How to Build the Perfect Green Smoothie (Infographic)

James Colquhoun JAMES COLQUHOUN

Are you ever guilty of posting photos of green smoothies to social media? We certainly are! To us, a green smoothie is something so beautiful, however, not long after posting one of our green beauties, one of the first questions we usually get is - What the heck is in that and why would you drink that?!

Firstly, let us tell you why we love green smoothies:

  • They are a great way to naturally boost your energy making them perfect in the morning or at that 3 pm slump
  • Packed with disease-fighting nutrients
  • A fast and easy way to give your body what it needs when you’re in a rush
  • Packed with phytonutrients from the greens, your immune system will get a nice boost to help it function optimally

Unlike juices, smoothies consist of the entire fruit or vegetable, skin and all, and contain all of the fiber from the fruits and vegetables.

However, the blending process breaks the fiber apart (which makes the fruit and vegetables easier to digest) but also helps create a slow, even release of nutrients into the bloodstream and avoids blood sugar spikes.

Smoothies tend to be more filling, because of the fiber, and generally faster to make than juice, so they can be great to drink first thing in the morning as your breakfast or for snacks throughout the day.

We promise this isn't just some trendy fad, try adding in a green smoothie every day for a week and feel your life explode! They don't have to be complicated either, follow this simple formula, open your mind, and soon you will be a green smoothie junkie too ;-)

Check out our foolproof formula for the perfect green smoothie below:

OUR FOOL-PROOF FORMULA FOR A PERFECT GREEN SMOOTHIE

STEP 1: THE BASE (LIQUID)

  • filtered water
  • coconut water
  • coconut milk
  • cooled green tea
  • nut milk (almond, hemp, cashew)

STEP 2: ALKALIZING

  • spinach
  • romaine
  • green leaf lettuce
  • kale
  • collards
  • herbs

STEP 3: PROTEIN

  • protein powder
  • natural yogurt

STEP 4: HEALTHY FATS

  • avocado
  • nut butter
  • coconut oil
  • chia seeds
  • hemp seeds
  • flax seeds

STEP 5: NATURAL SWEETENER

  • pear
  • banana
  • pineapple
  • orange
  • berries
  • lemon
  • apple
  • mango
  • dates
  • raw honey
  • maple syrup
  • molasses

STEP 6: BONUS BOOSTERS

Add your 2-3 of your favorite superfoods

  • chia seeds
  • your favorite protein powder
  • maca powder
  • cacao
  • coconut oil
  • nut butter
  • cinnamon
  • vanilla
  • hemp seeds

FINAL STEP: BLEND!

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

James Colquhoun

BY JAMES COLQUHOUN

James Colquhoun is the filmmaker behind Food Matters, Hungry For Change, and Transcendence Seasons 1 & 2 and founder of Food Matters and FMTV. Along with Laurentine ten Bosch, James founded the Food Matters community following the release of the 2008 documentary, giving people the tools (films, books, articles, and guided programs) to take charge of their own health. From here, FMTV was born! It was designed as a place where you can access vital information by watching all of your favorite inspiring documentaries, expert interviews, & recipe videos in one place, and in early 2020 FMTV found it's new home on Gaia.