Three Refreshing and Nutritious Green Smoothie Recipes

Leafy greens are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals that can reduce your risk of disease and improve your overall health. Eating more leafy greens helps boost your metabolism, improves your iron and magnesium levels, and gives you more energy to make it through the day.

Drinking a green smoothie every morning is a great way to increase your intake of these nutritional powerhouses. Don’t be dissuaded by the green color of these breakfast drinks. Each recipe calls for plenty of fresh fruit, which hides the taste of the greens and creates a refreshing beverage that you’ll soon come to crave.

Tropical Tango

Green Smoothie

If you like fresh island air and relaxing on the beach, then this green smoothie is the perfect start to your day. Like all green smoothies, it contains plenty of iron, magnesium, folate and potassium to protect your heart and boost your metabolism. The recipe also calls for Greek yogurt, which provides extra protein to keep you full until lunch time. To make your Tropical Tango Green Smoothie, place 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach into your blender. Next, add 1 peeled and sliced mango, 1/2 cup of pineapple chunks, 1 banana, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, and 1 & 1/2 cups of coconut water. If you like your smoothies extra chilly, add a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth, and enjoy through a straw.

Very Berry

Green Smoothie

Blueberries and raspberries are high in antioxidants, which give your immune system a boost to prevent illness. This recipe also contains flaxseed, which is great for heart health. It’s a good smoothie for a hot summer day, since it calls for frozen berries. Begin by placing 2 handfuls of baby spinach in your blender. Then, add 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries, 1 banana, 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, 1 cup of soy milk or skim milk, and 1/2 cup of orange juice to the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Be forewarned - this smoothie appears purple because it contains so many blueberries, but it still offers all of the health benefits as a truly green smoothie.

Spring Sunrise

Green Smoothie

Since each leafy green has slightly different nutritional properties, it is a good idea to use different greens in your smoothies from time to time. This light and refreshing green smoothie recipe calls for kale rather than spinach. The tougher texture of kale makes it harder to blend. If your blender struggles to completely blend the kale, just freeze the kale leaves before making your smoothie. This makes them more fragile and easier to break down.

To make your Spring Sunrise Green Smoothie, add 6 kale leaves to your blender. Next, add a 2-inch section of cucumber, 1 cup of peeled and sliced peaches, 1 cup of pineapple chunks, 1 cup of orange juice and 1/2 cup of plain, organic yogurt. Blend until you no longer see chunks of green kale, and pour your smoothie into an attractive glass to serve.

Once you get into the healthy habit of drinking a green smoothie every morning, you’ll come to crave this daily indulgence. Unlike coffee, sweetened fruit juices and other common breakfast beverages, green smoothies boost your overall health and allow you to start each day with several servings of fruits and vegetables.

Start by preparing these recipes, and then move to the next level by incorporating other greens like parsley and Swiss chard into your smoothies. You can even add your own favorite fruits to create personalized drinks that energize your body and excite your taste buds. When it comes to green smoothies, creativity and variety are the keys to success and deliciousness.