6th, 2010 at 3:57 am
My blender shattered the first time I tried a green smoothie. :( Now I'm scared to try again.
June 6th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
What type of blender do you have? The other trick here is to keep in mind that you need to add in enough water to get it to blend… also if you're using frozen fruit your blender better be able to handle it. ;) That's why the vitamix gets such a good rap. ;)
June 27th, 2010 at 3:40 am
I tried my first green smoothie last week (I'm just starting out on raw foods) and it was so good! I love spinach, anyway, and this is a great way to get more of it in my diet…especially for breakfast! I've started out with two bananas, spinach, a handful of blueberries and some ground flax and chia seeds with some wheat germ thrown in…very filling!
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I am new to green smoothies, but I am now obsessed with them! The only greens I have tried in my smoothies are spinach and brocolli. Can anyone give me other ideas for greens to throw in there, and also, why is it so important to mix up the greens that you use? If I could I would use spinach every day! Thanks.
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Hi! I started replying to your comment and realized I had too much to fit in one little comment. So I wrote a blog post answering your questions here: http://rawfoodswitch.com/fruits-vegetables-nuts...
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
I'm late to this party, but just started green smoothies a week ago. I am feeling great, for the most part. I use a “Magic Bullet,” which works very well with the smoothies. I chop up my grains first with a knife and put the ingredients in that way. It takes a little longer than one of the big blenders, but since I can't afford one, this works great! (I'm not sure when we bought this contraption…we've had it for some time.)
The only downfall to this method (besides the chopping) is that I can only make one serving at a time. That gives me a lot of leeway to experiment with different recipes. (I'm a silver-lining girl.)
Thanks for your site, Natalie.
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I think a magic bullet is great – though go easy on it, since I've burned out more than one magic bullet in my time. ;) I'm so glad you're experimenting with these – and don't worry, you're never too late to give green smoothies a twirl!
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:27 am
I've been juicing for a while today, and love the green ones. But haven't tried a green smoothie before… I think that's next on the list :) Loved the point about green smoothies being “chimney sweepers for your body.”
August 3rd, 2010 at 11:46 am
Thanks John, and woohoo for our mutual love of greens. ;)