This smoothie if very sweet and so it is perfect for blending with celery and parsley. Feel free to toss in some bitter greens like kale and dandelion as well.

Parsley is the richest source of iron from any leafy green that you’d get from the supermarket. One cup contains 3.7 milligrams of iron, as well as 10% RDA (recommended daily allowance) of copper, 7% RDA of magnesium, 7% RDA of potassium, 6% RDA of zinc and 5% RDA of phosphorus.

This smoothie is low in calories, but it has 11.2 grams of healthy fiber. It’s definitely a good weight loss smoothie. The fiber will help fill you and keep you from getting hungry in between meals.

Pineapple-Papaya Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup papaya, cubed
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 1 medium banana, peeled
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 cup of fresh Italian parsley
• 4 ounces of homemade almond milk

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

(NOTE: Nutritional information is going to vary based on the almond milk you use and is not included in the information below.)

Calories: 276
Fat: 2g
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrates: 68g
Fiber: 11.2g
Calcium: 18% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 4.8mg
Vitamin A: 305% RDA
Vitamin C: 344% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

What’s so special about parsley? For starters, one cup of fresh Italian parsley only contains about 22 calories. It has 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Like most fruits and vegetables, parsley is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all essential amino acids.

Fresh Parsley Is Rich in Minerals

It’s rich in calcium. One cup of fresh parsley in a smoothie gives you 83 milligrams (8% RDA) of calcium. Blend them with oranges, kiwifruit and/or figs and you’ll be on your way to exceeding the amount of calcium provided in a glass of cow’s milk.

They are rich in iron. One cup contains 3.7 milligrams of iron, adding a significant source of this important mineral to my vegan diet. Parsley is the richest source of iron from any leafy green that you’d get from the supermarket.

One cup of parsley will also provide up to 10% RDA of copper, 7% RDA of magnesium, 7% RDA of potassium, 6% RDA of zinc and 5% RDA of phosphorus.

Lots Of Vitamins In Fresh Parsley

Parsley is rich in vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and provides up to 168% RDA in just one cup. Like most leafy greens, they are an especially rich source of vitamin K providing up to 820% RDA. They provide an excellent source of folate (23% RDA) and vitamin C (89% RDA).

Health Benefits Of Parsley

Parsley is a rich source of dietary carotenoids which provide a variety of health supporting benefits against a variety of diseases. Beta-carotene, which is converted to retinal (vitamin A) in the body is known to support eye health. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant vitamin that has been shown to protect against a variety of diseases as well.

A phytochemical in parsley called myristicin, has been shown to have potential chemopreventive benefits. Parsley also makes up an important part of the Mediterranean Diet, which has been studied extensively for its potential therapeutic and disease preventative benefits. An Italian diet study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Cancer in 2003 found that participants who had a higher dietary intake of parsley appeared to have a lower incidence of lung cancer.

How To Use Fresh Parsley In Green Smoothie Recipes

Parsley has a distinctive, pungent flavor and aroma so it is best to use no more than one cup in a smoothie recipe. You can combine it with non-bitter greens like fresh baby spinach or romaine and green leaf lettuce. Parsley pairs best with fruits like pear, coconut, pineapple, mango, oranges and kiwifruit. I prefer to use fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley, but curly parsley also works fine.

Some of my favorite recipes include:

Happy Parsley Green Smoothie with Coconut, Pear & Mango

Iron 101 Smoothie

Blueberry-Cucumber with Parsley Smoothie

Iron-Rich Pineapple Detox Smoothie

I also add it to this Morning Energy Smoothie recipe.

Browse more green smoothie recipes with parsley.

Would you like to learn about how other fruits and greens pair together to make the most delicious, nutritious green smoothies? Our Green Smoothie Master Chef course is now part of the Green Smoothie Health program! Unlock the health benefits of green smoothies with our 4-week weight loss program, discover 200+ green smoothie remedies, get expert answers to over 115 questions about green smoothies, health and nutrition, plus so much more. Check out the Green Smoothie Health & Weight Loss program today!

Pineapple sweetens it up nicely while supplying the protein-digesting enzyme, bromelain.

