Ever just had a craving for a fresh, bright, beautiful smoothie that leaves you feeling energized? Looking for a healthy way to start your morning? A quick pick-me-up before a workout, or that ever-elusive hangover cure? This spinach mango smoothie is the way to go--and it's vegan friendly too!
Spinach Mango Smoothie FAQ
Why doesn't this spinach mango smoothie have banana in it?
This answer is plain and simple: bananas always steal the show! Ripe bananas tend to overpower the mango, so I chose to leave it out of this smoothie.
Why doesn't this spinach mango smoothie have dairy or a dairy alternative in it?
I chose to make this smoothie dairy-free and dairy alternative-free because I wanted the smoothie to feel light and bright. This is a great pre-workout smoothie because it provides your body with simple carbohydrates, but without the dairy that can leave you with an upset stomach during your workout. Calcium also makes it more difficult for your body to absorb the iron from the spinach, so I chose to leave dairy out of this one.
Should I use ice in my smoothie?
That's completely up to you! Personally, I like to use frozen fruit instead of ice because it will stay thick as it starts to get warm. However, if you're trying to fit in a little extra hydration (especially in the midst of a hangover), adding extra ice never hurts! Just be sure to add a little extra water or juice so it blends easier.
Smoothie Tips & Tricks
- Use pre-cut frozen mango! Mangos are a tough fruit to cut, but if you have fresh mangos & want to give it a try, check out this video!
- Nursing a hangover? Instead of using tap water, sub for a water with electrolytes, like Smart Water!
- Upset stomach? Add in 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger to help naturally soothe your stomach.
Nutrient Notes: Benefits of Spinach Mango Smoothie
According to the guidelines provided by the USDA, this smoothie has ½ a serving of vegetables and 1.75 servings of fruit.
Manage the sugar: Check to see if your pineapple juice has added sugars. If you can't find one without added sugar, don't worry! Just use half pineapple juice & half water.
Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly: Great news--this recipe is both vegetarian and vegan friendly. Enjoy!
Absorbing non-heme iron: Non-heme iron is the form of iron found in plants. Our bodies can only absorb about 3-20% of the iron from the spinach, so in order to help boost those odds, Vitamin C and citric acid help that iron to be absorbed by the body! All the fruits used in this recipe contain Vitamin C, but I like to add some lemon juice for good measure, too.
Smoothie Substitutions
Fresh Spinach vs. Frozen Spinach Cubes: Fresh spinach is a great option for this smoothie if you have it on hand, but have you ever opened the fridge and found that all your spinach has gone slimy? I've got a fix for it! These frozen spinach cubes are super easy to make: all you need is a bag of spinach, water, and lemon juice. They're a great option for making your smoothie even more quick and easy. I make these frozen spinach cubes about once a week!
Pineapple Juice vs. Green Tea: The original spinach mango smoothie calls for pineapple juice as the primary blending liquid, which is great if you're looking for a boost of natural sweetness. If you want a boost of caffeine & less sugar, using cold green tea in this smoothie is a great option! Just one small drawback--the tannins from the tea will interfere with your body's ability to absorb the non-heme iron from the spinach. This isn't something to be super concerned about, especially if you're a meat-eater.
Frozen Fruit vs. Ice: If you're prepping this smoothie in advance, I recommend using all frozen fruit; this helps maintain the thickness of the smoothie. Using fresh fruit & ice totally works, but the smoothie will start to separate as the ice melts.
Spinach vs. Other Leafy Greens: I've tried making this smoothie with kale, but the kale leaves just don't blend as well as spinach. Be mindful of the greens you use--choosing a bitter green like arugula or collard greens may overwhelm the fruit flavors. I'm curious how well swiss chard would work--test it out & leave a comment!
Whether you're enjoying this spinach mango smoothie before a quick workout at the gym, or as your new secret hangover cure, I hope you love how easy and refreshing it is!
All my love & a little butter,
Olivia Sokolowska, MBA-RD
Spinach Mango Smoothie
This dairy-free, fruit and veggie-packed spinach mango smoothie is the perfect pre-workout snack or hangover cure!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh spinach or 8 frozen spinach cubes
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¾ cup frozen mango chunks
- ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
- ¼ cup water (as needed)
Instructions
1. In a blender cup or pitcher, add in either the fresh spinach or frozen spinach cubes, lemon juice and pineapple juice. Blend until the spinach has been completely liquified--all the leaves are completely blended.
2. Remove the blender lid and add in mango chunks and pineapple chunks. *If you are using frozen mango and pineapple, add in ¼ cup of water at this time.
3. Place the lid on the blender and blend until smooth. Add any extra water or pineapple juice, depending on your preferred thickness and sweetness.
Notes
*Yields 1 smoothie
*If you decide to use all frozen fruits, add in extra water to help the smoothie blend.
*If you choose to use all fresh fruits, add in ice to make the smoothie cold & add a little extra hydration.
Nutrition Information
Yield
1Serving Size
1.5 cupsAmount Per Serving Calories 190Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gSodium 29mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 4gSugar 38gProtein 3g
Please note that nutrition information is a computer-generated estimate and should not be interpreted as a registered dietitian's advice. Nutrition facts calculations vary based on brands, products, and serving sizes.
Elizabeth says
This is an amazing smoothie! Very refreshing and I feel good about myself when I have one!