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Watermelon contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

A sulfur-containing phytonutrient in kale called sulforaphane is believed to have powerful anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial properties and is released when the leaves are chopped or chewed (or blended in a green smoothie!) Kale is also great for cleansing and detoxing.

Kale Watermelon Smoothie Recipe

• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 cups watermelon, chopped
• 1 banana, peeled
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• 1 orange, peeled
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 391
Fat: 2g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 95g
Fiber: 13.1g
Calcium: 32% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 6.8mg
Vitamin A: 1442% RDA
Vitamin C: 403% RDA

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

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Of course, you can always make a complicated green smoothie too. You can add protein powders, superfoods, powdered supplements, nuts, seeds and other things to “enhance” your smoothie. But do these additives really enhance your health?

Adding anything other than fruit and greens might do more harm than good depending on your overall diet.

Protein Powders

We’re not against adding protein powder to your green smoothies, but we recommend paying attention to what you eat and see if you can get all or most of your protein from plant-based foods without needing to rely on a powder.

If you are lacto-ovo vegetarian or omnivore, you don’t need to add the extra protein to your smoothie. Doing so might throw your protein intake out of balance and cause digestion problems and other health conditions over time like osteoporosis that are associated with over-consumption of protein.

Powdered Supplements

Nobody needs to add a powdered multivitamin to their green smoothies. It’s a waste of money. If you are vegan, go ahead and stir in a powdered B12 or D3 supplement (we use Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code brand). For women, you might want to add an iron supplement.

If your diet is plant-based and you drink 32 ounces of green smoothie each day, you’re probably getting most of what you need from diet alone. Adding extra nutrients could result in nutritional imbalances and disrupt nutrient absorption as certain vitamins and minerals compete for absorption in your body. It’s better to track your nutrients and only target ones that you are at risk for deficiency.

Superfoods

We’re not 100% against superfoods like goji berries, maca and cacao, but we do not use them on a daily basis. In fact, you’ll get plenty of nutrition and antioxidants from the fresh, ripe, whole fruits and vegetables without having to spend the extra money on exotic, dehydrated and powdered “health foods” from half-way across the globe.

Your green smoothie is a superfood and it’s far superior to anything you’d get from a bottle or package. Of course, a handful of goji berries can boost protein and dried sea vegetables provide iodine. Superfoods do have their place but they should be viewed as supplements and not a significant part of your diet.

Nuts and Seeds

We add a tablespoon of freshly ground chia (or flax) seeds to our morning smoothies. Other than that, we don’t add any other nuts, seeds or coconut oil. Adding too much fat to a fruity green smoothie can affect digestion, cause gas and bloating and even throw blood sugar out of whack. You don’t need to add fat to a green smoothie – even if you’re making a meal-replacement shake. You most definitely get enough in your diet without the need to blend it with fruit and greens too!

Sweeteners

Powdered sweeteners like stevia or syrups like agave, yacon and honey should be avoided since green smoothies are sweet enough on their own as long as you are blending fully ripe fruit that is in season. Instead of reaching for refined sugars, add another banana, some pineapple or other ripe fruit. Wean yourself off the concentrated, processed sugar-lust and soon you’ll appreciate just how delicious whole food can be without any added sweetener!

Sea Salt

We don’t add sea salt to our green smoothies but some people do. If you have a low sodium diet (i.e.: you don’t salt anything at all AND you eat a whole foods, plant-based diet with no processed food), you might do well with a pinch of quality sea salt here and there in your smoothie. You can add natural sodium to your smoothies as well by using celery or chard which is much better than pure, refined salt. A little sodium in your green smoothie helps cut sweetness and boosts the mineral content.

Keep It Simple

When it comes to green smoothies, simple is better. There’s no need to “protein-load” or “nutrient-load” your meals. Nature provides the optimum ratio of nutrients in fruit and vegetables. As long as you eat enough calories each day, you should do well without needing to artificially “enhance” your green smoothies.