I added the pear to help thicken it, if you don’t have pear you can always add apple. This smoothie is slightly bitter so if you’d prefer to have it even sweeter, then use a medium banana instead of pear or apple.

I really liked this smoothie and wanted to share it with you. It’s a great source of iron with 10.1mg. For non-vegetarian, pre-menopausal women, that’s 56% RDA and for non-vegetarian men, that’s 126% RDA in one glass! This smoothie is also full of fiber with 17.9 grams.

Iron-Rich Pineapple Detox Recipe

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 3 cups dandelion greens, chopped
• 1 large pear, cored
• 2 cups pineapple, cubed
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) 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: 364
Fat: 2g
Protein: 8g
Carbohydrates: 89g
Fiber: 17.9g (60% RDA)
Calcium: 38% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 10.1mg
Vitamin A: 735% RDA
Vitamin C: 336% RDA

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

This smoothie is perfect as part of a detox and cleansing regimen. If you would like more information on how you can detox and cleanse with whole foods, check out my latest detox guide called Detox In 4 Days.

Food allergies can be frustrating! I consider myself extremely fortunate to not have any food allergies (that I know of).

While mangoes are a major ingredient in many raw food recipes such as smoothies and soups, you certainly can substitute them for other fruits. What you want is a fruit that will give the same texture. Bananas are nice and creamy. They make an excellent base for smoothies, raw ice creams and can even be used in raw soups. You won’t get the same tropical flavor that you will with mangoes, but they should be a decent replacement. Use one banana for one mango.

Another option is pear or even apple. Use 2 small apples or pears for 1 large mango in a recipe. This will give you near equivalent calories and similar texture without necessarily compromising the flavor.

As far as your other allergies to parsley and sunflower seeds, I won’t worry about missing those. We eat parsley primarily for iron content, but you can get lots of iron from dandelion, kale and romaine lettuce (you just have to eat more of it).

I actually rarely eat sunflower seeds now. Try hemp or pumpkin seeds as a replacement, or even raw nuts like Brazil or cashews.

I hope this helps and good luck! Feel free to experiment with recipes and make mango-free versions of your favorite raw food dishes!

Do you have a question about green smoothies, raw foods, health and nutrition? Just ask using our contact form!

Find more answers.

One cup of parsley contains 3.7 milligrams of iron. Cup for cup, it has one of the highest iron contents of all leafy greens. It also has 8% RDA of calcium and is an especially rich source of vitamins A (as beta-carotene), K, C and folate.

Pineapples have anti-inflammatory properties and they help with digestion. They contain an enzyme, bromelain, which helps break down protein.

Like parsley, bok choy is also rich in calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and K. Bok choy also contains a plant compound called glucosinolates. Glucosinolates have been shown to provide chemoprotective properties that may help prevent and fight cancer cells and reduce oxidative stress, acting as an antioxidant.

While the glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables like bok choy and kale provide some health benefits, over consumption might exacerbate existing thyroid disorders or iodine deficiency. Be sure to rotate your greens and if you aren’t already, add some delicious sea vegetables to your diet as they are an excellent source of iodine.

Pineapple-Parsley Smoothie Recipe

• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley, loosely packed
• 2 heads of baby bok choy (or 2 cups chopped)
• 6 ounces of filtered water or coconut milk

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) 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 for 6 ounces of water.)

Calories: 374
Fat: 1g
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 85g
Fiber: 10.4g
Calcium: 28% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 8.8mg
Vitamin A: 377% RDA
Vitamin C: 367% RDA

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

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!

I added an apple to give it some texture and to add some healthy fiber to keep you feeling fuller longer.

I used the banana to make the smoothie creamy and to mask some of the green taste. Bananas are the perfect smoothie fruit and are an excellent source of vitamin B6, potassium and fiber.

This flavorful smoothie makes about 20 or so ounces.

Green Lime Detox Smoothie Recipe

• 1 medium lime, peeled and deseeded
• 3 small stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 small banana, peeled
• 1 green apple, cored
• 1 small head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender (I use a Blendtec) 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: 315
Fat: 2g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 74g
Calcium: 26% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 8.2mg
Vitamin A: 1893% RDA
Vitamin C: 235% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.