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I remember being with a group of bloggers one time when the subject of smoothie recipes came up. One person commented, “Do people even use smoothie recipes? You just put stuff in your blender! They’re so easy to make you don’t even need a recipe!”, and then we all kind of chuckled. But at the time I was not a person who had ever made my own smoothies and I quietly thought to myself, “Umm, I would still like a smoothie recipe please.” 🙂

 Since that time I’ve gotten much more comfortable making my own smoothies and now I can kind of relate to what she was saying. I seldom use an exact recipe – BUT – I do always use the same process that I’ve dubbed my Smoothie System.  And I use my smoothie system to make my green smoothies too!

Basically my smoothie system is to use three layers of ingredients – A first layer of a fresh ingredient, a middle layer of a frozen ingredient, and then a final layer of another fresh ingredient.  I then add a bit of almond milk to help things blend together. If I’m adding any flavorings, I put them in between the second and third layers.

I previously shared how I use these layers to make a Black Forest Smoothie and a Turmeric Smoothie for Inflammation.  But I’ve also learned that this same strategy works great to make a green smoothie too even though I had previously been kind of intimidated by the thought of making a green smoothie!

My Green Smoothie Ingredients

Green smoothies get their name because they are green. Super obvious, right?  And that green color is because some kind of leafy green will always be included in the ingredients. I like to use spinach.

Perhaps you’re thinking that spinach isn’t a very pleasant ingredient for a smoothie. I was worried about that at first too. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised that when blended with other sweeter fruits, you really can’t even taste the spinach and yet you’re getting the healthy benefits of spinach without having to take the time to eat a salad. Works for me!

For this recipe, I like to blend the spinach with honeydew melon and frozen banana. Here’s how I layer those ingredients for my green smoothie:

• First layer – Fresh Honeydew Melon
• Second layer – Frozen Banana
• Third layer – Fresh Spinach

One additional ingredient I often add in is just a small dollop of peanut butter. This can be an optional ingredient, but I’ve really come to enjoy the flavor it adds to the final mixture.

Once I have all those ingredients layered into my Magic Bullet container, I then add in about ¼ cup of my homemade almond milk. You can use another type of plant milk if you wish or you can use regular dairy milk.

Then all that’s left to do is blend it all together. The result will be a smoothie that’s healthy, tasty, and a lovely shade of green too!

Let’s Make Our Own Smoothies!

Even though I’ll give you some ingredient measurements below to get you started, once you’ve made a few smoothies you’ll probably also discover that it can usually be done without any exact recipe or measuring. In fact many times a homemade smoothie is a handy and frugal way to use up what you have such as those fruits in the refrigerator that aren’t going to last much longer. For those times, I don’t worry too much about a precise recipe either.

But I’ve also learned that it helps to have some kind of a template to use too and that’s why I’ve come to love my layering system. It’s helped me to adapt other smoothie recipes I come across into variations that are easier for me to use, and it’s also helped me feel more confident using ingredients I already have on hand. It definitely helped me to create this green smoothie variation that’s now in my regular rotation of favorite smoothies that I like to blend up. Perhaps this layering system can help you get started drinking healthy green smoothies too!

Related Reading:

• My Simple Smoothie System
• Healthy Black Forest Smoothie
• Turmeric Smoothie for Inflammation
• How to Make Your Own Almond Milk