I’m so excited to share this green smoothie recipe! Before you judge, let me just start out by saying that this smoothie is not delicious just by green smoothie standards. It’s not the kind of thing where you’re just lying to yourself saying it’s good because you know it’s healthy for you… I actually crave these smoothies.
Outside of my photography business I also babysit part-time for a wonderful family, the Devlins. The first time the mother, Marisa, offered me this green smoothie that she makes, I basically accepted out of politeness. Honestly, I was expecting it to taste like a frothy version of a salad. I can’t say I get overly excited about eating spinach and I had tried coconut water once to see what all the fuss was about and didn’t make it past the first sip. So how could I possibly like this smoothie? The answer is, I don’t know. But all I can say is that it is the best smoothie I’ve ever had. It’s light and refreshing and you can feel good about drinking it because it’s so healthy for you!
The other good news is that I was worried that I would need a Vitamix to make this. Turns out my KitchenAid blender we got for our wedding works really well! If you can’t shell out for a Vitamix, this is a great affordable solution (see it here). I just use the “Liquify” option, and it blends everything really well. The other great thing about this blender is that it’s dishwasher safe. I’m just going to say it– I loathe doing dishes. Especially when I’m in a rush. So the fact that I can make the smoothie, then throw the blender right in the dishwasher is a must for me!
So without further a do, here it is!
HIS & HERS GREEN SMOOTHIE
Recipe Makes Enough for Two
3 cups of Baby Spinach
1 cup Coconut Water
1/3 cup Canned Pineapple Chunks + a splash of juice from the can
1 Whole Pear (chopped)
6-7 Walnut Halves
3 tbs Whey Protein (plain or vanilla)
2 cups of Ice
Note: Since you’re making a big batch, ingredient amounts don’t have to be exact.
Tips for Shortcuts (aka not taking out the time to measure everything precisely):
– Some blenders have measuring marks right on the side, which is useful in this case for measuring out the spinach & coconut water without having to dirty measuring cups
– Depending on what whey protein you use, you might be able to just use the scoop it comes with to measure out how much you need. For me, I take about half a scoop.
– I’ve found that 1/3 cup of Dole pineapple chunks is about 7-8 chunks… again this will vary depending on what brand you use.
– To get the amount of ice I need, I scoop up as much as I can hold with both hands, then reach back in for one more single handful. But I have tiny hands, so you may want to test this out yourself.
Before & After!
The smoothies here are displayed in our fancy shmancy TJ Maxx glasses, but really I drink them on the go most mornings out of the insulated cups that come with the straws.
If you feel inspired to try it out, let me know how you like it!