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Sunrise Green Smoothie – One Of My Favorite Smoothies Ever!

Something incredible happened when I was on vacation with friends recently.

SunriseSmoothie

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a weekend getaway to the French West Indies with 3 other couples. We rented a villa, so it was like one big slumber party the whole time. We ate every meal together, it was so fun! The first morning I woke up expecting to have a croissant for breakfast (because that’s what is typical for that part of the world – and I love them!), but to my surprise, my friend was busy making a green smoothie in the kitchen. Frankly, I was shocked and so happy at the same time! My friend ended up making one of the best smoothies I have ever had – using the only produce he could find on the island. Vegetables like kale were not available at the store, so he used some spinach and some other basic ingredients he could find. I couldn’t believe how good it turned out. The next morning, I made sure to wake up early, so I could watch, help him make it and steal the recipe! Haha! Here it is: 

Food Babe's Sunrise Green Smoothie
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 4 cups dark leafy greens - spinach works well
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 apple, cored and diced
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 scoop Truvani Vanilla Protein Powder (optional)
  • 1 cup ice (optional)
Instructions
  1. Put dark leafy greens, cucumber, lime juice, water into a high speed blender and blend for a minute.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
Notes
Please choose all organic ingredients if possible

 

If you know someone who loves green smoothies, or wants to try something new, please share this recipe with them! It’s so easy and can be made anywhere if you have a blender. 

Xo,

Vani 

P.S. For the record, I still had my fair share of croissants (one of my favorite foods ever!). 

 GroupPhoto

 

 

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146 responses to “Sunrise Green Smoothie – One Of My Favorite Smoothies Ever!

  1. My favorite: handful of kale or leafy green, teaspoon of nutiva hemp, nickel sized piece of ginger, 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 organic dried prune. It’s pretty sweet, on it’s own, but you can add a dab or raw honey, if you need to.

      1. I love your website and wish I could enjoy the wonderful recipes you share, they sound wonderfully healthful. My wish for society is that all can enjoy good healthy organic food that people were intended to eat/drink. It is very sad to me that a lot of people I know myself included can not afford to eat organic and eating gmo’s is down right scary!

  2. Your smoothie sounds delicious, but isn’t that way too much sugar for 2 people?

    1. It’s about 1.5 servings of fruit person – since the fiber is kept in the smoothie, I don’t have a big concern with this at all.

      1. The sunrise green smoothie sounds wonderful… Of course fruit sugars and raw honey are not the same as refined sugars … Natures fructose and honey contain all the minerals nature put in these foods… AND all the fiber of the fruit is still there. Absolutely no problem !! A slice of white bread is much more of a problem than this smoothie. Another addition (though it takes a little more effort)… is to include some fresh sprouts in the blend , which you grow yourself. Broccoli sprouts are some of the most anti-oxidant rich sprouts in the world, but all sprouts have super amounts of enzymes and minerals. I like lentil sprouts, mung bean sprouts, and red clover sprouts myself, because they stay good longer after sprouting… If you use a piece of screen, large rubber band, and a gallon jar, you can easily grow a huge amount of sprouts easily. (Use about 1/2 cup seed per gallon… one type per jar… mix later if desired)….Just put in seeds.. put screen in place with rubber band… and fill half full with cold water. leave overnight on counter top.. then drain and rinse in the morning. empty out the water… and lay flat during the day in indirect light. Rinse and drain twice each day. In about 4 to 5 days. Drain thoroughly by turning jar upside down for 1/2 hour… then pull out sprouts and place into sealable containers (I put paper towel in bottom to absorb any excess water which condenses)… close containers and place in cool fridge. Tip: you don’t have to buy “sprouting seeds”… for most things. Just go to your organic store’s bulk bins and buy organic lentils, beans, etc.

  3. Been making a very similar one for three years. Cocoanut water, one orange, one apple, handful of spinach, 1/3 to 1/2 cucumber…blend well. Can add berries, pineapple, nuts, ground flax seed, etc. Delish!!

    1. Hi Mira – Vani uses a Vitamix but any good blender will work.

    2. Mira, I am “saving up” for a Vitamix. 🙂 I will tell you that my Ninja Professional (about $100 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond) works pretty well on smoothies. You don’t want to use a “regular” blender. The frozen stuff will pretty much kill it.

      1. Hi,
        Have you looked into the Vitamix factory refurbished program? I have one and it works great! Saves you $$$$ too.
        I’m not affiliated with Vitamix, just a happy owner of one.
        Don

      2. Actually, the Waring Commercial Blender, MX1000XTX 3.5 HP, is as good as the Vitamix and a lot less expensive. I have had it for years and it never has had a problem.

      3. Don’t forget that the coupons at Bed, Bath, Beyond don’t expire.

    3. Just saw this deal on a refurb Vitamix today.
      (my only affiliation with Vitamix is that we’ve owned and enjoyed one for 15 years.)

