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Mar 14, 2020 By Stacie Hassing

5-Ingredient Go-to Green Smoothie

Dairy-Free
Egg-Free
Gluten-free
Grain-Free
Paleo
Vegan
Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe

Kick-start your day with our Go-to Green Smoothie. Made with only five, wholesome ingredients including banana, avocado and greens.

Green smoothie in a mason jar.

Well-balanced and nutrient-packed.

Smoothies make for a great well-balanced, nutrient-packed, and nourishing meal or snack. When made right they provide an adequate source of carbs, proteins, fats and fiber with not a lot of sugar and perfect to enjoy as a healthy breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Five-Ingredient Go-to Green Smoothie ingredients

A green smoothie you’ll love!

Today, I’m sharing with you the base of my go-to green smoothie recipe, one I make often. I love that you can keep it simple and make it just as the recipe is written OR give it even more of a nutrient and flavor boost with additional ingredients of your choosing – I share ideas below.

If you’re new to green smoothies, this one is for you as it’s not so “green”. The banana adds a nice subtle sweetness which makes for a perfect beginner green smoothie! It always turns out a beautiful green color, too.

Additionally, this go-to green smoothie is perfect for meal prep. Simply freeze together individual servings of the banana, avocado and greens in stasher or zip-top bags for an easy grab, blend and go breakfast. 

5-Ingredient Go-To Green Smoothie has everything you need. A healthy source of fats, quality protein, nutrient dense greens and satisfying fiber! Click To Tweet

Five-Ingredient Go-to Green Smoothie aerial view of smoothie blended in blender

Five simple ingredients.

  • Banana – don’t fear the banana, folks…it adds the right amount of sweetness and provides a host of nutritional benefits. Bananas are rich in potassium, an electrolyte that promotes healthy blood pressure and electrolyte balance. In addition, bananas are a good source of insoluble fiber which promotes digestion and regularity. They’re a good source of soluble fiber too, which increases satiety (feeling of fullness).
  • Avocado – the perfect source of healthy fat to add to your smoothie and adds a delicious creaminess. Avocados are one of our favorite sources of fats. They’re a great source of fiber and potassium, amongst many other nutrients, as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Greens of choice – Leafy greens are a nutrient dense food and one that you should eat everyday. Rich in antioxidants, fiber and loaded with nutrients. When blended, juiced or cooked the nutrients become more absorbable when compared to eating raw so adding spinach to smoothies is a perfect way to take full advantage of the nutritional benefits.
  • Milk – Unsweetened almond, coconut or cashew milk is what I recommend. They’re all dairy free options that add a nice and subtle flavor to the smoothie. One thing to look out for is the added sugars, so be sure to purchase unsweetened nut milks or you can simply make your own.
  • Protein Powder – not all protein powder is created equal. I suggest a protein powder that is natural and organic and free from artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors as well as free from soy and gluten. Most importantly, one that you can tolerate. If you choose a whey protein, I’d suggest one that’s made from grass-fed cows milk.  Collagen Peptides (such as Primal Kitchen) also makes for a great option for protein. Collagen is known to provide a number of benefits including joint support, muscle repair & growth, cell growth, and healthy hair & skin. A plant-based protein would be another option.

Get 10% off on Primal Kitchen products with code: REALFOODRDS

Green Smoothie in a mason jar side view

So there you have it, my 5-ingredient go-to green smoothie! This is the base of almost every smoothie I make.

For an added boost of flavor and nutrients you could add ingredients such as:

  • Various fruits and veggies (berries, mango, orange, pineapple, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, etc.)
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • Matcha
  • Cacao
  • Hemp hearts, chia seed and flax seeds
  • Brazil nuts and walnuts
  • Nut butters
  • Maca powder
  • Probiotic powder
  • and the list goes on…..

Are you ready to give this Go-to Green Smoothie a try?