I’ve put together a ton of information about green smoothies and how to make certain simple recipes that target specific health goals (ie: weight loss, detox, digestion, libido, energy, immunity, etc.) as well as fruit and green pairings that yield the best flavor and health benefits. This program is called Incredible Smoothies For Incredible Health and it contains hundreds of green smoothie recipes, answers to over 100 questions and so much more. It’s everything I know about green smoothies, health and nutrition.

Find out more about my Green Smoothie Program!

You can use Romaine lettuce or even fresh baby spinach instead of green leaf lettuce. Kale is a good replacement for dandelion greens if they are not available. I sometimes make this smoothie with one cup of fresh or frozen blueberries instead of strawberries.

Makes about 32 ounces or so.

Super Green Meal Replacement Smoothie Recipe

• 3 bananas, peeled
• 1 large mango, peeled and pitted
• 8 large strawberries
• 3 cups of chopped dandelion greens
• 1 head of green leaf lettuce
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 scoop of hemp or rice protein powder (optional)
• 8 of ounces filtered water

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 740
Fat: 8g
Protein: 17g (without protein powder)
Carbohydrates: 157g
Calcium: 53% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 122% RDA
Vitamin A: 1508% RDA
Vitamin C: 328% RDA
Omega-3: 181% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of B vitamins (except B12), as well as vitamin K. It’s also rich in minerals such as copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

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Banana is the dominant flavor and helps mask the greens and other vegetables you add to it. It is thick, creamy, and of course, green! This is a large smoothie so it is a great meal replacement shake or can be split between two people.

Creamy-Banana Smoothie Recipe

• 2 large ripe organic bananas
• 1/2 mango
• 1 orange, peeled
• 2 Campari tomatoes
• 4 cups organic Swiss chard
• 1 large organic carrot
• 1 scoop rice protein powder (optional)
• 6 to 8 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 rest of the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 501
Fat: 2g
Protein: 20g
Carbohydrates: 112g
Calcium: 18% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 33% RDA
Vitamin A: 893% RDA
Vitamin C: 253% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B2, B6, E and K as well as copper, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Studies suggest that bananas may prevent high blood pressure and decrease your risk of kidney cancer. They are also an excellent source of potassium. It’s a great idea to add them to your smoothies!

You wont taste the small tomato you add to this smoothie, but it’s a good source of lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that may protect against some cancers, aging skin and osteoporosis.

Flax seed can help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to breast cancer. This delicious smoothie is going to pack a powerful nutrient punch!

Vanilla-Banana with Greens Smoothie Recipe

• 2 organic bananas
• 2 inches of vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract)
• 1 Campari tomato
• 1/2 large avocado
• 1 tbs flax seeds, ground
• 3 large organic Swiss chard leaves
• 1 cup organic dandelion greens
• 1/2 teaspoon maca powder
• 1 scoop rice or hemp protein powder
• 6 to 8 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 rest of the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

NOTE: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll want to grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder before adding them to your smoothie.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 385
Fat: 6g
Protein: 20g
Carbohydrates: 70g
Calcium: 22% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 31% RDA
Vitamin A: 635% RDA
Vitamin C: 116% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate and other B vitamins as well as vitamin K, E, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Ginger has a variety of health benefits and has been used medicinally for centuries. Ginger is widely known for it’s immune-boosting and stomach-settling abilities (ie: drinking ginger ale to settle your stomach). It has been shown to be effective in treating nausea from motion sickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.

Dandelion greens promote weight loss, facilitate detox and may improve liver function. If you don’t think you can add dandelion greens to your smoothie, or you can’t find them you can substitute romaine lettuce or spinach.

Ginger-Apple-Papaya Smoothie Recipe

• 1 to 1 ½ inches of fresh ginger root, grated
• 1 large organic red delicious apple, cored
• 1 medium organic cucumber, with peel
• ½ ripe papaya, peeled
• 1/4 large avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 cups organic dandelion greens, chopped (or greens of your choice)
• 1 scoop hemp or rice protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of raw maca power
• 4 to 6 ounces filtered water

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 412
Fat: 9g
Protein: 19g
Carbohydrates: 72g
Calcium: 31% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 27% RDA
Vitamin A: 572% RDA
Vitamin C: 208% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.