Smoothie Ingredient Guide: Greens

Green vegetables are a great base for creating healthy smoothies. Green vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber and are low in calories. They are a excellent addition to smoothies, either as a featured ingredient or just snuck in there to boost the nutritional profile. Greens are especially great for detox, cleanse and weight loss smoothies. And even if you’re not making one of these types of smoothies, add a hand full of fresh spinach to your next smoothie and you’ll be surprised how little you can taste it!

Some greens have stronger tastes than others and should be used in varying quantities. For a 16 ounce smoothie, start with following guidelines:

Spinach, romaine, and radish greens have a mild taste. (1/2 - 1 cup)

Chard, bok choy, collard greens, beet greens, kale have a medium taste. (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Dandelion greens and arugula have a strong taste. (1 tbsp to 1/8 cup)

Herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint, and parsley will add unique flavors to your smoothie. Use these to taste.

Below is a list of greens for smoothies

Arugula

Asparagus

Basil

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Celery

Chard

Cilantro

Collard Greens

Dandelion Greens

Iceberg Lettuce

Kale

Leek

Mint

Okra

Parsley

Peas

Romaine Lettuce

Spinach

Wheat Grass