– vegan – refined sugar free – gluten free – low fat –

Since learning that dark leafy greens are some of the most powerful, nutrient-dense foods on the planet, I’ve made it a goal to incorporate some type of leafy greens into my life everyday. And though I love a big, loaded salad filled with lots of greens and fresh vegetables, it’s nice to change it up every once in awhile! One of the easiest ways to get in the greens is with a smoothie, especially if you’re not a fan of greens to begin with, since you won’t actually taste them here. If you have been looking for a sweet green smoothie that doesn’t taste green, please look no further.

How to make the best sweet green smoothie:

Whenever I make a green smoothie for my family, they are so hesitant, so I practically have to force them to just give it a try! I get it, though. Green smoothies can be off-putting because our first thought is often that it has to be bitter. Or maybe it tastes like grass. When I showed my boyfriend this smoothie, he was so pleasantly shocked! I think I’m finally warming him up to green smoothies :).

The key to a delicious green smoothie is making it sweet. Most of us don’t want the bitter taste of kale or spinach to show up in our smoothie, so here are some very helpful tips:

Blend the greens first. Begin by blending just the leafy greens (in this case, kale) with the liquid. This will help blend the kale up very finely, making the kale not stand out so much and making the texture more smooth. Then add any remaining ingredients and blend once more.
Add lots of sweet fruits. My favorite fruits to add with greens include banana, mango and pineapple. I find their sweetness really neutralizes the bitterness from the greens. Make sure bananas are RIPE! The riper the bananas, the sweeter they are.
Make the liquid sweet. In most cases, I like to add soy milk or any other nondairy milk to my smoothies for extra protein and calcium. However, for this smoothie, I chose to use orange juice because it adds that extra sweetness and more flavor depth.
Add vanilla extract. This is another fun way to add some sweetness and flavor to a smoothie, and the vanilla pairs very well with the other flavors.
Add medjool dates. They will make for another unique sweetness in your smoothie. Make sure they are pitted!

Will green smoothies help me lose weight?

Absolutely! This sweet green smoothie is packed with vitamins and minerals that are important for the body to function properly and facilitate weight loss. This low-calorie, low fat and high carb smoothie would make a perfect breakfast or lunch option for any one looking to lose weight. I would also recommend this smoothie for anyone looking for a quick and easy on-the-go breakfast option and anyone looking to add more greens and/or fruit to their diet.

Tip: you can omit the medjool dates for an even lower calorie smoothie.

Kitchen essentials:

A high-speed blender. Any blender will work, but I really love my Ninja blender (this isn’t the exact one I have, since mine is older and no longer in production).
Rubber spatula (optional)

Substitutions:

Kale: you can replace the kale with other leafy greens like spinach.
Orange juice: the orange juice can be swapped out for any juice of your choice including pineapple juice or apple juice.
Medjool dates: these add another level of sweetness, but can easily be omitted.

If you like this sweet green smoothie, I recommend trying some of my other favorite smoothies as well: