The green smoothie is probably one of the greatest food inventions since bread. It’s a wonderful way to incorporate whole plant greens and fruits in one delicious and refreshing drink. Green smoothies can boost your energy levels, keep you satiated for hours, are easy to digest, and contain numerous vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals which are vital for your overall well-being. I can’t say enough good things about these wonderful drinks and how my life changed once I was introduced to them. If you haven’t tried a green smoothie yet, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious they are and how great they can make you feel.
The most compelling reason to drink green smoothies is that it helps increase your intake of fruits and vegetables which we never seem to get enough of. In this day and age with all the soil and mineral depletion we need more than the recommended amounts to keep us in the green zone. Blending produce into smoothies also makes the ingredients more bio-available since they are basically pre-digested.
Before I discovered green smoothies I relied heavily on pressed fresh vegetable juices and salads for my greens which are wonderful of course Gratitude Salad & Glowing Green Salad, But having a salad and pressing fresh juices isn’t always convenient. Green smoothies take minutes to prepare and just minutes to enjoy. The taste, ease of preparation, and nutrient feast in each glass made me a huge fan.
There are a lot of debates and valid arguments on both sides about which is better for you; fresh juices or smoothies. Each serves their own purpose and I embrace each for different reasons. For my daily morning routine it came down to the fiber which smoothies contain and pressed juices do not. Fiber not only helps you feel satiated, it also slows down the absorption of naturally occurring fruit sugars. This helps stabilize your blood sugar level for longer periods of time. I basically do both but green smoothies are my morning bright spot for their ease of preparation, satiation and health perks. I used to believe in the adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Now I believe “a green smoothie a day keeps the doctor away”.
I always make sure to include at least a small amount of fat in my smoothies which not only improves my cognition but adds to the feeling of being satiated. I find that my mind just works better with a little fat in the morning, albeit natural whole plant fats. Adding a little fat also makes a smoothie especially creamy which only adds to the appeal.
For this delicious shake, I used fresh coconut milk made with coconut water and coconut meat, but feel free to use any milk you wish. You can even skip the milk altogether and add a little water, avocado, and extra frozen fruit. There are loads of variations on this recipe so feel free to experiment and customize to your own taste and needs.
Making Green Smoothies
The “secret” to making a delicious green smoothie is in balancing the main ingredients so that your green smoothie will be satisfying and tasty. At first you may opt for sweeter green smoothies with more fruit and less greens until you get used to them. Later you may find yourself adding more greens and even greens you wouldn’t normally use. When mixed with enough fruit and other good tasting ingredients, just about any green vegetable can become palatable in a smoothie. I often add fresh mint leaves or mint essential oil which also helps overcome bitterness and adds great flavor.
For my own personal taste, I use equal amounts of fruits and veggies, and one third coconut milk or nut milk. Sometimes I add one or two tablespoons avocado. Using these amounts makes my smoothie tasty enough for regular. And that’s important. Let’s face it; if a drink doesn’t taste good you won’t drink it very often no matter how healthy it is. If after drinking green smoothies for a while you notice they’re become less tempting, you may need to adjust the amounts of the ingredients or switch them out. The extremely healthy ingredients and convenience of having a fast and easy meal replacement in a glass make green smoothies a very worthwhile pursuit.
For this smoothie I included a hint of matcha which provides a gentle lift and extra antioxidants. Matcha adds beautiful color and great depth to beverages Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte Adding it is purely optional but highly recommended.
This smoothie is super creamy and super nourishing. I hope you take a walk on the green side and give this delicious drink a try. And I hope green smoothies become your new healthy addiction.
This recipe is dairy/nut/gluten-free, and serves 2 – 3 persons.
Matcha Green Smoothie
Good matcha powder should have a vibrant green color which indicates freshness and level of nutrients. It should also have a very fine powdery texture in order to blend properly.
This drink is best consumed immediately after blending.
If using fresh lime peel, cleanse the skin thoroughly before using.
- 1 cup spinach leaves or chopped kale or other dark green leaf of choice
- 1 cup mango or pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen
- small handful of fresh peppermint or spearmint or tarragon or basil
- small handful of fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 3 Tbsp lime juice or a thick slice of fresh lime (with cleaned peel)
- 1 cup fresh coconut milk (1/2 cup coconut meat blended with 1/2 cup coconut water or water) or full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 cup ice cubes or enough for desired consistency
- stevia or other sweetener of choice to taste
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until very smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Lovely. Unfortunately I dont have the coconut meat. I ordered it from the company you recommended and should be here this week. Will make this when I get it. Thanks so much.