Make one smoothie for now and one to enjoy later by storing a serving in a mason jar with a lid for up to 24 hours.

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Let's Get Cookin'

Five-Ingredient Go-To Green Smoothie

This is our go-to green smoothie with only five ingredients and packed with nutrients. Kick-start your day with this creamy, go-to green smoothie.

  • Author: The Real Food Dietitians
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Smoothie
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1–1/2 cups ice
  • 1 medium banana, fresh or frozen (may sub 1 cup fruit of choice such as green apple, frozen pineapple, or mango)
  • 2 handfuls of spinach or greens of choice
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 ½–2 cups milk of choice
  • 2 scoops protein powder of choice (such as collagen peptides) 

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth and creamy and no chunks remain.
  3. Serve and enjoy (or store in a mason jar with lid for up to 24 hours in the fridge).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
  • Calories: 215
  • Sugar: 7 g
  • Sodium: 180 mg
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22 g
  • Fiber: 7 g
  • Protein: 13 g

What are your favorite Smoothie ingredients? Comment below!

Pin image for 5-Ingredient Go-to Green Smoothie


This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and daughter reside with their two pups. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

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  1. Andi says

    February 10, 2016 at 2:28 pm

    Less of a comment, more of a question… What would be your best recommendation for a banana substitute? I am, quite unfortunately, deathly allergic to bananas. Even if touched by someone who has recently handled a banana and has not thoroughly washed their hands, I become acutely anaphylactic. Just looking for something that will provide the same (or better) nutritional benefit, sweetness, and satiety. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 10, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      Hey Andi…great question! I’m sorry to hear that you’re crazy allergic to bananas. BUT good thing there are plenty of other fruits available. I don’t always add bananas to my smoothies. A few of my other favorite frozen fruits to add include berries, mangos, peaches, and cherries. But in this particular recipe I would go with a 1/2 cup of frozen mango as the substitute.

      Reply
  2. Barbara says

    October 20, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    What protein powder do you use?

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      October 21, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Hi Barbara,

      We’ve tried and use several protein powders. If you’re looking to add protein without flavor then we recommend Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides or Natural Citizen unflavored protein powder (plant-based).

      Reply
      • Gwen says

        August 21, 2018 at 8:44 am

        My understanding of VP Collagen Peptides is that they are used more for joint health, skin, nails, gut health. Even though it says protein, I read they are not to be used as a protein replacement but whey or vegan protein should be used in addition (depending on your preference). Please add your advice on this. Thanks.

        Reply
        • Jessica Beacom says

          August 29, 2018 at 8:06 am

          Hi Gwen,

          You are correct in that you cannot use collagen peptides as a solitary protein source in your diet. However, because we typically consume varied, mixed diets that include both animal and plant proteins it all comes out okay in the end (meaning you don’t have to combine proteins at any given meal to the get the most benefit, as we’d previously thought, but rather you can look at the day and your intake as a whole).

          Reply
  3. georgie @ georgieeats says

    July 19, 2018 at 8:04 am

    This looks completely epic!!! I have put the ingredients on my shopping list for next week, cant wait!! Thanks for the inspo xxx

    Reply
  4. Nina says

    September 12, 2019 at 6:26 am

    Hi,

    What else can one use instead of protein powder?

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      September 12, 2019 at 6:54 am

      You could simply omit it or add hemp seeds instead.

      Reply
  5. Albertina Geller says

    March 17, 2020 at 4:12 am

    That smoothie looks really great! I have just started eating right after years of neglecting my health. The present situation with the coronavirus an with so many other health issues has served as a much needed wakeup call for me and your blog is helping me a lot with the amazingtips and advice. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
  6. Rose says

    February 27, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    Great article!

    I have been drinking green smoothies for years now. Your recipe looks so good! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for the tips!

    Stay fit and healthy!

    Cheers!

    Reply

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The Real Food Dietitians is the passion-driven product of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom. They’ve combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.

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