Our spinach berry smoothie recipe is a simple, delicious way to eat lots of nutrients in one go. Spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas all get blended with Greek yogurt for a rich treat.
Is Spinach Berry Smoothie Healthy?
Yes, our spinach berry smoothie has a lot of health benefits.
To begin with, it’s a blend of different fruits and veg: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and spinach. One serving can give you many nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin K, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, and many more.
The smoothie also contains dairy products such as Greek yogurt and milk, which can provide you with trace amounts of minerals. Compared to other types of yogurts, Greek yogurt has more protein.
We sweetened 4 servings of this smoothie with 1 tbsp of sugar, which weighed 13 g. This amount takes up 6.5 % of the USDA’s suggested upper limit of added sugar for a 2000-calorie diet.
Speaking of which, one glass of our smoothie contains about 148 calories. This amount is moderate for a drink, allowing you to easily manage your daily calorie intake.
Main Ingredients
This spinach berry smoothie recipe calls for bananas, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, Greek yogurt, mint leaves, sugar, milk, and ice.
To make a quality smoothie, we have some tips to share:
- We leave out the stems: remove the spinach stems and save them for other dishes, such as stir-fries, casseroles, pasta, etc. They are quite fibrous in texture — healthy to eat but not ideal for smoothies.
- Overly ripe bananas make the best smoothies: those poor fruits that have gotten soft and gained brown spots haven’t gone bad! They are super sweet and will make your smoothie sweet without adding extra sugar. However, if they’re squishy or slimy and have a black peel, they’ve indeed gone bad and need to be discarded.
- We sometimes use frozen berries: we love how convenient a bag of mixed frozen berries can be.
- Make a tasty frozen fruit bowl with frozen fruits: simply skip the ice and freeze the fruits before making. It makes for a healthy breakfast bowl with some grains, seeds, dried fruits, or granola on top.
- Make this smoothie vegan by using vegan alternatives for dairy: some types of plant-based milk have a pleasant aroma, which might make for a better smoothie!
- Alternate your sweetener choice: honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, diet sugar, stevia, you name it. FYI, dried dates are super sweet and don’t count as added sugar.
What Berries to Use in Smoothies?
Strawberries and blueberries are great — they have unnoticeable seeds and are usually sweet.
If you’re a big fan of seedy berries like raspberries, you can heat them in a saucepan with a splash of water. Once they’re tender, run the mixture through a sieve to discard the seeds. This berry purée can be portioned out, kept in the freezer, and blended with other components when needed.
For those looking for specific recipes, here are a few to check out:
- Triple Berry Smoothie Recipe: Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries join forces in this sweet and creamy feel-good smoothie.
- Raspberry Smoothie Recipe: A delectable drink that tastes just as vibrant as it looks.
- Blueberry Smoothie Recipe: Oats, chia seeds, and frozen blueberries are blended together to make a delicious and nutritious sweet treat.
- Strawberry Smoothie Recipe: With only four ingredients, this smoothie is a simple drink that will rejuvenate your palate instantly on those hot summer days.
Is It Ok to Drink Smoothies Every Day?
Smoothies are a great way to get nutrients if your plate often lacks fruits and vegetables. You can have smoothies every day, but there are certain things you need to keep in mind.
- Added sugar level: sugar coming from sweeteners instead of fruits and veg counts as added sugar and should be consumed in moderation. As suggested by the USDA, calories from added sugar should not exceed 10% of the total calories you get within the day.
- Eat a variety of foods: try to fit not just fruits and vegetables but other types of food into your meal. Getting a variety of foods from the main food groups assures that the body gets enough of different nutrients.
How Long Does It Last?
Considering there’s ice in this smoothie, you should have it all in one sitting. There’s no way to preserve it without compromising its quality and consistency.
If you leave out the ice, you’ll get a smoothie mixture that can be preserved in the fridge or the freezer. The fridge should keep it for 2 days, and the freezer for up to 3 months.
Note that your smoothie mix can become discolored because low temperatures can’t stop it from oxidizing. Still, as long as it’s correctly preserved and gets used within the right time period, it is edible.
We usually use airtight containers when refrigerating. To freeze, on the other hand, we portion the smoothie mix into small Ziploc bags, seal them, and stack them in the freezer. This allows us to individually thaw each serving with ease.
Spinach Berry Smoothie Recipe
If you've never tried this combo or found a good recipe, our spinach berry smoothie recipe is a good one to try.
- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2022-05-13
- prep TIME 7 mins
- total TIME 7 mins
- COURSE Beverage
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 148 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 3 oz spinach (washed)
- 8 oz blueberries
- 4 oz strawberries (hulled and halved)
- 12 oz bananas (sliced)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
- 3 cups ice
- 8 mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
In a blender, place all ingredients: 3 cups ice, 12 oz banana, 8 oz blueberries, 4 oz strawberries, 1/4 cup yogurt, and sugar to your taste but no more than 1 tbsp.
Cover and blend in 20 - 30 seconds at high power mode until smooth.
Pour into serving glasses.
Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Natalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer
- Lisa FerreeThis spinach berry smoothie is a delicious and healthy way to start your day. The combination of spinach and berries makes for a refreshing and nutritious drink.