Eat your greens the easy way–learn how to make the best tasting green smoothie ever!
Green smoothies are a healthy meal replacement for breakfast that the whole family can enjoy. They also make a wonderful mid to late afternoon snack. Use these kid-friendly green smoothie recipe tips and tricks to design a green smoothie recipe so good, even your kids will beg for more!
Learn how to make the best tasting green smoothie ever with our favorite recipe and green smoothie-making tips and tricks! I’ve been making and enjoying green smoothies of all kinds for over 20 years–no kidding! And, in my experience, some are tolerable, others are pretty good, and the rest are downright nasty!
However, over the years, I’ve learned how to make the best tasting green smoothie recipe ever–and now you can, too! Use my family’s favorite green smoothie recipe, and the smoothie-making tips below, to make it easy to design your favorite green smoothie recipe.
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The Best Tasting Green Smoothie Ever!
I’ve converted all of my friends and family to green smoothie drinkers using these green smoothie recipe tips and tricks. I have even convinced my father to fall in love with green smoothies–and he hates fruit.
Or, hated fruit–may he rest in peace. This article was originally published on June 16, 2015–and he passed in early 2020. The year that made green smoothies even more necessary to our health and wellbeing.
Before sharing our favorite green smoothie recipe, I want to share all my secrets to making the best tasting green smoothie ever! And, after reading my family’s smoothie-making tips, I guarantee that you too will know how to make all green smoothies taste great!
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The Secret to a Great tasting Green Smoothie Recipe
After a lot of trial and error, I have discovered that adding acid fruits and healthy fats to your green smoothie is what makes a green smoothie taste fantastic! I know adding fats to foods can be scary for many people, so let’s start with the fruit.
When adding fruit to a green smoothie, it is best to use acid and sub-acid fruits rather than sweet fruits. Yes, you can still make a green smoothie taste good using sweet fruits, and just make sure you add some acid or sub-acid fruit to cut the green taste.
Sweet fruits will make your smoothie sweet, but they will do nothing to counter the green taste. Acid and sub-acid fruits and fats used in the proper combinations will make your smoothie taste so good you will forget that greens are in it!
Acid Fruits for Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie Recipies
- Cranberry
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Kumquat
- Lemon
- Limes
- Oranges
- Pineapple
- Pomegranate
- Strawberry
- Tangerine
- Tomato
Sub-Acid Fruits for Kid-Friendly Green Smoothies
- Apple
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Cherimoya
- Cherry
- Grapes – Seeded varieties
- Loquat
- Lychee
- Mango
- Nectarine
- Peach
- Pear
- Plumb
- Raspberries
Sweet Fruits for Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie Recipies
- Banana
- Date
- Fig
- Grape – Muscat & Thompson
- Jackfruit
- Jujube
- Longan
- Mamey Sapote
- Mangosteen
- Papaya
- Persimmon
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The Trick to Balancing a Green Smoothie Recipe
The problem with green smoothies is that they are often high glycemic foods depending on what you put in them, and that means that they send a lot of sugars into the bloodstream, which is not suitable for the body.
To counter this, make sure you add a high-fat fruit or some healthy fats to your green smoothie recipe to slow down the glycemic index.
High glycemic foods cause weight gain. Adding fat to your green smoothies will slow down the glycemic index and leave you feeling more satisfied after drinking your smoothie.
Don’t worry; adding fats to your green smoothie can help you burn fat. If you do not eat fats–your body will store the sugars you eat as fats instead. Yes, really! So, go ahead, add some healthy fats to your green smoothies, and your diet–to make it easier for your body to burn it and use it as energy.
Below is a list of a few high-fat fruits and healthy fats that are as good for your body as they taste in a green smoothie. Go ahead–give any of them a try–and I promise you will love green smoothies a little bit more.
High-Fat Fruits perfect for a Green Smoothie Recipe
- Avocado
- Durian
- Coconut
More Healthy Fats that help Green Smoothies taste great
- Peanut butter
- Raw almond butter
- Coconut Oil
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Choose the Greens you would like in your Green Smoothie Recipe
You can use whatever green you like in your green smoothies, and we most often use spinach, collard greens, or kale.
We have also used dandelion greens, chard, and beet tops. Spinach and collard greens produce the mildest, most tolerable green smoothies, while kale, especially dandelion greens, can be a bit strong and bitter for some.
Green Smoothie Detox Recipe:
Need a green smoothie that will help you detoxify your body? Use dandelion greens with many acid fruits to cut the strength of the green taste!
Don’t forget to add some of the superfoods listed below to your green smoothie detox recipe for an extra super-powered detox punch.
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Supercharge Your Green Smoothie!
Add a superfood of choice to increase the health benefits of your smoothie. There are many options out there, and the following are the superfoods I most often use to supercharge my green smoothies.
The Best Superfoods for Green Smoothies:
- Spirulina 1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
- Bee pollen 1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
- Royal jelly 1 Tsp
- Chia seeds 1 Tbsp
- Goji berries 1/8 – 1/4 Cup
- Maca powder 1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
- Cacao powder 1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
1 Tsp
1 Tbsp
1/8 – 1/4 Cup
1 Tsp – 1 Tbsp
1 Tsp – 1 TbspThis list of superfoods perfect for green smoothies is not exhaustive – there are many more superfoods out there, but I am only sharing the ones we use most often in our green smoothies–no need to get crazy!
If you like something else, please share it with me, and my readers, in the comments below. I love learning new ways to make green smoothies even better. 🙂
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How to Mix and Blend a Green Smoothie
Green smoothies can be challenging for many blenders, and weaker models just can’t cut through all the greens and frozen fruits.
We recommend using an industrial blender such as a Blendtec or a Vitamix Blender
or at least a heavy-duty blender with an all-metal drive.
We use an Oster with an all-metal drive
that works fine, but many of my friends swear by their Vitamix
or Blendtec.
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The Best Tasting Green Smoothie Recipe Ever!
Are you ready for the best tasting green-smoothie recipe ever?
I have to admit that when I make green smoothies, I don’t measure–I throw everything into them, and they always taste good.
When I made this smoothie, I did my best to pay close attention to how much of each ingredient that I put in it. Use the measurements below as guidelines–and make it your own.
This green smoothie recipe serves 2-3 people:
- 2 – 3 cups of organic spinach
- Approximately 1 – 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup pineapple (fresh or frozen)
- 2 -3 cups of OJ – start with less and add more if it won’t blend
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 banana (optional)
- superfoods (optional – amounts listed above)
Sometimes I will switch it up by throwing some blueberries, strawberries, or mangoes into this smoothie, but the above recipe is my absolute favorite. I often use at least one frozen fruit to make it nice and cool.
A warm green smoothie doesn’t taste very good. If you are using all fresh ingredients, add some ice or place it in the fridge for a few hours to chill.
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How do you Save Green Smoothies and Take Them To-Go?
Green smoothies keep for 24 – 48 hours in the fridge. Place leftover smoothie in a wide mouth canning jar with a lid
and put it in the refrigerator for later. The contents of the green smoothie will separate slightly over time. When ready to drink it, leave the lid on and give it a good shake to mix it up again.
If you take your green smoothie to go or pack it for lunch, use a thermos
or a double-walled stainless steel mug
to keep cold until you are ready to drink it.
Invent YOUR Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe
Now that I’ve taught you everything I know about making green smoothies taste great, I hope you will design YOUR favorite kid-friendly green smoothie precisely the way YOU like it.
Don’t forget to pop over to look at more of our family favorite recipes.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
Now see, I KNEW there had to be a “method” to picking the right foods. Thank you so much for this post! Definitely saving so I can reference it later and LEARN what makes a good smoothie. Truly – I appreciate it!!!
Found you on the IBN promo group today. 🙂 Have a blessed evening!
Thank you for the heartfelt message! I’m so glad I could be of service. Comments like yours make this all worth the while. 🙂
Wow, what a post — that’s a very comprehensive write-up of ‘smoothie crafting’ with tons of information!
Thanks Harriette – glad you liked it!
Made this tonight – yummy! Thanks for the recipe and guidelines for building your own, will definitely make more 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it Rayna! Figured it was better to teach than to just tell 🙂