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April 25, 2024This refreshing tropical green smoothie is my go-to for breakfast or a post-workout snack on busy weekdays! This delicious blend of tropical fruits, spinach, cucumber, Greek yogurt and more packs a nutritional punch in one efficient drink. No lie, I’ve been making this smoothie almost every day lately!
Recently, I’ve been trying to eat less processed carbohydrates and get back into more of a fitness routine. I’ve been loving smoothies because they don’t slow me down during the day. The refreshing, fruity flavor of this smoothie also helps to remind me that summer is around the corner, and it’s all sunshine and long days ahead of us!
Everything You’ll Need to Make a Tropical Green Smoothie
- Banana: I always start out my smoothies with a banana! Bananas add great flavor and natural sweetness, and pack so many awesome nutrients.
- Mandarin Oranges: A few juicy mandarin oranges add a tropical feel to this smoothie! You could also use a regular orange or clementine to add some citrus to the mix.
- Cucumber: I like to add in a few slices of cucumber mostly just for flavor. I find they add a nice fresh taste to the smoothie and help to overpower any lingering flavors of spinach.
- Tropical Fruit Blend: I used a blend of tropical frozen fruit for this smoothie, but you can use whatever frozen fruit you prefer, there are really no rules! I usually buy the Season’s Choice Tropical Fruit or Mixed Fruit from Aldi – they are always delicious and so reasonably priced.
- Spinach: A handful of spinach adds that nice green color, as well as other added benefits. You can add as much or as little as you want! I usually buy a container of baby spinach at the grocery store and use it in my smoothies and other recipes all week long.
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt: I prefer Greek yogurt to regular yogurt due to its texture, tanginess and added health benefits, but you could use whichever style of yogurt you prefer. If you use plain yogurt, you could also add a little bit more honey to sweeten it up.
- Milk: Adding milk is the best way to thin out your smoothie and make it blend better. I love whole milk for its full-bodied flavor and creaminess, but any type of milk would work! Real milk also packs 13 essential nutrients in an 8-oz serving, so I always make sure to use it as opposed to plant-based milk alternatives that do not have the same nutrient content.
- Chia Seeds: Chia seeds add a little extra boost of fiber to the mix, and you can add as many as you want. To be honest, I usually just measure with my heart when I’m throwing a smoothie together!
- Honey: I love honey – probably too much! It adds a touch of sweetness to the smoothie and a little goes a long way, however I usually measure it with my heart as well. If you feel like the fruit brings enough sweetness on it’s own, you can skip this step.
- Vanilla Extract: I like to add a little vanilla extract just to round out the flavor, but if you don’t have any you can totally skip this ingredient as well! I recently started making my own homemade vanilla extract (it’s a lot easier than you might think!), so I’ve been adding it to everything.
How to Make a Tropical Green Smoothie
Mixing up this tropical green smoothie is so simple. Just add all of your ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If your ingredients are struggling to blend, try adding a bit more milk or start by blending on a low setting, then gradually increasing the intensity. I love to pour my smoothie into a chic glass and garnish with a few extra chia seeds on top or turn it into a smoothie bowl topped with granola, sliced fruits and more chia seeds!
Smoothie Tools
I was gifted a Vitamix blender from my wedding registry and I am beyond obsessed. Obviously a Vitamix is a big purchase and any blender works, but if you’re in the market for one, they are significantly discounted at Costco (where mine was purchased from). I often use the blending cup attachment to make single-serve smoothies for myself.
I love to serve my smoothies in these glasses and always use these silicone straws to sip them!
You would be amazed to see how often I whip up this exact smoothie, I hope you love this go-to recipe as much as I do! If you're looking for more smoothie recipes, check out this easy Orange Dream Smoothie!
Tropical Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 2 mandarin oranges peeled
- 3 cucumber slices
- 1 cup tropical fruit blend frozen
- handful spinach
- 1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, or until all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour in a glass and enjoy!