Green Smoothie for Beginners
A mild, sweet green smoothie made with baby spinach, frozen banana and pineapple. If you've never made a green smoothie, start here.
- 5 min prep
- 1 smoothie (about 16 oz)
- 5 ingredients
Baby spinach has the mildest taste of all the common smoothie greens, and frozen banana and pineapple are sweet enough to cover it. That is why this recipe works for people who don't like the idea of a green drink.
The trick that makes the biggest difference is the order: blend the spinach with the milk first, then add the frozen fruit. You get a smooth drink with no leafy bits.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 30 g) baby spinach, loosely packed
- 1 medium banana, peeled, sliced and frozen
- ½ cup (about 80 g) frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk, plus a splash more if needed
Method
- Add the almond milk and spinach to the blender. Blend for 20–30 seconds, until no leafy bits are left.
- Add the frozen banana, frozen pineapple and chia seeds. Blend for 30–60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
- Check the texture: add a splash of milk if it's too thick, or a few ice cubes or more frozen fruit if it's too thin. Pour and drink right away.
Tips for the best texture
- Freeze bananas when they get brown spots: peel, slice and freeze them in a bag. Riper bananas make a sweeter smoothie.
- Use frozen fruit instead of ice. It makes the smoothie thick and cold without watering it down.
- Chia seeds keep thickening as they sit. If you don't drink the smoothie within 15 minutes, stir in a little more milk.
- Best fresh. You can keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a day; the color darkens, so shake well before drinking.
Easy swaps
| If you don't have | Use |
|---|---|
| Almond milk | Any milk you like: dairy, oat or soy. Oat milk makes it creamier. |
| A nut-free option | Oat or dairy milk instead of almond milk. |
| Frozen pineapple | Frozen mango, the same amount. |
| Baby spinach | Kale with the stems removed. Start with ½ cup; kale has a stronger taste. |
| Chia seeds | 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or 2 tablespoons rolled oats. |
| A frozen banana | A fresh banana plus 3–4 ice cubes. |
More recipes
Green Protein SmoothieSpinach, banana, vanilla protein powder and almond butter. Greens that taste like banana.Tropical Mango Pineapple SmoothieFrozen mango and pineapple with coconut water and lime. Bright and refreshing.Classic Strawberry Banana SmoothieFrozen strawberries, banana, yogurt and milk. The classic, made thick without ice.