Simple Green Smoothie with Spinach, Banana & Peanut Butter {Kid-friendly}

A green smoothie is blended refreshing drink that consists of dark green leafy vegetables and may often also contain fruit to sweeten it. Green smoothies get their name from the vibrant green hue produced by adding leafy greens to the smoothie, in addition to ingredients such as avocados and/or other nutritious add-ins.

Green smoothies can range in ingredients, but often contain some type of green leafy vegetable like spinach or kale to give it that distinct green colour, in addition to other ingredients such as banana, milk or milk alternative, avocado, mango, nut butter or other preferred add-ins! This green smoothie recipe is unique as it contains two sources of vegetables — spinach and cauliflower, in addition to banana and peanut butter.

In this smoothie, we use a large handful of baby spinach, but you can use as much or as little spinach as you’d like! If you add less, the smoothie will have a more subtle green colour, whereas with more, it will have that vibrant and glowing green hue. The great thing about spinach is that it’s very neutral in flavour, so adding more (or less) won’t significantly alter the flavour of the smoothie.

The best way to make a green smoothie taste good is to use an overripe banana (the brown spotty kind). This will ensure that the smoothie is sweet enough and has the right amount of flavour to balance out the spinach and frozen cauliflower.

A smoothie bowl is typically thicker than a smoothie and should have a thick enough consistency that you can eat it with a spoon. To make a green smoothie bowl, simply add less milk. You’ll need a high power blender in order to blend all of the ingredients with less liquid. Pour into a bowl and top with desired toppings such as extra banana slices, a sprinkle of hemp hearts and shredded coconut!

You can certainly drink a green smoothie everyday! In fact, it’s currently recommended that you aim to get in at least one serving of dark leafy green vegetables per day and this is a great way to meet the recommendations! Free free to switch up what you put in your green smoothie to get a wide variety of nutrients.

Consuming a green smoothie in itself will not make you lose weight, but if you incorporate it into your diet as a replacement for something else that may not be as nutritious, it can potentially assist with weight management.

That being said, it’s important to monitor what goes into your smoothie, and be mindful of how many “add-ins” you’re putting into the smoothie, in addition to how large of a portion size you’re consuming. It can be easy to down a lot of calories when drinking smoothies, so portion control is key if your overall goal is weight loss.

It’s not recommended. The banana is what’s used to sweeten up this smoothie, so if a green banana is used, it will not be ripe or sweet enough to produce a good tasting smoothie. Plus, with a green banana, the smoothie will have a very strong banana flavour. For the best flavour, use an overripe banana.

Green smoothies are packed with vegetables and fruit, in addition to other nutritious ingredients which can provide a wide range of nutrients. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach contain a whole host of nutrients including fibre, vitamin A, K and potassium. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and a good source of folate and fibre. Banana offer soluble fibre in addition to potassium and energy producing B-vitamins. Milk contains calcium, vitamin D and magnesium which can promote strong bones and teeth. Peanut butter is rich in heart-healthy fats and also adds some protein to the smoothie as well. That’s a whole load of nutrients in one drink!