Easy 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.

Morning Green Smoothie

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.

Why I Drink Green Smoothies

Drinking green smoothies on a regular basis was one of the first 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. While it was great in the moment, I would always feel sluggish by 10:30. Then I’d find myself consuming caffeine to stay productive for the rest of the morning until lunchtime.

Smoothies were a complete game-changer for me. Not as a meal replacement but just as a way to get 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.

Make the Perfect Green Smoothie

Here are a few tips on how to make the perfect green smoothie, from years of practice:

• If you don’t have a high-speed blender, blend the greens and liquids first. This will lead to a smoothy, velvety smoothie after you add the remaining ingredients.
• Bananas had natural sweetness and fiber to smoothie. I prefer to slice them up and freeze them in advance. That way they are cold and I don’t have to worry about slicing them up in the morning.
• If you’re going to use dates, soak them beforehand, for about 30 minutes. You don’t need to do this, just helps them blender smoother, and this step isn’t needed at all if you have a high-speed blender.

Benefits of Green Smoothies

Here are some of the reasons I love enjoying smoothies. They are a great way to kickstart or restart a healthier lifestyle.

• 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

More Delicious Smoothies

• Power Breakfast Smoothie – my favorite way to kick off a busy day
• Tropical Ginger Matcha Smoothie – the addition of ginger is everything in this smoothie!
• Pumpkin Chai Smoothie Bowl – you don’t have to wait for pumpkin season to make this!
• Strawberry Peach Ginger Smoothie – the perfect warm weather smoothie
• Blueberry Coconut Smoothie Bowl – I love the blueberries in this one

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This recipe was originally published on February 18, 2016. Since then, it’s been freshened up with new pictures, commentary, and made even more delicious!