Healthy Green Smoothie (No Added Sugar)

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This healthy green smoothie with no added sugar is actually delicious and is loaded with tons of vitamins and minerals your body needs! Ready in less than 10 minutes, this health-promoting drink makes a great snack or can be part of any meal such as breakfast.

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So it’s no secret that I LOVE green smoothies. They’re one of my favorite things to drink (eat?) along with breakfasts such as my butter bean scramble, chocolate cherry overnight oats, date energy balls, Instant Pot soy yogurt especially with my low fat magic granola (also coming soon!). Or a great pairing for lunch is a hummus veggie sandwich and one of these green smoothies!

I know, I know, all the whole food plant based doctors tell you to chew your calories, not drink them. And I agree with them… most of the time.

But there are a few instances in which a healthy green smoothie (without added sugar of course) is an outstanding choice:

1. If they’re the only way you’re going to get those vegetables in: Say you’re not a salad person. You’re not going to eat my huge kale sweet potato salad a few times a week.
2. It’s a recovery food after an intense workout: After a run, I can’t stand the thought of most food. But fueling after a run is incredibly important if you want to get stronger and keep up a training schedule. So a smoothie is a great way to do that and it’s easy on the stomach.
3. If you need to gain weight: If you’re trying to put on weight (never been something I personally struggled with, much the opposite!), smoothies are a great way to do that. While this particular green smoothie recipe is on the lower calorie side, there are many things you can add to bulk it up (nuts, seeds, nut butter, protein powder, more fruit, etc.).
4. If chewing food is a challenge at the moment: If you’ve just had dental work or chewing (or digesting, for that matter) is an issue, green smoothies are a great option for packing in a ton of nutrition. Just make sure to consult your doctor (or dentist) before consuming a bunch of smoothies.
5. Transitioning to a plant based diet: If you’re still including animal products in your diet but you want to transition to a fully plant based diet, I applaud you! I switched over 6 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did for myself. It can be challenging, so green smoothies are a great way to flood your body with phytonutrients, they’re easy to digest, they’re delicious, and they’re incredibly quick to make, all of which make them a great choice to someone who’s new to this lifestyle.
6. Learning to like breakfast: This one is the reason I got into green smoothies. I used to hate breakfast, and I would skip it and wait until I was ravenous to eat, which often led to bad food choices. I knew when I began my weight loss journey, I needed to start eating breakfast. I started with green smoothies and Wasa Light Rye Crispbread with oil-free hummus and veggies and kept that breakfast up for a few months while I built up the habit. Now I can’t wait for breakfast every day!

So no matter why you’re choosing a smoothie, know that here we are OK with smoothies as long as they have a Whole Food Plant Based ingredients list (no added sugar, salt, oil, overly processed foods, or animal products).

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.

• Filtered Water: I always add liquid to the blender first so that the blades can more easily blend up all the greens and frozen fruit I add. I just use filtered water for this recipe, but you can check the substitutions section below for other options.
• Greens: I used a mix of kale and spinach in this smoothie. I have a high-powered blender so I was able to include the stems of my kale in my smoothie, but if you do not have a high-powered blender, I’d remove the stems and save them for a soup or a stir fry (you can chop them and freeze them if you’re not going to use them immediately).
• Mint Leaves, Optional: I love the subtle minty flavor paired with the pineapple, mango, and lemon. It tastes like a tropical paradise!
• Frozen Fruit: I love frozen pineapple and mango in my green smoothies because I feel they help with any bitter flavor the greens might have (some people find kale to be bitter).
• Ice, Optional: To make it cold!
• Ginger, Optional: I add 2 cubes of frozen ginger to this vegan smoothie, though you could add a chunk of fresh ginger or a smaller amount of ground ginger (start with a half teaspoon). Ginger is anti-inflammatory is and so tasty in a green smoothie.
• Medjool Date, Pitted, Optional: For a little extra sweetness (and dates do have nutrients since they’re a whole fruit, unlike most sugars), you can add a pitted date (or two), but it’s optional.
• Hulled Hemp Seeds: A little healthy fats make the smoothie more filling. Hemp seeds are a great source of omega fatty acids and you won’t detect them in the smoothie. There are many other options, but I do recommend adding a little seeds to your smoothie to make it more satisfying. Plus the hemp seeds add a little creaminess!
• Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh squeezed lemon juice but I have to be realistic and tell you I don’t always have it. Or sometimes I’m honestly too lazy to squeeze it. I LOVE the Italian Volcano brand of lemon juice (it’s organic and so much better than any other brand I’ve tried), which I often purchase in a 2-pack from Costco.
• Balsamic Vinegar, Optional: I just do a teaspoon of this and I don’t even taste it. When vinegar is taken with greens, it produces nitric oxide which is important for endothelial lining health (the lining of your arteries). I believe any vinegar will work but darker balsamic vinegars are better due to the antioxidants in the darker colored grapes.