      David

  4. Sounds good, although I would make it just before consuming it, although this may apply more to juices than smoothies (juices oxidize faster from what I’ve read).

    My smoothie, which tastes great (at least to me) – purified water or coconut milk, whey protein concentrate powder, organic super green mix (chlorella, spirulina, wheat grass, maca, camu camu, Suma), ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids (1/4 tsp), sesame seeds, almonds, fish oil, half an apple, 1-2 dates, an organic egg, 1/4 banana, some strawberries and blueberries. Sometimes add some coconut.

    1. how the hell does your stomach feel good on that and digest it all!? whey/egg/with nuts and everything? not good food combinations. do you notive how bloated you feel after?

      1. Actually, I feel fine – no bloating. It keeps me full for about 4 hours plus or minue. I don’t put giant amounts of each ingredient (a Tbsp of sesame, probably 2 -3 tbsp of almond meal), 2-3 strawberries depending on size, etc. I’ve changed it and refined it over the years, and it works for me. Unfortunately, there is an excellent product called Ultimate Meal (theultimatelife.net) that does bloat me so had to stop taking it.

      2. wow thats great fot you! i am so snesative to many food combinations

    2. I have to agree that whey protein is generally bad. Makes us fat, especially in the belly. It’s a concoction of animal fats and by products. It also can lead to kidney stones, if eaten regularly (too much protein, from not plant sources)

      1. Whey protein is generally safe when taken in recommended dosage (not to excess) which is usually from 17 – 28 grams per day. I’ve never heard of anyone having kidney stones from consuming whey – there are many causes of kidney stones, so just because someone is taking whey and has kidney stones doesn’t mean the whey was the cause. The more likely cause would be dehydration – so for those who do use whey, and others too, always make sure to drink enough water. Speaking of excessive amounts of anything – even water will kill you if you consume too much (several gallons a day). If you are lactose intolerant, then whey protein concentrate may be a problem for you. Make sure to check the ingredients in any protein you may decide on – should not have HFCS, fructose, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals. And that comes from preferably grass fed cows not given hormones nor antibiotics (i.e. – organic cows, LOL).

        Other protein powders – Soy (I would never use that one), hemp, pea, rice, egg white. My two favorites are whey and hemp.

  5. I would add water kefir rather than just water and some coconut oil and ginger…yum

    1. Hi David, a celebrity that I know drinks kangen water, Jeffrey Osborne and he loved it. It makes your body alkaline.

      1. I have a machine by Enagic which makes the Kangen water. I add 9.5 alkaline water to all of my smoothies which helps the body absorbs the nutrients in the smoothie.

  6. You weren’t in Guadeloupe, by any chance, were you? Love Gwada, it’s my place for beach vacations!! Hope you went to the Caravelle beach in Sainte Anne, it has to be the most beautiful anywhere!!

  7. great recipe I’ve been doing it for a long time now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Genes have a lot to do with who we are………… But if we eat healthy don’t you think we’ve found the cure for CANCER!!!!.
    We all have to die………….I don’t understand why lots of people are neglecting knowledge and with their poor eating habits are ending their lives too fast…………………….

  8. I just made this smoothie! It tastes pretty good and I will most certainly make it again. I’ll just add a little knob of ginger next time.

    And mine most certainly didn’t turn out anywhere near green, but more of a red-ish hue due to the strawberries, apple peel, carrot, etc.

    1. Mine looked NOTHING like the picture & looked more as you described. I also used a regular blender (decent but not a vitamix) and I needed a fork & knife (slight exaggeration) to eat it. Sorry guys but it tasted as bad as it looked. I wanted to love it & am very accustomed to eating my veggies but this was rough.

      1. Sadly, I have to agree. I am drinking it right now but the color is far from green and it is SO thick. I am forcing it down because all of those organic fruits and veggies will NOT be wasted in this house. I am wondering though what I did wrong since I didn’t even come remotely close to making mine look like the picture. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. Still love Food Babe. 🙂

  9. We packed the spinach down and ended up with a dark green spinach smoothie that was not very good. I think a lot less spinach would have made this a good one. I am new to making smoothies and juicing so maybe this was just a newbie mistake, I’ll keep trying

  10. I use my Nutribullet with spinach, frozen berries, nuts, chia seeds, protein powder & anything else I can fit in. I can’t wait to drink it in the morning.

      1. I use my Nutribullet for smoothies too! I have used almonds, walnuts, and pecans in addition to the seeds.

  11. Sometimes foods and drinks taste so good if a friend makes them for you too!
    I had not mixed the carrots and spinache until recently when a friend made me
    a similar recipe, and with ginger and apple, and a little celery, it was absolutely delicious. I felt it packed energy on its own, but with the addition of more fruit, hmmm, that could be exciting!!! I added cacao nibs for crunch.

