Food & Cooking Recipes Drink Recipes Smoothie Recipes Green Smoothie Sip on this nutrient-packed smoothie to start the day off right. Close Credit: Bryan Gardner Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 2 Jump to recipe Starting the day with our green smoothie recipe is a delicious way to charge your system with nutrients. Dark leafy greens are extremely alkalizing, meaning they foster a more neutral body environment for better functioning enzymes, compared with acid-forming foods like meats and dairy. This nutrient-dense elixir is chock full of them. You’ll use a mix of romaine, kale, and parsley, plus a half cup each of mango and pineapple for balancing, fruity sweetness and a piece of fresh ginger for a spicy kick. You can swap in other fruit to use up what you have on hand, but don't skimp on the greens for the best nutritional payoff. 9 Ways to Eat More Kale—and Enjoy It Ingredients for Our Green Smoothie The greens: A mixture of romaine lettuce and kale brings serious nutrient power to this recipe. Swap in spinach, collard greens, or even Swiss chard if you prefer. The herbs: A quarter cup of parsley brings antioxidants and vitamins, including A, C, and K, to the table. Since it all gets blended up, you can toss in whole sprigs, stems, and all. The fruit: Pineapple and mango bring a dose of tropical sweetness to this recipe and balance out the greens' natural bitterness. For a thicker smoothie, use frozen fruit. The ginger: For a spicy, zingy kick, this recipe calls for a 1-inch piece of ginger. Instead of a peeler, use the edge of a spoon to scrape off the skin (you'll lose less of the flesh that way). To ensure proper blending when making a smoothie, add your liquid (in this case, water) to the blender first, followed by the remaining ingredients. Directions Blend smoothie: Combine romaine, kale, parsley, pineapple, mango, ginger, and 1 1/2 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Green Smoothie Variations To make a creamier (and more filling!) smoothie, add half a ripe avocado or a couple spoonfuls of yogurt. In place of the water, try adding coconut water, orange juice, or iced green tea. 5 More Smoothie Recipes to Try Banana-Oat Smoothie Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie Smoothie Parfait Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie Turmeric-Mango Smoothie Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.