Treat your body to a refreshing pineapple kale smoothie featuring a trio of greens.
While December is a month filled with feasts and festivities the beginning of the year is a quieter time ripe for recharging and making fresh starts.
Following the frantic pace of the holiday season I’m often overcome by the desire to rest and refuel for the year ahead; with that comes a longing for something vibrant and fresh. Enter this "drink your greens" pineapple kale smoothie.
Green smoothies have developed a somewhat cult-like following, and with good reason I’d say as these tasty concoctions are brimming with fresh produce and nutrients. Unlike greens juices, smoothies retain all the fiber of the fruits and vegetables you use, making them a more substantial snack or meal replacement keeping you fuller longer as they are more slowly digested.
Of course they are also a truly tasty way to start the day or recharge in the afternoon.
Refreshing and loaded with leafy greens this is my green smoothie of choice lately. It features a trio of nutrient packed greens (kale, spinach and parsley) paired with sweet pineapple and punctuated with a squeeze of lemon juice for tartness. Coconut milk supplies the creaminess along with a dose of healthy fat for optimum vitamin and mineral assimilation. The pineapple does double duty, providing a natural source of sweetness along with bromelain an enzyme that helps with digestion and inflammation.
So here’s to fresh starts and a healthy new year!
Pineapple Greens Smoothie
A green smoothie packed with nutrients featuring a trio of greens along with pineapple and coconut milk.
Ingredients
For the Smoothie:
- 1 cup/150 g fresh or frozen pineapple
- 3 to 4 large kale leaves preferably Lacinato also known as dinosaur kale (spine and stems removed and torn into pieces)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 handful of flat parsley, stems removed
- The juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 cup/240ml light coconut milk
- ½ cup/120g ice
Optional Smoothie Boosts:
- For Extra Fiber: 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- For Extra Protein: 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
- 2 Tablespoons hemp seeds
- 1 Tablespoon of collagen powder (for non-vegetarian)
- For Extra Energy: 1 teaspoon of matcha green tea
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients including whichever smoothie boosts you are using in a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- Serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 259Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 338mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 9gSugar: 19gProtein: 17g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Monica says
Hey, I've been interested in making green smoothies but, a lot of the recipes include pineapple and unfortunately I am allergic to pineapples so I was wondering what fruit can I use to substitute for pineapples?
Sylvie says
Hi Monica you can substitute any fruit you'd like but I'd suggest a green apple in place of the pineapple in this smoothie to keep the pretty green color and the tartness that the pineapple brings. Hope that helps!
Jessica says
Thank you for the recipe. I’m off to the grocery store and planning to try out this drink tomorrow AM.
Kitchen Belleicious says
looks delicious and the color is gorgeous which is a huge plus