This green smoothie recipe is a delicious, great way to boost your immune system and to increase your family’s intake of minerals, vitamins and other vital nutrients. Whether you have one daily or occasionally, it is wholesome fast food, especially on busy days.
Read on to learn how you can customize this basic green smoothie recipe with the best real food add-ins to suit your taste and dietary needs.
Why I Love Green Smoothies
I aim to provide three home-cooked meals on the table each day. This goal not only promotes better health but also allows us to eat well on a budget.
Meal planning and using home-preserved convenience meals such as canned beef stew, freeze-dried chicken pot pie, or various freezer meals make this realistic for our large family.
However, homesteading life isn’t always predictable, and it’s important to have a backup to help us pivot when things on the homestead don’t go as planned.
I am a big advocate of the importance of breakfast and appreciate when I have the time to put together a healthy breakfast casserole, scrambled eggs in a cast iron skillet, or a rhubarb breakfast cake. But, when I don’t, this green smoothie recipe fits the bill.
Green smoothies aren’t just a great alternative to skipping breakfast, though. Sometimes we find ourselves on a busy harvest day, preparing for a new baby, or just trying to stay on top of the laundry where lunch or dinner can be a challenge too.
You know those days. Sometimes you just need something quick instead of grabbing a nutritionally devoid alternative or skipping the meal altogether.
Green smoothies are very versatile, and the good news is that you don’t need expensive superfood supplements or processed protein powder to call it a meal!
Green Smoothie Benefits
The benefits of green smoothies go beyond convenience, and in addition to the versatility to customize to your taste buds, green smoothies also provide health benefits.
Digestive Health
When using a high-powered blender, you are able to break down the fiber and cellulose in your fruits and veggies, making the nutrients easier to absorb.
Leafy greens are a good source of insoluble fiber, which is responsible for helping food pass through your digestive system. Consequently, the increase of leafy greens from green smoothies (aka spinach smoothies) can improve digestive issues like constipation and bloating.
Increase Your Veggies
Do you have picky eaters, or do you have a hard time getting fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet? Fruits and veggies are a critical source of vitamins and minerals that support every system in your body to function properly.
Don’t take a multivitamin and call it good. Nutrients are meant to come from real foods, and only real food provides nutrition at its best. Green smoothies offer a convenient way to pack a lot of veggies into a small package.
Immunity Support
Green smoothies also provide a delicious way to deliver immune-supporting superfoods. You can boost the immune-supporting power of the basic fruits and veggies in your smoothie with more real food add-ins such as homemade elderberry syrup, herbal tinctures, or medicinal herbs.
When choosing this route, knowing what you are doing is important. Make sure to learn how to start using medicinal herbs first.
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
Adding real food supplements to your green smoothie is good medicine for a tired body or stressful lifestyle. A little bit of superfood goes a long way.
- Bee Pollen – Bee pollen has anti-inflammatory properties and is a good source of B vitamins and antioxidants. Use caution when using bee pollen if you have allergies. Bee pollen can especially cause a severe allergic reaction in those allergic to daisies, dandelions, and ragweed.
- Blackstrap Molasses – Highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants and minerals, molasses adds natural sweetness to your green smoothie.
- Dairy Products – Raw cow’s milk is a good source of beneficial enzymes, probiotics, Omega 3’s, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamins A, D & K, and protein. You can use fresh milk or homemade dairy products such as easy instant pot yogurt to boost your smoothie. Homesteading Hack: If you have a dairy allergy, coconut milk or coconut water (as in the recipe below) can be used to provide a good source of potassium, electrolytes, and antioxidants.
- Kombucha – Kombucha is also a good source of enzymes, probiotics, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Homesteading Hack: Don’t purchase expensive kombucha from the store; learn to make kombucha, and build on that skill to make second-ferment kombucha for customizable flavors.
- Natural Sweeteners – Natural sweeteners can help your taste buds become accustomed to green smoothies. Adding a bit of honey, real maple syrup, or dates can help you adjust away from a sugar-filled diet.
- Nut Butter – Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini (sesame seed butter) or whatever you prefer will add good fat and nutrition with a flavorful protein boost.
- Seeds – Sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds are highly nutritious and fibrous add-ins to any smoothie. Homesteading Hack: If you don’t enjoy the texture of seeds in your smoothie, blend them in a coffee grinder before adding them. To receive the full nutritional benefits of flax seeds, always grind them first.
Supplies Needed
- Blender – High-powered blenders work best, creating a smooth, creamy green smoothie. Homesteading Hack: If your blender isn’t high-powered, it may struggle to blend all ingredients evenly. And nobody wants a chunky smoothie! Make a liquid base by blending the liquid in your recipe with the greens until smooth before adding other ingredients. This method ensures a more even texture.
- Cutting Board – A large cutting board helps keep all the chopped ingredients close at hand.
- Knife – A sharp kitchen knife makes kitchen prep more efficient.
- Vegetable Peeler – If the apples are not organic, peel the apple skins. A peeler will come in handy if you are using fresh ginger, carrots and/or turmeric.
- Rubber Spatula – Helpful to scrape down the smoothie from the sides of the container and, when pouring into your cup, to gain every delicious drop.
- Cup w/ Lid & Straw – Insulated cups keep the smoothie colder for longer. A tight-fitting lid is helpful when you’re on the go. Homesteading Hack: Inexpensive stainless steel straws can be reused as one of our zero-waste home tips.
Ingredients Needed
- Fennel – Approximately one tablespoon, chopped into smaller pieces.
- Lemon – Peel the lemon and remove the seeds. Separating the lemon into wedges can help make it easier on your blender.
- Green Apple – Peel the apple if it’s not organic; otherwise, keep the peel on for more fiber content, and chop it into smaller pieces.
