Green Breakfast Smoothie
Starting your day with a healthy Green Breakfast Smoothie is a great way to get energized and feel awesome. This one is healthy and tasty … a winning combo!
This is how I start my day. Like … Every. Single. Day. It might seem a bit boring to eat (or actually, to drink) the same thing every day, but I'm telling you, it's the best.
You see, I'm not much of a wake up and eat a huge meal first thing in the morning kind of person. And let's be honest, who really has the time to make and eat a big healthy breakfast every single morning. Not me! But I still like to start my day with something healthy in my belly.
I started making smoothies a few years ago and to say they've changed my morning life is a bit of an understatement. I have a ton more energy in the morning now that I drink 128 servings of fruits and veggies before 10 am (Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration; it's more like 7 servings.) I also stay full for a long time so often a light lunch is all I need to keep me going strong until dinner. And it takes me all of about 5 minutes to make and clean up and I can drink it as I'm getting ready.
Have I sold you on this whole drink-a-bunch-of-veggies-for-breakfast thing yet? If I haven't, it's probably because you're thinking, “this can't possibly taste good!” Right? Well, it really does taste great. You don't taste the kale or spinach at all. Once the whole thing is blended together it tastes like a yummy fruit smoothie.
The BEST things about starting my day with a green breakfast smoothie:
- I get all of my daily fruits and veggies in one serving (yay!)
- It gives me tons of energy that lasts throughout the day
- It takes me only 5 minutes to make and clean up
- It keeps me full until lunch
- It's super crazy healthy
- It tastes great
- It's easy to drink even if you're not a breakfast kind of person
I do have to be honest with you: this smoothie is best made with a high-powered blender. I know I know, I wish I could say that it would work in any blender, but the truth is it just won't. If you have a regular blender I would leave out the apple and you'll have to expect to see a few bits of kale and spinach.
Oh … and if you are making this for kids who are afraid of their greens try using purple kale so it will look a little more fruit-like. I fed it to my 4-year-old nephew and, as long as he didn't watch me make it, he drank lots of it.
Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes:
- Detox Orange Ginger Turmeric Smoothie
- Tropical Sunshine Make Ahead Smoothies
- Hot Pink Chia Berry Smoothie
- Coconut and Raw Beet Smoothie
- Mocha Nut Smoothie Bowl
Green Breakfast Smoothie
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Prep Time: 5 mins -
Cook Time: 0 mins
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Total Time: 5 mins
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Yield: 2- 16-ounce servings 1x -
Category: Breakfast
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Method: Blender
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Description
Starting your day with a healthy Green Breakfast Smoothie is a great way to get energized and feel awesome. This one is healthy and tasty … a winning combo!
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach or kale leaves
- 2 cups pineapple
- 1 medium banana
- 1/2 an apple, cored
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts, flax seeds or chia seeds
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend for 1 minute.
- Drink up your yummy greens!
Notes
If you don't have a high powered blender you can still make this smoothie but do keep in mind that it won't be as smooth. It will still taste delicious!
Make sure that at least one of the ingredients is frozen. (I normally keep a bag of peeled bananas in my freezer for smoothies.) If all of your ingredients are fresh, you can add some ice cubes to chill the smoothie.
1 cup of greens is most definitely not “all of my daily fruits and veggies in one serving” it is only 1 of the 5 recommended servings. Very misleading for people who don’t have much knowledge regarding nutrition.
This smoothie provides 6 servings of fruits and vegetables – or 3 servings if you’re sharing it (which I almost never do). It’s a very healthy way to start your day. 🙂
I scaled it up to 3. The taste was nice, tasted just like a smoothie but for some reason didn’t bland well and some ingredients got separated and there were little white bits in my smoothie. They were only small grains so I didn’t mind. The biggest thing is the slimy texture which really put me off. I made quite a bit so I’ll struggle through it but the slimeyness coated the roof of my mouth and made me gag a bit. Apart from that the smoothie would have been perfect. I’m not sure what caused the slimeyness
It sounds like tripling the recipe was too much for your blender. Maybe try making a single portion next time so that your blender and blend it properly.
Hi there! I just made this and it was pretty thick. I’m not sure why. I used a ninja blender. Any suggestions.
Just add a little water and it will thin it. 🙂
Thank you so much for this article. I have been wanting to do a green smoothie for breakfast for some time. I do a 3 day green juice cleanse every 10 – 12 weeks along with the Whole 30 that I have been doing for about 2 years but it just wasn’t enough. And now I am definately fuller longer and I feel better. Also it is so easy letting it do its job and not keep going back to the kitchen munching all morning. I do have one question though. How did you choose this combo?
