The “Tropical Freeze” smoothie has a delicately tropical flavor, especially if you use coconut water. I let the fruit thaw for about 10 minutes so it wasn’t super cold.

Mangoes are a great source of fiber. This recipe has 34% of your daily recommend value!

Tropical Freeze Smoothie Recipe

• 2 frozen bananas, peeled and thawed slightly
• 1 cup frozen pineapple, cubed and thawed slightly
• 1/2 mango, peeled and pitted
• 8 ounces of filtered water or coconut water

Add all the ingredients to your blender (I use a Blendtec) and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 359
Fat: 1g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 93g
Calcium: 4% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 1.2mg
Vitamin A: 35% RDA
Vitamin C: 142% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B1 – B6, copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Grapefruit Nutrition and Health Benefits

Grapefruits are an excellent source of vitamin C with the average grapefruit providing up to 83% RDA. Pink grapefruits are a good source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) with the average fruit providing 29% RDA. They are not as high in calcium as oranges. Grapefruits are water-rich which helps facilitate cleansing and detox. Diets high in citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, have been shown to lower the risk of esophageal, oral and stomach cancers.

Powerful antioxidants in grapefruits may lower risk for heart disease. A 12-week study at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego lead by Dr. Ken Fujioka showed that eating one half grapefruit before meals helped facilitate weight loss due to a compound in the fruit itself. Findings published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggested that eating one grapefruit per day may significantly lower cholesterol levels for patients who were not responding to cholesterol-lowering medications.

Grapefruit Drug Interactions

Grapefruits contain compounds that interfere with certain medications including statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor. If you are on any medications, please consult with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming grapefruit.

How To Use Grapefruits In A Green Smoothie

As with all citrus fruit, I routinely remove the seeds and peel them. With grapefruit, you can leave as much of the pith on to get extra fiber and nutrients. Always discard the outer peel.

You can also juice grapefruits in a citrus juicer and use the liquid to help blend (and flavor) a smoothie.

Smoothie Recipes

Basic Sweet Grapefruit
1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
1 banana, peeled
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
4 ounces of water

Calories: 195 | Fat: 0.8g (gram) | Protein: 4g | Carbs: 47.2g | Calcium: 8% | Iron: 2.3 mg | Vitamin A: 219% | Vitamin C: 113%

Tropical Grapefruit with Kiwi Smoothie
1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
2 kiwifruit, peeled
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
4 ounces of water or coconut water

Calories: 256 | Fat: 1.3g (grams) | Protein: 5.2g | Carbs: 62.1g | Calcium: 15% | Iron: 2.9 mg | Vitamin A: 223% | Vitamin C: 331%

Orange “Grango” Smoothie
1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
1 orange, peeled and deseeded
1 large mango, peeled and pitted
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
2 celery stalks (optional)
4-6 ounces of coconut water

Calories: 306 | Fat: 1.3g (grams) | Protein: 5.6g | Carbs: 75.3g | Calcium: 19% | Iron: 2.6 mg | Vitamin A: 293% | Vitamin C: 260%

Grapefruit-Carrot-Ginger
1 grapefruit
2 medium carrots
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Splash of water

Calories: 128 | Fat: 0.5g (grams) | Protein: 2.2g | Carbs: 30.1g | Calcium: 6% | Iron: 0.8 mg | Vitamin A: 708% | Vitamin C: 91%

Grapefruit with Apple and Kiwi Smoothie
1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
1 apple, cored
2 kiwifruit, peeled
1 banana, peeled
2 teaspoons of freshly ground chia (or flax seeds)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
4-6 ounces of water or tangerine juice

Calories: 420 | Fat: 4.8g (grams) | Protein: 7.5g | Carbs: 96.7g | Calcium: 20% | Iron: 3 mg | Vitamin A: 226% | Vitamin C: 264%

Epic Detox Bitter Smoothie
1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
1 orange, peeled and deseeded
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
2 cups chopped dandelion greens (or kale)
4-6 ounces of water or grapefruit

Calories: 197 | Fat: 1.2g (grams) | Protein: 5.3g | Carbs: 46.7g | Calcium: 28% | Iron: 4 mg | Vitamin A: 413% | Vitamin C: 223%

Browse even more grapefruit smoothie recipes!

How To Select Grapefruits

Purchase grapefruits that are slightly firm or even a little soft and heavy for their size. Avoid grapefruits that are green or hard. Avoid purchasing fruits that are too soft, have holes or are leaking juice.

