Kale is a rich source of calcium and contributes more than 300 milligrams (30% RDA) of calcium to this smoothie, which has a whopping 63% RDA. Not bad for a dairy-free, vegan smoothie!

You can make coconut milk by blending the meat and water from a green or young Thai coconut. Commercial coconut milks are available. While not ideal due to additives and pasteurization, they are convenient. If fresh coconut is not available to you, you can make your own using organic, unsweetened shredded coconut.

Coconut Kale Smoothie Recipe

• 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 oranges, peeled and deseeded
• 1 medium banana, peeled
• 3-and-1/2 cup kale, chopped
• 1/2 lime, peeled

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

(NOTE: Nutritional information is going to vary based on the coconut milk you use. The information below is based on 1 cup at 60 calories.)

Calories: 429
Fat: 7g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 90g
Fiber: 14.9g
Calcium: 63% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 4.9mg
Vitamin A: 1245% RDA
Vitamin C: 519% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

If you are trying to lose weight and you’re looking for a healthy dessert option, then raw vegan (banana-based) ice cream is a diet savior!

I like to top this particular recipe off with a couple of pieces of chopped young coconut, a tablespoon of shredded coconut or even cacao nibs to give it a “chocolate-covered cherry” flavor.

I’ve made cherry ice cream before, but I had some coconut milk this time so I thought I’d give this recipe a try. I didn’t add dates to sweeten it, but if you feel you want to sweeten it further, go ahead and add a date when you add the cherries. Soak the date for about 20 minutes before blending and don’t forget to remove the pit first.

Ingredients:

• 2 small frozen bananas, peeled
• 1 cup pitted frozen cherries
• 1/2 cup frozen coconut milk (pour coconut milk into a large, flat dish so it will freeze in a thin layer)

Directions:

Let everything thaw slightly (until you can easily slice the banana with a knife). Slice the banana into thin slices and break the frozen coconut milk into small pieces. In your blender or food processor, blend the banana and coconut milk until slightly creamy. Lastly, add the cherries. Mix and blend until creamy.

I recommend using a high-speed blender like the Blendtec Total Blender or a Vitamix. Other blenders may yield varying results and they might not have the same creamy, smooth consistency that you’d get with a high end machine. A masticating juicer like the Champion or Green Star are good options for making creamy ice cream. You can also try it in your food processor.

If you are a Blendtec owner, I recommend using their new Twister Jar. The Twister Jar is the perfect accessory for making creamy, raw vegan ice cream, not to mention nut butters in under a minute. Check out my video demonstrating both raw vegan ice cream and 60-second raw almond butter.

For more ice cream ideas, check out our main raw vegan ice cream page. Also try our mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe.

Try it with grapefruit or orange smoothies and juices to help sweeten them.

You don’t need a nut milk bag to make this recipe. I use a fine sieve and it works great. It’s easier to clean too.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic shredded unsweetened coconut, soaked for 2 hours, OR 1 cup fresh coconut meat
• 4 cups filtered water
• 2 medjool dates, optional to sweeten

Directions:

Step 1: Soak 2 cups of shredded, unsweetened coconut in water for two hours. Push the coconut shreds into the water to prevent it from floating on top.

Step 2: Place the soaked coconut shreds in your blender with about 4 cups of water. Add the dates.

Step 3: Blend on high for about 50 seconds or until you don’t have any more date pieces. After you are done blending, you’ll have a thick white liquid with lot of froth on top. I recommend using a high-speed blender like the Blendtec Total Blender for making this coconut milk recipe.

Step 4: Strain the coconut milk through a nut milk bag or use a fine sieve. Collect the white liquid in a clean container. Using a nut milk bag will allow you to get more of the milk, but it may be slightly messier.

If you are going to use a sieve, use a spoon to scrape the bottom of the sieve to remove built-up coconut pulp. Once all of the coconut milk has been drained, remove the pulp before adding more milk to be strained. You can use a large spoon to press the coconut pulp into the sieve and get more of the milk.

The finished product will yield about 4 cups of fresh coconut milk. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed glass container (mason jars are perfect for this) and try to use within a week. Give it a good shake if separation occurs.

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This smoothie is an especially good source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene). I blend my carrots rather than juice them because I want the healthy fiber. The fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar to help maintain even blood sugar during digestion. Dietary fiber also promotes colon health and may help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Because of the fiber in the apples and carrots this smoothie has a slight apple sauce texture. If you juice your carrots, the consistency will be thinner, but also sweeter, and much lower in fiber.