Substitutions

• Filtered Water: If you’d rather add a plain unsweetened plant-based milk to your smoothie, you can substitute all the water for non-dairy milk or do half and half. I usually use soy milk in my house for extra protein and benefits from soy. You can also try juice or coconut water if you prefer.
• Greens: Use whatever greens you like! If you’re new to green smoothies, start with sweeter greens like spinach and romaine. If you’re a seasoned greens eater, experiment with different greens. When I was drinking green smoothies every day, I made sure to vary them so I got different nutrients. My favorites though are still kale, spinach, and collard greens.
• Mint Leaves, Optional: This is totally optional, so if you don’t have mint or don’t like it, leave it out.
• Frozen Fruit: I recommend using frozen fruit to keep the smoothie cold, but aside from that use anything you like. Bananas make the smoothie nice and creamy. Other frozen fruit is great too. You could also add things like fresh apple or grapes to sweeten it.
• Ginger, Optional: If you don’t like the zing of ginger, you don’t have to add it.
• Medjool Date, Pitted, Optional: Omit if you don’t have dates or don’t want the extra calories. If the smoothie isn’t sweet enough, add a ripe banana, a handful of grapes, or more pineapple and mango.
• Hulled Hemp Seeds: If you don’t want the added fat in your green smoothie, omit this. If you want to try another nut or seed, try raw walnuts, raw cashews, raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or raw pumpkin seeds. Many people add chia seeds or flaxseed to their smoothies and that’s also great, but personally I don’t like to do that because as the smoothie sits, it thickens (those seeds are gelatinous when soaked) and the consistency gets a little weird for me.
• Balsamic Vinegar, Optional: This is optional, so if you don’t want to add it, you don’t have to. I just am in the practice of always adding balsamic vinegar to my food any time I’m eating greens.
• Lemon Juice: If you don’t have lemon juice, try lime juice or orange juice!

How to Make a Healthy Green Smoothie with No Added Sugar

Watch me make this recipe or follow the step-by-step instructions below. Note that the video might start about 10-15 seconds before I start the smoothie, due to some weird technical issue I had embedding the video.

1. Add the water first: I like to add the water (or whatever liquid you choose) to the blender first to make it easier on the blades.
2. Next up, the greens: Add the tougher greens (kale, in this case) to the blender next, followed by the softer ones (spinach and mint, in this case). We want the greens as close to the blades as possible so they get liquified. If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, you can include the kale stems (I just rip the washed kale leaves into roughly 2-inch chunks to make it easier to blend) and they will get liquified. If not, chop the stems and save them in the fridge or freezer for a stir fry or soup.
3. Now add the frozen stuff: Add the frozen fruit, ice cubes, and frozen ginger cubes (or whatever form of ginger you’re adding.
4. Add the remaining ingredients: Add everything else now—the pitted Medjool date, hemp seeds, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Place the lid on tightly.
5. Blend: Blend on high for about a minute, or however long is needed for the smoothie to get, well, smooth.
6. Taste and adjust if needed: Taste the smoothie. Does it need more sweetness? Add another pitted Medjool date and a little more ice (or a frozen banana!) and blend. More tartness? Add another tablespoon of lemon juice.

Expert Tips

• New to green smoothies? If you are new to green smoothies, this might not be sweet enough for you. One option is to omit the kale and get used to smoothies with spinach first, as the flavor of the spinach is very subtle and is easily overpowered by the fruit. You can also increase the fruit or use even sweeter fruit like ripe bananas, grapes, and more dates.
• Need a more robust smoothie? If you’re using this green smoothie recipe as a meal replacement, you might want to add a bit more healthy fats as well as some protein in the form of a protein powder, cooked beans, or tofu. Nut or seed butters are also a great addition.
• Troubleshooting: If you can’t get the greens to blend smoothly, try blending longer. If the smoothie gets warm, you can either stick it in the fridge for a bit or pour it over ice. For what it’s worth, some blenders cannot handle any green tougher than spinach. I had a $50-ish (USD) blender a long time ago with multiple blades and it could not blend kale. I eventually saved up for a Vitamix and didn’t have that problem anymore. I know it’s a lot of money and I was very fortunate that I was able to save $25 a paycheck for several months to be able to afford it, but it’s one of the best investments I’ve made.

Serving Suggestions

For the first few months of my weight loss journey, a green smoothie with Wasa Light Rye Crispbread, homemade oil-free hummus, cucumber slices, tomato slices, and microgreens was my breakfast of choice. I still love it for lunch sometimes, since I’m currently obsessed with my Instant Pot soy yogurt fruit bowl for breakfast, hah.

Another fantastic pairing is a hummus veggie sandwich (on sprouted whole grain bread) with a green smoothie. So nourishing AND filling!

More Plant-Based Recipes to Try

• Kale Sweet Potato Salad
• Healthy Chickpea Tuna Salad
• Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats
• Bell Pepper Nachos with Plant-Based Nacho Cheese Sauce and Edamame Guacamole
• Portobello Pizzas
• Cabbage Mushroom Soup
• Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Healthy Green Smoothie Recipe

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