As with most fruits, I prefer to buy organic when possible. However, it can be a challenge to find organic grapefruits in some areas. I don’t worry too much about finding organic citrus and routinely buy then non-organic when organic ones are not available.

See Also: tangerine Smoothie, orange Smoothie, Lemon Smoothie, Lime Smoothie.

Also, are bottled, store-bought smoothies still nutritious or is it better to always make fresh green smoothies at home with a blender?

If you have a question to ask that you’d like answered in an upcoming video, please visit our contact page.

Also, is it okay to use packaged coconut water instead of chopping into a fresh young coconut to save time?

If you’ve got a question about green smoothies, health or nutrition, just using the Contact Page.

Is it okay to store leftover smoothie in my blender pitcher?

What are your recommendations for liquids to use in green smoothie recipes? (ie: water, hemp milk, etc…)

Do I still benefit if I only drink half the amount of green smoothie you recommend each day?

If you have a question about green smoothies, health or nutrition, visit our Contact Page and let us know what’s on your mind!

Coconut Nutrition and Health Benefits

Young coconuts will provide you with minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate and vitamin C. Coconut water is full of electrolytes and is considered nature’s sports drink due to it’s hydrating qualities. People in the tropics have relied on coconuts for medicinal uses in treating conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and digestive disorders. Natural health experts say that coconuts help boost energy levels, supports the immune system and helps purify and rejuvenate the body. In fact, coconuts are used as an emergency IV in third-world countries (more).

Coconut Smoothie Recipes

Coconut-Peach
1/2-1 cup coconut water
Meat from one young coconut
1 medium to large peach
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)

Calories: 188 | Fat: 3.5g (grams) | Protein: 4.9g | Carbs: 40.3g | Calcium: 21-26% | Vitamin A: 86% | Vitamin C: 51%

Coconut-Mango-Kiwi
1/2-1 cup coconut water
Meat from one young coconut
1 medium to large mango
1 kiwi
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)

Calories: 331 | Fat: 4g (grams) | Protein: 6g | Carbs: 57.8g | Calcium: 25-30% | Vitamin A: 113% | Vitamin C: 253%

Coconut-Banana
1/2-1 cup coconut water
Meat from one young coconut
1 whole banana
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)

Calories: 345 | Fat: 3.6g (grams) | Protein: 6.3g | Carbs: 81.7g | Calcium: 24-29% | Vitamin A: 84% | Vitamin C: 154%

Browse even more coconut smoothie recipes!

How To Select Young Coconuts

The best places to find young coconuts are at Asian and Latino markets as well as health food stores. They can be hard to find at many mainstream grocery stores unless you live in a tropical area. Select coconuts that are heavy for their size. Watch for blue or purple mold on the outer, white husk. Avoid coconuts that have deep crevices, cracks or dried spots on the husk. Young coconuts should be kept in a cool place, preferably the refrigerator. Discard the coconut if the water is sour or has a bad taste to it. Fresh coconuts will have sterile water that is safe to drink as it is filtered in the coconut palm.

Mature coconuts (the brown, hairy kind) that you find readily available at most grocery stores are not suitable for making smoothies with. The meat is too hard and the coconut juice inside is not plentiful or as flavorful. Young coconuts have a much higher nutrient value than mature coconuts. They generally contain about 16 ounces of slightly sweet, coconut-flavored water that tastes amazing. The meat is usually the consistency of hard boiled egg white and blends up well in a smoothie.

Coconuts can vary in flavor and consistency depending on the region where they are grown, the age of the coconut at harvest as well as the variety of coconut palm it came from. Some coconuts have lots of water and very thin, gel-like meat while others will have slightly less water and more crunchy, coconut meat. Some coconuts will have a sweeter taste than others. While they might all look the same from the outside, it is difficult to predict the quality of the coconut unless you know exactly how old it is and where it came from.

Young coconuts should be eaten right way since the water quickly looses nutritional value and begins to ferment when exposed to air after opening.

How To Open A Young Coconut

The hardest part about making a young coconut smoothie is the opening of the young coconut. Here’s what I do:

Step 1 – Lay the coconut on it’s side and using a hefty kitchen knife, cut the white husk away from the pointed end until you expose the end of the shell.

Step 2 – Leaving the coconut on it’s side, give the exposed shell a good whack with a heavy cleaver or several whacks with a sturdy, heavy-duty chef’s knife until you crack the the shell.

Step 3 – Dig the sharp end of the base of the knife into the crack in the shell and pry the top off carefully.

Now, simply drain the water out into a tall glass, scoop the meat out with a spoon and enjoy!