    1. From a bakery that uses clean ingredients – stay away from grocery stores!

  12. I agree with the above emailer, how can you food combine all those veggies with fruit? Fruit is not supposed to be eaten with anything(food combining 101 there), and if your like myself, my digestive tract could not handle that. Would love more green smoothie recipes with just veggies and protein here!!!

      1. Don’t let your schooling interfere with you education! “Both of you”! (Deanna) If you have issues with your digestive track, then you are doing something wrong! Time of day maybe? Lack of proper stomach acids maybe? Not enough Sun? There are so many factors to staying healthy, as well as getting sick.

        And then there’s your emotional state? Never confuse a gut ache for a gut feeling! Live to learn and you’ll learn to live better!

    1. You two are confusing your food combination rules. Yes, fruit should be EATEN alone because it breaks down in your stomach easier. When you are blending, the only thing your body is processing is the fiber because the blender already broke it down for you. The nutrients get absorbed and the fiber gets processed. The rule is correct, but the rule applies to eating, not blending.

  13. I thought that pic looked familiar.. St Barth right? I live in the islands as well and go don there a lot .. thanks for all your work on the food front.. hard to be organic on a budget in the islands but I try to grow a lot of my own food papaya banana salad greens limes soursop passion fruit are all on my property..

    1. Ahh, this was my thought too, that the view with the two islands in the background was from St. Barth! So nice that you are in a place where you can grown your own produce!

  14. I have to say that this smoothie IS delicious, AND it hides a tablespoon of protein powder beautifully! (I have problems with protein powder.) Only change I made was to use raspberries instead of strawberries.
    Thanks for this.
    You are a babe 🙂

  15. Hi Food Babe..

    I use to include Garlic in my juices. Would you be able to tell me if Garlic is toxic for the body? There is some people saying on Youtube that it is not good for you and that it was actually intoduced during the one of the wars from something entirely different .. Just wondering what to believe .. And they say that you get a brainfart.

  16. I have a 20$ Kmart blender that works great, though I never use frozen anything..
    add ground hemp seeds, oils, chia, almond butter

  17. Talking about croissants, Vani……we live in a very rural area…..no whole foods or fresh market. But near us we have a small totally vegan bakery. Oh my word! Everything is fabulous. She makes her own organic, sprouted 7 grain bread…and I love it. And you should taste her vegan cheesecake!

  18. But why use a blender? All those ingredients can be juiced. A juicer is much more efficient at extracting the natural enzymes and leaving the hard(er) to digest fibrous stuff, isn’t it? Thanks.

    1. I believe it is a personal preference and choice as well. If you will be eating an hour or two after drinking the juice made from these exact ingredients, that’ is a great way to absorb more nutrients. But if this is going to be your meal, you want that fiber to keep you full longer. You also have to remember that if you’re juicing instead of blending, you’ll want to use a lot less fruit because there is no fiber to offset the sugar. The juice that would be extracted from this exact recipe would also result in a much smaller serving. Hope that helps.

  19. Really didn’t like this. It was beautiful green after the first ingredients. I added the second round and it turned dark greenish brown and not so good. Not sure which ingredient did it but not as pictured above.

  20. Reading some about high oxalate food. Do I need to boil the kale first before putting it in a smoothie to reduce the oxalates?

  21. The only time this was as green as the picture was when we blended the spinach, water and lime juice. As soon as we added the fruit and veggies it turned brownish and my boys were totally turned off:/ After getting them to close their eyes and try it they still weren’t fans:(

  22. how about going after general mills and yoplat for the aspartame they have been poisoning yogurt customers with for years – these bastards had the audacity to email me (some 10 years ago when I questioned them) that aspartame was good for you!

  23. I just made it for my boyfriend & I today after our workout! I love it except I didn’t use orange and instead added a serving of protein powder between the both of us and added 2 drops of stevia!

    I will put my version on my blog and credit you of course!

  24. Apples ? Bolechit. If you found an apple in the islands grate it up and use it to repel insects.

  25. My daily breakfast is very similar. When I first got into vegetable/fruit smoothies I followed recipes, but now I just wing it. I use a Nutribullet for my concoctions which usually include the following. I never use them all together, but leafy greens and avocado or banana are always the base.

    A Handful of spinach and/or kale
    1 Avacado
    1 Banana
    1 Apple
    1 Carrot
    1 handful of frozen Blueberries
    1 handful of frozen Mango
    Flax Meal
    Chia
    Water
    Light Prune Juice

    So glad I found this site – awesome!

      1. MMS is some kind of bleech stuff. Used to clean up contaminated water, in very very small dozes. (Much less than 1 drop for a bottle). It’s labeled “Miracle Mineral Supplement” and sold to chemically illiterate persons for a lot of money.