I hope you get your coconut meat soon and enjoy the recipe. Have a great day!
So pretty. Green smoothies are a favorite in our home. Will have to try this version. Thanks so much!
Your welcome. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!
You have the coolest site! Such great recipes here and your photos are GORGEOUS! Tried this smoothie last night with coconut milk. Yummy! Thanks so much!
Ah, thanks so much. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
i would use raw coconut meat and coconut water as the canned coconut milk is truly bad. thanks for not making that your first choice. people need to know that canned coconut milk is highly toxic and highly processed and NOT good for you! this recipe looks great. i am trying this with the fresh stuff not the canned stuff. i bet it will taste better too. thanks so much!
Fresh is always better but unfortunately sometimes canned is all some people can get. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Beautiful. Looks amazing.
pure goodness. made this two days in a row and love it. thanks so much!
Your so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoy it! Have a great day!
So pretty the colors. It is very healthy I think. I like it very much. Thank you.
Yes it’s very healthy and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great one!
i luv the idea of matcha and green smoothie! before i became vegan i was hyper sensitive to the caffeine in green tea but now it actually makes me feel better! vegan is the best lifestyle ever. sorry if i sound to happy but your blog is really inspiring! have a good one!
Thanks so much for the nice words. So glad to hear that your body loves matcha now. I had the same problem but as I became cleaner matcha became a source of healthy energy. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Delicious. So simple I used coconut milk but next time may get some coconut meat to try that out. Also the matcha is a bit expensive so I used green tea. What a classy site. Am referring all of my friends here. Thanks so much for all the great vegan recipes.
Your so welcome! I’m so glad you are enjoying the site. Have a great day!
Beautiful and simple. I really enjoyed this. So refreshing. Next tine I’ll have to hack my way through a coconut and use fresh meat. Thanks so much. What a cool site.
Fresh meat is better but the canned works quite well too. I hope you enjoy both of them. Have a great day!
Stunning photos. I want to try all of your recipes. They all look great.
Thanks so much. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site and hope you enjoy the recipes. Have a great day!
amazing drink. thanks so much for posting. i luv your website! so classy! :)
Thanks so much for the kind words and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site. Have a wonderful evening!
what a fantastic site! can I use anything besides coconut in this smoothie? I want to make this but I’m allergic to coconut. Thanks in advance!
Thanks so much for the kind words. You could use cashews or any nut instead of the coconut. You could even use avocado if you want. I hope you enjoy it! Have a great day!
matcha tea is excellent for you. i drink it every day. i will try this. thank you!
Your so welcome. Have a great day!
I think I have to go through all of these pages, everything looks so good. I am in love with your site. So informative and such gorgeous photos.
Thank you so much for the nice words and I’m so glad you love the site. Have a wonderful day!
amazing. looks very refreshing. i’ll be trying this although i’ll have to use canned coconut milk. thanks so much!
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!
Great drink! Made it yesterday. Very refreshing and not too sweet. Have to get some more coconut meat since I want to make the coconut yogurt cake too now. Thanks for posting both!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the drink. I hope you enjoy the cake too. Have a great day!
gorgeous post. i love your website. so unique. i feel like i am basking in special waters here. going to give this a try today. thanks!
Thank you so much for the wonderful compliment, it made my morning. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a great day!
Awesome recipe. Can I use coconut butter instead of the coconut milk? I really want to make this but I don’t have coconut milk. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words Mindy. Coconut butter would be okay although your drink won’t be quite as smooth or as fresh tasting. I would recommend subbing with raw cashews (1/2 cup) if you have them, frozen bananas (if you don’t mind the taste of bananas) or even some avocado (2 – 4 Tbsp). I just changed the recipe with those three options. I hope you enjoy it! Have a great day!
Wow thanks for the fast response. I am making this right now. I have cashews so that will work. Thanks so much!
Such a fine drink. It was so soothing and refreshing. I’m making it again soon. I think I could grow younger by the minute with this drink!
Thank you for the kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the drink and yes, I hope you grow younger with each ship! Have a wonderful day!
Fantastic recipe. It’s not too sweet and tastes so refreshing. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much!
Your very welcome. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great day!
Very refreshing and tasted very nice! I used canned coconut milk and added some lemon too but next time I’ll use just the lime. Than you for your inspiring blog. I love your recipes!
You are so welcome and I appreciate the kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the drink. Have a wonderful day!
I am constantly looking out for green smoothie recipes so thanks for this post… can’t wait to try it!
If you want a good quality matcha green tea powder, you can check Zendori’s Culinary Matcha.
Your welcome. I hope you love it. Have a great day!