Start your mornings right with this delicious green detox smoothie. Spinach, kiwi, banana, chia seeds, dates and almond milk work hand in hand to provide you with a healthy nutritious boost that will get you going in no time.

Are Green Smoothies Really That Good for You?

Smoothies can be a very healthy addition to your diet, but it all comes down to the ingredients you’re using. And green smoothies are definitely among the healthiest smoothies you can enjoy.

Certain ingredients, such as oats, sweeteners and even fruits, are better when included in smaller quantities, while adding a few handfuls of spinach, kale or Swiss chard to your smoothie can make it a whole lot healthier without negatively impacting the taste.

This recipe for green detox smoothie includes a healthy serving of spinach, a banana that adds just the right amount of creaminess, a kiwi for an extra boost of fresh flavour, chia seeds for a boost of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and dates to sweeten it.

How To Make a Green Detox Smoothie

When making this green smoothie, I picked some of the best possible ingredients that will help you detox and fill your body with nutrients. You’ll benefit from:

Spinach: This almost famous leafy green is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, and considered to be one of the healthiest veggies around. It’s low in calories and sugar, high in fibre, and full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, K1, folic acid, calcium and iron. Spinach has been shown to help decrease oxidative stress, improve eye health, aid in cancer prevention, and help regulate blood pressure levels.

Kiwi: Equally green and packed with flavour, kiwis are an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants as well. They’re also full of nutrients such as vitamins C, K and E, folate and potassium. Kiwi can help treat asthma, aid digestion, boost your immune system, help manage blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, and even protect against vision loss.

Chia Seeds: These tiny black seeds are considered among the healthiest foods on the planet. They are rich in fibre, which helps you feel full, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Chia seeds may lower your risk of heart disease, reduce blood sugar levels and chronic inflammation.

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidant is a word that gets thrown around a lot when we talk about health benefits of certain fruits and veggies. So what exactly are antioxidants?

Simply put, antioxidants are molecules that help your body combat oxidative stress. That's a state in which there are too many free radicals in the body. When these free radicals interact with the body’s cells, they cause damage that is linked to chronic inflammation, a weakened immune system and many harmful diseases.

What Greens to Put in a Green Smoothie

One of the best things about green smoothies is that you can easily add a healthy serving of leafy greens without changing the flavour of the smoothie too much. When blended, the taste of these greens is very mild and usually perfectly masked by the taste of other ingredients that you add. My top suggestions include:

Kale
Spinach
Swiss chard
Broccoli
Celery
Parsley
Bok choy

When Should I Drink My Green Smoothie?

You can enjoy your green smoothie any time of the day. Let’s take a look at some of the most common routines, and why they might be a good idea.

In the morning: it’s always a good idea to start your day with a couple of servings of fresh fruits and veggies.

Before and after a workout: it’s best to fuel your body with carbohydrates before a workout, for which a green smoothie is perfect. Post-workout snacks, however, should be high in protein, which will help to build and repair muscles. So, it might be better to reach for something different than a green smoothie.

In place of your lunch or dinner: if you’re having one of those days when you just can’t seem to find the time for a proper lunch, a smoothie is better than skipping a meal altogether. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing this every day, as a green smoothie is not a wholesome meal.

As a snack: when you’re craving something sweet, a smoothie can be a great idea. However, some smoothies can be quite high in calories, so make sure you take this into account when planning your other meals.

Can Smoothies Replace a Meal?

This depends on lots of different things, including how calorie dense your smoothie is, when you are planning to eat your next meal, and how high in calories and other nutrients your other meals will be.

How Many Calories Are in This Green Smoothie?

One serving of this green detox smoothie has approximately 180 calories, 3 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat and 34 grams of carbohydrates.

More Healthy Smoothies

Click here for a complete listing of healthy smoothies.