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When making this smoothie (delicious by the way) it makes so much. Do i drink all
this is one sitting? Thanks.
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If you’re making it for one I suggest using half of all the ingredients. That will give you a 2-cup smoothie, which is about the right size for one serving. 🙂
A couple of things please, you said you always add the Vega. First what is the Vega and why is it not listed in the ingredient listing.
Another person asked about making it at night to drink in the morning. It has been my experience that if a green juice is not consumed immediately, it dies. Usually by the time I finish drinking my smoothie, small signs of degradation are beginning to appear. Given that the blended fruits and greens degrade so quickly, I don’t think that an overnight smoothie would be healthy.
And finally, I would like to recommend using collard greens in smoothies. I have never eaten collards in my life until I used a recipe for a smoothie that called for them. Collards are naturally sweet. I had no idea. They are a great addition to any smoothie.
Many years ago (when the recipe was first published) I used Vega in my smoothies. Now I prefer to eat real food which is why it’s no longer listed in the ingredients. 🙂
Great recipe. But I am just wondering how many ml would you consider a cup to be? And how many servings is the recipe for?
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Hi Joanna. This recipe makes 2 16-ounce servings. 🙂
If it is for one breakfast just for myself, can I reduce the ingredients by half only?
You sure can!
Can i use yougurt instead of water? I am worried it will be to watery.
It’s not watery but you can definitely use yogurt instead. 🙂
I have made this smoothie a few times now. Tasty, thanks!
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I’m so happy you like it!!
This is my go to smoothie recipe now. Sometimes I’ll add in some extra fruit if I have some in my fridge that I need to use. It’s always so tasty!
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So happy you found your go to recipe!!
Exactly how much is 1 serving of this smoothie? 1 cup or more?
It’s half the recipe, which will end up being about a cup and a half. Hope that helps!
Hi Kristen –
quick question for you… I’m looking into the Vega products, and there are a couple of different options. Do I use the Vega One Shake or the Vega Protein & Greens?
thanks so much!
jen
Hey Jennifer,
I love the Vega One. I personally prefer the natural flavour as I find the others a little too sweet, but then I’m really not a fan of sweet drinks. I just love knowing that I get so many servings of fruits and veggies; it makes me feel great for the rest of the day!
thanks so much!
No problem at all!
I’ve been making a similar smoothie for about three years. My proportions are a bit different and I add half a mango. I make a blend of all the seeds, mix them together, and then just scoop out 2Tbs of the mixture each time. For the water I use coconut water which adds some nutrients and very few calories (or coconut milk which adds a few more calories).
Great idea to make a blend of all the seeds you use! I think I’ll follow suit to save some time. 🙂
Made this today for 1st time mines turned out purple didn’t taste bad at all I added small piece of fresh mint ? maybe put to many blueberries in but I did follow the recipe
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Hi Mark,
Strange it turned out purple and not green! I always add the Vega in which is a bit green so that might be the colour difference. Or maybe the blueberries you have are extra potent in their colour. Purple smoothies are fun too!
Do you add anything for protein?
The hemp hearts and flax seeds give lots of healthy protein. Sometimes I’ll add a scoop of almond or peanut butter too to keep me full even longer 🙂
Thanks so much for your recipe, Kristen! It looks delicious — I can’t wait to try it out. I shared your smoothie on my blog today with a link back too 🙂
Thank you so much, Amanda!
Sounds good, but you should rotate your greens and not consume the same greens weekly. This can cause a toxic buildup from the alkaloids. Everything in moderation is always a good rule.
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Hey Navi,
You’re absolutely right! When I said I eat this every single day I really meant that I have a smoothie every single day. This morning there were cherries, spinach, avocado and a bunch of other yummy stuff. Thanks for pointing that out!
This looks delicious! What kind of blender do you have?
I have a Vitamix. It was definitely a splurge but worth every penny 🙂
This looks just like what I’ve been looking for. However, is it possible to blend it up the night before and leave it in the fridge and just shake it up before you drink it. My husband works shifts and the blender would wake him up in the morning.
Hi Carolyn,
I haven’t made this the night before but I suspect it would work just fine. Make sure NOT to add the flax, hemp or chia seeds though as they will cause the smoothie to thicken and become gloopy. If you want the nutritional value of them you could always just shake them into the smoothie in the morning. ?