Morning Green Smoothie

A delicious and simple 5-ingredient sweet and tangy green smoothie that can easily be customized. Made with fresh spinach, tangy lime, and sweet banana, this smoothie is perfect for busy mornings or as an afternoon snack. Either way, this smoothie won’t disappoint.

Green Smoothies

Drinking green smoothies on a regular basis was one of the biggest steps I took on my health journey. Prior to this, I enjoyed egg and cheese croissants almost every morning along with my Starbucks chai latte. I would always feel sluggish by 10:30, after which I’d be consuming caffeine to stay productive for the rest of the day. Smoothies were a complete game-changer for me. Not as a meal replacement but just as a way to get so many more greens and veggies into my day. I didn’t care to chomp on 2 cups of spinach but I could easily consume them in a smoothie without even thinking about it.

This is a classic green smoothie with enough sweetness but a little tanginess from the lime. It’s a great way to start the day. The chia seeds add a little boost of protein and fiber. And it’s pretty easy to customize. Don’t care for bananas? Use another fruit. Don’t care for fruit? Use cauliflower or zucchini instead! Experiment (and keep experimenting) with various options until you have a few of your favorites on hand.

Benefits of smoothies:

• Great way to get more greens in
• Easy way to boost the fiber in your diet (hello veggies!)
• Quick and easy to make
• Easy to prep and store for the week (chop up the ingredients and freeze!)
• They taste delicious (if you make it right)
• They can be extremely filling
• You’ll never get bored as long as you keep experimenting with different ingredients!

Key Ingredients and Possible Benefits:

• Spinach – rich in vitamin K (for healthy bones), protein, iron, promotes digestive health, folate, Vitamin C, rich in Lutein which helps lower inflammation, and so much more
• Lime – great for digestion, skin, eye care, has anti-inflammatory properties
• Chia seeds – a source of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, copper, selenium, iron, magnesium, calcium
• Almond milk – great alternative to dairy, doesn’t raise blood sugar (if unsweetened), contains vitamin E and healthy fats
• Banana – fiber, potassium, folate, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, and B6

I hope you enjoy this sweet and tangy green smoothie. It’s packed with most of my favorite ingredients. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!  Just tag your photos to #realandvibrant on Instagram. There’s truly nothing that inspires me more than seeing you guys trying out the recipes I post.