Papayas are rich in antioxidants and the enzyme papain, which helps promote digestive health. The lycopene content of papayas may help protect against prostate cancer.

This smoothie is also a great source of fiber, making it an excellent weight loss meal replacement.

Papaya-Persimmon Smoothie Recipe

• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup papaya, peeled and deseeded
• 2 fuyu (non-astringent) persimmons
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 4 to 6 ounces of filtered water

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 408
Fat: 2g
Protein: 8g
Carbohydrates: 102g
Fiber: 16.5g
Calcium: 18% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 5.1mg
Vitamin A: 1273% RDA
Vitamin C: 345% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

One of my new favorite smoothie combinations is blueberry and pluot. Since this smoothie is sweet, it’s perfect for hiding some bitter greens like baby bok choy.

This green smoothie recipe is loaded with 21.8 grams of healthy fiber and contains about 23% RDA of zinc! It’s also a rich source of calcium and iron thanks to the leafy greens.

I used frozen wild blueberries which, are loaded with zinc and antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals and prevents inflammation. A diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables may also help prevent certain cancers.

Blueberry-Pluot Green Smoothie Recipe

• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 pluots, pitted
• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries (or fresh)
• 1 head of baby bok choy (or 1 cup, chopped)
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 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: 412
Fat: 2g
Protein: 8g
Carbohydrates: 97g
Fiber: 21.8g
Calcium: 19% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 5.6mg
Vitamin A: 112% RDA
Vitamin C: 181% 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.

In a recent study, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that ginger powder promotes cell death in all ovarian cancer cells. Another study at the University of Minnesota found that ginger may slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Made with both citrus and ginger, this is an excellent detox smoothie and meal replacement for those who are skipping a meal to cleanse.

Mango-Orange Ginger Green Smoothie Recipe

• 1 mango, peeled and pitted
• 2 oranges, peeled and deseeded
• 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, grated or sliced
• 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, soaked for 20 minutes
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
• 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: 477
Fat: 10g
Protein: 14g
Carbohydrates: 97g
Fiber: 27.7g (92% RDA)
Calcium: 41% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 8.0mg
Vitamin A: 1893% RDA
Vitamin C: 415% RDA

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

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

You can find hibiscus and jamaica at health food stores in parts of the United States. You can buy the dried flowers and brew them like you would tea.

Jamaica (pronounced “ha-my-kah” in Mexico), are flowers of the hibiscus plant. Several medical studies have shown that drinking hibiscus/jamaica tea can help lower blood pressure. The Journal of Human Hypertension published a study that showed the effects of hibiscus in reducing blood pressure in those with type 2 diabetes.

This smoothie is also an excellent source of calcium and iron!

Mango-Jamaica (Hibiscus) Green Smoothie Recipe

• 2 cups mango, cubed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 8 ounces of unsweetened jamaica or hibiscus tea, chilled

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 361
Fat: 3g
Protein: 10g
Carbohydrates: 87g
Fiber: 28g
Calcium: 33% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 7mg
Vitamin A: 2241% RDA
Vitamin C: 273% RDA

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

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Grapefruit is one of the best detox fruits. Not only does it help clear your skin, it is among the most water rich fruits which help flush toxins out of your body. The fiber “scrubs” your intestines and moves toxins out. (If you don’t like grapefruit, simply substitute it for a large orange.)

I wanted to put dandelion greens in this smoothie because they are super cleansing. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to mix dandelion greens with grapefruit in the same smoothie. That combo is definitely not for everyone! If you’re not afraid of a bitter bite, then go ahead and use it, otherwise, use romaine lettuce like I did.

When you’re detoxing, you want to avoid artificial sweeteners and dried fruit (like dates) as much as possible, so I sweetened this smoothie with a small banana. It’s definitely not a “sweet” smoothie, but it helped moderate the grapefruit flavor.

You can get lots more detox smoothie, soup and salad recipes in our new e-book, Detox In 4 Days: A Seasonal Guide To Cleansing Your Body, Mind and Home.

Strawberry-Grapefruit Detox Smoothie Recipe

• 1 grapefruit, peeled and deseeded
• 1 cup whole strawberries
• 1 small banana, peeled
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

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

Nutrition Information

Calories: 345
Fat: 2g
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 80g
Calcium: 24% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 7.1mg
Vitamin A: 1915% RDA
Vitamin C: 356% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B1 – B6, vitamin K, copper, 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!

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.