Top Greens for Your Green Smoothie
I always get question about choosing best greens for smoothie. In this post, I have listed my favorite top 10 greens for smoothie that can help anyone get started with green smoothie diet lifestyle. This list of greens for smoothie are perfect for who is beginner or just starting a healthy smoothie diet. You can explore more as you get consistent with smoothie.
I recommend to start with small quantities, for example handful of greens instead of loading up your smoothie with lots of greens. First, you must develop the taste and then start increasing quantities until you are good with the bitter taste in your smoothie.
Spinach
Spinach is one of the most popular and perfect green for starter. It has mild taste that can blend well with anything without obvious bitter taste. Spinach leafy greens are loaded with nutrition and vitamins. Spinach is affordable and easy to find at any produce store or fresh markets.
Spinach is very good source of vitamin K, vitamin A, Vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, iron, calcium, magnesium, fiber and copper.
Best Blended With
Spinach can blend with anything, but among all my favorites are banana, strawberries, blueberries, apples and pears.
Kale
Kale leafy greens are also one of the popular greens among smoothie lovers. Now it is easy to find kale at any produce or fresh markets. Kale has become popular because of nutrient rich characteristics. It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin k and vitamin E.
Kale is little stronger in taste compared to spinach, but you can avoid strong flavor by using only leaves and removing stems.
Best Blended With
Kale blends well with sweeter fruits. I would recommend to use it with banana, pear, apple and mango.
Swiss Chard
Swiss chard leafy-greens are thicker than spinach, similar to kale. It has little bitter, earthy and salty flavor. I would recommend to try before adding too much into your greens smoothie.
Swiss chard contains vitamin A, C, and K, plus it is good source of potassium, magnesium and iron. Leafy greens are red and greens that will give color to your smoothie.
Best Blended With
Swiss chard can go well with any kind of smoothie. But I would say it will blend well with banana, pineapple, orange and other citrus fruits.
Collard Greens
Collard greens has large, thick leaves loaded with vitamin A, C and K, including iron, folate, and magnesium. Collard greens have stronger taste than spinach but milder taste compared to kale.
Best Blended With
Collard Greens can go well with fruits with stronger flavors such as mango, pineapple, peaches, banana, or cherries.
Beet Greens
Beet greens are one of the powerful root greens that bring high level of nutrients in your smoothie. Beet greens contains vitamin A and C, and K and support healthy skin, blood, and enhance bone health.
Beet greens has mild taste similar to Swiss chard and spinach. It blends well with everything without altering taste.
Best Blended With
Beet greens have milder taste, less compared to kale. It will blend well with all kinds of fruits. I like to use beet greens with grapes, banana, peaches, apples and figs.
Arugula
Arugula leafy greens give blended bitter and peppery taste. It contains high antioxidant that help fight cancer. Arugula leafy greens are good source of calcium, vitamin A, C, K and B. Perfect for immunity booster green smoothie with bone health.
Best Blended With
It blends well with sweet fruits and citrus fruits. You can also consider to add with dates and resins.
Carrot Tops
Carrot tops you can get it at farmer’s market. Usually at produce store, they sell carrots without green tops. But, if you check out your local farmer’s market then you might be able to get them.
Carrot tops are high in nutrients and bitter in taste. Consider to add couple of stalks instead of lot of carrot green tops. Carrot tops contains good amount of chlorophyll and magnesium. They are perfect for healthy blood pressure.
Best Blended With
As in general, due to bitter taste, I recommend to blend with sweet fruits such as banana and mango. Consider adding ginger to compliment the bitter flavor!
Bok Choy
Bok Choy is one of the best green alternative for smoothie recipes. This leafy vegetable contains high level of vitamin A, C and K, and good source of folate and calcium.
Bok choy is perfect for heart health and bone health.
Best Blended With
Bok choy has little earthy bitter taste that makes it easy to blend with banana, papaya and mango.
Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens have very strong and bitter taste, so I would not recommend to use it more in smoothie. You should consider adding few springs of dandelion greens in smoothie to get some kick in taste.
Dandelion greens are good source of vitamin A, E and K. It also contains higher iron compared to spinach.
Best Blended With
Considering strong taste, I would recommend to blend it with sweeter fruits such as banana and mango. Also, you can add them with dried cherries, resins and dates.
Romaine Lettuce
Among all different kinds of lettuce, I recommend Romaine lettuce. It is loaded with vitamin C, and K. Other Lettuce are mostly doesn’t have good nutrients. So, if you decide to use lettuce in smoothie then go for Romaine lettuce.
Romaine lettuce is easy to get at any fresh market. It is also good source of potassium and perfect for weight loss.
Best Blended With
Romaine lettuce has very mild taste that makes it easy to blend with any kinds of fruits. You can blend it without any worry in your smoothie. It will taste good!
Mint
Mint leaves are highly fragrant, that makes smoothie flavorful and fragrant. It helps improve digestion and gives good breath. Mint is loaded with vitamin A, C, B2, potassium and copper.
Best Blended With
Mint blends well with any kinds of fruits.
Now as you have the list of popular leafy greens, start rotating greens in your smoothie for healthy balanced diet along with smoothie superfoods. You may also like 21-Day green smoothie diet program to enhance your health and body.