- Banana – Remove the peel and cut it into smaller pieces. Homesteading Hack: Use frozen fruit instead of ice. Frozen ripe bananas will give you optimal texture.
- Leafy Greens – Spinach and kale are popular choices, but you can use whatever leafy green you have on hand. The bigger the handful, the better! Try dandelion greens for fiber, calcium, and Vitamins A, E, & K. Homesteading Hack: Make this DIY greens powder during the spring and summer months if you don’t grow fresh greens year-round.
- Turmeric Root – Coarsely chop fresh turmeric or use ½ teaspoon of dried ground turmeric if you don’t have fresh.
- Ginger Root – Coarsely chop fresh ginger or use a ¼ teaspoon of dried ground ginger if you don’t have fresh.
- Coconut Water – Organic is preferred with no added sugars.
- Avocado – Fresh with the outer peel and pit removed. Homesteading Hack: Freeze-dried avocados work well too. Avocados are full of healthy fats, and they make the smoothies so creamy!
Green Smoothie Recipe Instructions
- Set up an area on your countertop with your blender, rubber spatula, cutting board, knife and peeler ready to use.
- Prepare the ingredients that require peeling and chopping. Homesteading Hack: Prep a handful of smoothie ingredients at once and freeze them in individual containers for an even faster grab-and-go meal.
- Put the large handful of spinach and 8-10 ounces of coconut water in the bottom of the blender, with the turmeric, fennel, and ginger, and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the ingredients after blending.
- Add your apple and lemon, give it another 30-second blend at high speed, and scrape down the ingredients.
- Put the banana and avocado in with the blended ingredients and blend until it’s the smoothness you prefer. Depending on the blender, it could take another 30-45 seconds.
- Pour into your insulated cup using the rubber spatula.
- Secure the lid tightly, add the straw and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily to share what real food add-ins you like and what customizations you make for your favorite green smoothie recipe!
In the Homestead Kitchen
This recipe was featured in issue no. 8 Spring Greens of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. If you’re interested in more recipes like this, you can subscribe to the monthly magazine with a 30-day money-back guarantee!
This subscription will give you access to our beautifully designed monthly digital magazine full of tips, recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and stories to guide and inspire you in your homestead kitchen.
Grab your copy of In the Homestead Kitchen today, and let us help you to start thriving on your homestead.
More Articles You May Enjoy
- DIY Homemade Greens Powder: Preserve Your Garden Greens
- How to Get Three Home-Cooked Meals on the Table Every Day
- Meal Planning on the Homestead
- Homemade Elderberry Syrup – Immune Boosting Recipe
- How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally – 7 Steps
- Making Homemade Dairy Products Practical
- Easy Instant Pot Yogurt
- Freeze-Dried Avocados
- Easy Home Remedy for Allergies (+ Hay Fever)
Green Smoothie Recipe (Whole Food Ingredients)
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon fennel chopped
- 1 whole lemon peeled
- 1 whole green apple
- 1 whole banana peeled
- 1 cup spinach or kale, or other leafy greens
- 2 inch turmeric root or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground turmeric
- 1 inch ginger root or 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 8 ounces coconut water
- 1 avocado peeled and seeded
Instructions
- Set up an area on your countertop with your blender, rubber spatula, cutting board, knife and peeler ready to use.
- Prepare the ingredients that require peeling and chopping. Homesteading Hack: Prep a handful of smoothie ingredients at once and freeze them in individual containers for an even faster grab-and-go meal.
- Put the large handful of spinach and 8-10 ounces of coconut water in the bottom of the blender, with the turmeric, fennel, and ginger, and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Use the rubber spatula to scrape down the ingredients after blending.
- Add your apple and lemon, give it another 30-second blend at high speed, and scrape down the ingredients.
- Put the banana and avocado in with the blended ingredients and blend until it’s the smoothness you prefer. Depending on the blender, it could take another 30-45 seconds.
- Pour into your insulated cup using the rubber spatula.
- Secure the lid tightly, add the straw and enjoy!
Notes
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
Adding real food supplements to your green smoothie is good medicine for a tired body or stressful lifestyle. A little bit of superfood goes a long way. Adding any of these will alter the nutrition facts!- Bee Pollen – Bee pollen has anti-inflammatory properties and is a good source of B vitamins and antioxidants. Use caution when using bee pollen if you have allergies. Bee pollen can especially cause a severe allergic reaction in those allergic to daisies, dandelions, and ragweed.
- Blackstrap Molasses – Highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants and minerals, molasses adds natural sweetness to your green smoothie.
- Dairy Products – Raw cow’s milk is a good source of beneficial enzymes, probiotics, Omega 3’s, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamins A, D & K, and protein. You can use fresh milk or homemade dairy products such as easy instant pot yogurt to boost your smoothie. Homesteading Hack: If you have a dairy allergy, coconut milk or coconut water (as in the recipe below) can be used to provide a good source of potassium, electrolytes, and antioxidants.
- Kombucha – Kombucha is also a good source of enzymes, probiotics, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Homesteading Hack: Don’t purchase expensive kombucha from the store; learn to make kombucha, and build on that skill to make second-ferment kombucha for customizable flavors.
- Natural Sweeteners – Natural sweeteners can help your taste buds become accustomed to green smoothies. Adding a bit of honey, real maple syrup, or dates can help you adjust away from a sugar-filled diet.
- Nut Butter – Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini (sesame seed butter) or whatever you prefer will add good fat and nutrition with a flavorful protein boost.
- Seeds – Sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds are highly nutritious and fibrous add-ins to any smoothie. Homesteading Hack: If you don’t enjoy the texture of seeds in your smoothie, blend them in a coffee grinder before adding them. To receive the full nutritional benefits of flax seeds, always grind them first.