Coconut-Apple-Ginger Smoothie Recipe

• 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk *
• 1 large red delicious apple, cored
• 2 medium carrots
• 1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds, soaked for 15 minutes

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

* If you prefer, you can use a green or young Thai coconut instead of coconut milk. Simply add the meat and 8 ounces of coconut water along with the other ingredients.

Nutrition Information

(NOTE: Nutritional information is going to vary based on the type of coconut milk you use. The nutritional value is based on 1 cup of unsweetened, commercial coconut milk – not canned – at 60 calories.)

Calories: 274
Fat: 8g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 12.4g (50% RDA)
Calcium: 41% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 0.6mg
Vitamin A: 900% RDA
Vitamin C: 23% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of vitamin K, copper, manganese, phosphorus and potassium.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

I used champagne mangoes which are smaller and have a yellow skin. You can use any variety of mango you’d like, just make sure it’s large one.

A great addition to this recipe would be to use fresh coconut water and the meat of a young, green coconut.

Mango-Peach Smoothie Recipe

• 2 small champagne mangoes or one large regular mango
• 1 large peach, pitted
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 235
Fat: 1g
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrates: 57g
Fiber: 9.5g (32% RDA)
Calcium: 14% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 4.6mg
Vitamin A: 516% RDA
Vitamin C: 121% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

The great thing about figs is that they are a good source of calcium. Five medium-sized figs provide almost 90mg of calcium (about 9% Recommended Daily Allowance – RDA). We either munch on them as-is or (most often) toss them into smoothies (they are really good blended with bananas, red grapes or peaches). Figs are just one of several calcium-rich foods that you can eat for strong bones and teeth.

I’ve had no dairy at all in almost two years since going vegan. Yet I don’t give calcium much thought at all. Both davy and I periodically track our daily food intake using Cron-o-Meter and we consistently get 100% or more of our calcium needs from fruit and leafy greens!

Our biggest source of calcium is from the green smoothies we make. My favorite fig-season smoothie includes 5 figs, 1 peach, 2 bananas, 1 tablespoon of flax and an entire head of romaine lettuce. It provides about 343 milligrams of calcium or 34% RDA.

Now that’s a big smoothie, but you can easily blend up 2 cups of chopped kale and 2 oranges and get 300mg (30% RDA) of calcium in a much smaller package.

The key to getting enough calcium from non-dairy sources without supplementing is to ensure you eat enough calcium-rich foods.

Here are some that we emphasize:

• Dandelion Greens – 100mg (10% RDA) per cup, chopped
• Kale – 90mg (9% RDA) per cup, chopped
• Romaine lettuce – 207mg (21% RDA) per head
• Green leaf lettuce – 130mg (13% RDA) per head
• Italian parsley – 83mg (8% RDA) per cup
• Young coconut – up to 170mg (17% RDA) per coconut
• Fresh figs – 88mg (9% RDA) in 5, medium-sized figs
• Orange – 60mg (6% RDA) per medium-sized fruit
• One cup of papaya or 1 kiwi fruit each provide 3% RDA of calcium.

It’s pretty easy to see how we can get 100% or more of our recommended daily allowance of calcium from fruit and greens alone, not to mention high-calcium nuts and seeds like almonds, chia and sesame seeds. As long as we meet our calorie needs, we easily reach our calcium targets.

Another thing to keep in mind with calcium and bone health is that you can eat all the dietary calcium you want, or take lots of supplements, but that won’t necessarily build strong bones. Exercise and adequate vitamin D is essential for proper utilization of calcium. It is also important to not eat excessive amounts of protein (which many people do) or take supplements that interfere with calcium absorption (ie: high doses of magnesium).

Getting enough calcium is just one tiny aspect of overall health. Ensuring that you get the right amounts of all essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can be a bit daunting at times. Add to that your ultimate quest of trying to find the “right diet” for YOU and never mind all of the conflicting, confusing health information out there on the web! Ugh! It makes ME want to scream sometimes!

So what do you do? Who do you believe? After all, your health is at stake!

Davy and I have created two health programs that help you take charge of your health in a balanced, informed way. Our Green Smoothie Program shares absolutely everything we know about green smoothies and health. There are lots of recipes that are specifically targeted to certain health goals such as energy, immune boost, detox, weight loss, libido, etc.

Our other program, Thriving On Raw Foods, is a 21-day transition plan that shows you how to get all of your essential nutrients (including calcium) on a 100% or mostly raw food diet. You’ll get tons of recipes, daily meal plans and expert tips and advice.

Find incredible health with incredible smoothies and learn how you can thrive on raw foods!

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.