  26. Was really excited to make this. I halved the recipe, made it exactly as stated. Don’t know what happened, but what started out as a beautiful green smoothie after the first blending, became a really yucky brown smoothie. Maybe my two carrots are too big? Maybe from the red apple peel? Still tastes pretty good, but hard for me to get past the color. Don’t know how the color of yours and mine are so different.

  27. I add spinach to nearly every smoothie and it frequently makes it look quite disgusting, but is almost unnoticed in flavor. If you want to cover the yuck color substitute blueberries for strawberries (Probably not in the Caribbean though) And don’t serve it in glass. Blueberries are also really good for you, adding to the full rainbow of food.

  28. I’ve been wondering what is in wine all these years. We have the right to know.
    I think many are loaded in extra sugars, especially the cheaper ones.

    Why has this never been an issue.?

  29. (to Kathy) A proven cure for many of the DEAD deseases of our society, Google
    M M S, read of Jim Humble and his discoveries. Al

  30. I made this drink….followed the recipe…but it turned out nothing like your picture. The picture looks more like a juicer was used not a blender. Mine was a greenish-brown colour and had the consistency of apple sauce. Did anyone else have the same outcome? I’m new at this.

    1. Mine turned out the exact same way, I have to use a spoon to eat it. I have a Ninja blender that works well for everything else, so I’m not sure what happened!

  31. Failure Green Smoothie?
    Have to call you out on this one food babe. Please clarify why the title pic, ingredients and outcome are incongruent.

  32. Hi Vani, been following you for a few moths. LOVE what I see. I watched yr interview with a news reporter in St Louis. I have some personal questions on some of comments. If possible, could you E mail me. Am willing to pay for consult on severe health condition.

    Loyal follower
    P.S., am currently reading ( The China Study)
    Thank you Vani, Food Babe

  33. Lots of good ideas here. The possibilities are endless. However, I would absolutely avoid using raw eggs (organic or not) in any recipe.

  34. R there some red wines that give me allergies–like sneezing, itchy eyes the next day? What do they contain, makes me wonder?

    1. Wine contains alcohol, and sulfites, but there are more sulfites in broccoli or kale than in a glass of wine.

      And if you get sneezing and itchy eyes the next day from drinking red wine, then don’t drink red wine. Or try this – drink Gewurtztraminer or a good Champagne – if you get the sneezy thing you might want to stay away from those wines – because they’re made with red grapes.

  35. I salute your work. Well, well done.

    I, too, am concerned about the ingredients in alcohol? I have fruitlessly found no information about what’s in the bottle. I have no desire to drink the stuff if sugar is added. Is that typical?

    Many thanks

  36. I’ve been making fruit/veggie”smoothies (or whatever they’re called) for about 3 mths now. I mix about 1 cup of sping greens & kale, 1/2 frozen banana, 2 large strawberries, a handful of blueberries, 4 baby carrots, 1/2 of an apple, a piece of cucumber, 1 tsp ground flaxseed, 1 tsp Chia seeds, 1 tsp honey & a handful of walnuts & fill w/water to 3/4 line in my Nutri Bullet for about a minute. It’s enough for my husband & me. I mix up & change fruits according to what I have on hand. Pineapple & watermelon are 2 favorites. We @ least get a healthy start to our day. We try to eat healthy, but don’t always meet our own expectations. Ha! We feel pretty good…UNLESS we break down & eat processed food. I also swish w/1 tsp. of coconut oil in morning. All organic items, by the way… Great website, Food Babe. Really enjoy ur articles & recipes!!

  37. Vani, You write: “If you know someone who loves GREEN smoothies, or wants to try something new…” Well, I recently came across a totally different GREEN drink that’s possibly packed with as many antioxidants and health goodies as your smoothie, but can be made with just three ingredients and no special appliances necessary. I drank it chilled and absolutely loved it. Very different than your recipe but still worth sharing for the sake of the green-color lovers:

    Sift 1 tsp matcha through a fine-mesh strainer into a cup
    Add 2 oz hot water (160-170 degrees Fahrenheit)
    Stir to a smooth paste
    Pour 6 oz steamed/frothed milk into your favorite matcha bowl or teacup
    Add match paste to the milk. Top with foamy milk. Dust with matcha or cocoa powder. Sweeten with agave nectar, honey, vanilla, almond or other flavors (Credit belongs to http://everythingfortea.com/buying-guides/ )

  38. I would LOVE to be able to juice this recipe. Any suggestions on whether you feel it can be done?

  39. I have been making green smoothies for awhile now with my Nutribullet. I use many of the ingredients listed above. I did not see anyone using “frozen” grapes. They are very good in the smoothie. Also if I use kale, I add 4-5 brazil nuts as the kale can work against the thyroid and the brazil nuts provide selenium which helps correct this. I also include coconut oil and coconut water. You can be very creative with your ingredients! Enjoy.

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