Skinny Green Monster Smoothie
A vitamin packed smoothie, perfect for breakfast or lunch on the go!
Ok, so I’ll admit, first time trying a green monster smoothie… and quite honestly I was not prepared to like it!
I mean, spinach in a smoothie?? Even though green may be my favorite color, it sounded way too healthy even for my taste! But it’s January, a month of new beginnings, resolutions and cleaning our bodies so I was willing to take a chance.
So, after someone recently sent me their recipe I took a chance and tried it for myself. What’s the worst that could happen? If I don’t like it, I’ll just toss it, right?
I had all the ingredients on hand and put them in my blender. Myself, my teenager and my aunt just watched as the blender ran and the smoothie turned into a shade of bright green.
I was the first to test it out, and not bad! Good actually! All I really tasted was the peanut butter and banana, nothing else really stood out. I could get used to this! They all agreed, even my picky teenager thought it was good!
So, why should you try a GREEN MONSTER?? Vitamins!! A, C, K, iron, fiber, folate, lutein, magnesium, potassium, protein and calcium! Give it a try and see what you think!
You can really make this so many ways, add flax seeds, add protein powder, throw in blueberries, etc. Start with this basic recipe and play around with variations. Give it a try!
Skinny Green Monster Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 small frozen ripe banana, peeled
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tbsp Better n Peanut Butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, I used Chobani
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the blender, add ice (optional) and blend until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
I love this smoothie! This is one of my go tos! A great way to get your veggies and it tastes like peanut butter and banana?
Gina, add 1.5 T Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa to this and you will not believe how good and chocolately it is!!
Quick question on the Better than Peanut Butter, when unused in the smoothie do you add the dry powder or do you add liquid to the powder first?
I’m allergic to banana. Any suggestions on a substitution? This is where I get stuck on making smoothies… Banana is usually used to cover the veggie taste.
I too can not eat banana, wondering if there was an answer to this post?
You can leave it out and sub another fruit, the peanut butter helps cover the veggie taste.
Avocado is the best banana replacement. Sounds weird, but is really good (not 0 points though). I just hate bananas and can detect them in any smoothie!
Do you have any nut-free alternatives to substitute the peanut butter with? I am allergic to nuts.
Use sunflower butter
Does anyone know how many freestyle points this is?
7
How long can it be kept on the fridge if making a big batch?
Hey! Can you let me know where you got the Smart Points value of 3? I plugged this into my points calculator and I'm getting 8. Thanks!
Hi Gina,
I noticed this recipe has been updated with smart points and it's worth 3. I used the weight watchers recipe builder site to build the recipe and add it to my log but it counts this recipe as 10 points. Which one is right?
Same but I got 8, not 10. I asked also!
I just built in the WW site and got 3 points until I hit the “this is a drink” box. My sister inquired about the whole banana adding to shakes and smoothies at the WW meeting a couple weeks ago (I’m online only), they said that when we “blend” our veggies/fruits it changes the consistency of the fiber for our bodies which in turn makes it higher in points.
Just starting back on WW this is a huge bummer….lol Guess it’s gonna be fitpoints to fill in the gaps for smoothies 🙁
I'm REALLY curious to know where you got your nutrition info. I use this recipe calculator: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp , and when I plugged in your ingredients, it's WAY off.
Somehow, the kids and the vegetables just don't get along too well. But I've tried your recipe (added blueberries as you suggested and use sweetened instead of unsweetened milk) and my girl finished her green smoothies in one fell swoop. It is for reason such as this that parents should be putting their best smoothie blenders to good use.
Just had one for breakfast before going to school, so easy to prepare and taste delicious. Im going to be checking your page more often just found it and at least this recipe has what im looking for! Thank u
delicious!
wouldn't the yogurt block the iron absorption from the spinach? what could be a good non dairy substitute?
Sure would. Science, folks! You need to skip the milk products if you want the iron from the greens.
Try subbing Vanilla Coconut Milk, I like the So Delicious kind! Thanks, Gina! This was good! 🙂
best green smoothie EVER!!! Thank you sooo much!!
I make a Chocolate Green smoothie daily. I use 10oz cold coffee, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a shake or 2 of cinnamon, 2 cups baby organic spinach, handful of ice cubes and 1/4 tsp of zantham gum. I like it thicker and it stays mixed with the zanthum gum. I make hubby a fruit smoothie with 2 C frozen fruit, non fat greek yogurt, unsweetened almond vanilla milk, and a cup of baby spinach. Such a good start to the day.
I make this several times a week and my pickiest eaters gulp it down. I smoosh chunks of banana into an ice cube tray whenever my bananas get nice and ripe – when they're frozen I pop them out and into a freezer bag. This one step makes the whole thing so much easier. My kids have tried variations and like this simple version best:
a little over 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 cups fresh spinach leaves on top
5 frozen banana "cubes" on top of that.
All blended in my cheapy blender (no ice). Makes a tall glass of simple goodness.
Gina, I must say I was skeptical but this is really good. Hope others will try it also. Thanks so much!
I really love each of the ingredients, but I was not a fan of the combination. The other reviews stated you couldn't taste the spinach, which was true, but I would have preferred more of the other tastes rather than the overwhelming peanut butter. I would like to try it with just fruit, and leave out the PB. I'm not sure if leaving it out would affect its ability to keep me full though.
Been craving a green smoothie for months. Also been craving a peanut butter banana smoothie, so I combined them based on your recipe. I mixed half a banana, peanut butter, spinach, normal plain yogurt, skim milk, flaxseed, oats and some canned fruit. Soooo good. Exactly hit the spot and quenched my craving. Thanks for the great starter green smoothie!
get a NUTRI BULLET best blender i ever owned .Have one of those yummy drinks every morning
I agree! The NutriBullet is awesome for smoothies!
Finally tried my first green monster smoothie, and so glad I did! Thanks for introducing me to this amazing beverage
Thank you. I've been using your recipes for a while, so I felt like I needed to comment now. I've been looking for a way to add greens to my smoothies and this works. I'm excited to try the tropical version. My breakfast today was half a green smoothie and one of the amazing blueberry muffins. You rock!
I make a variation of the one at Whole Foods… It's delicious!!!
4 Kale leaves (remove stems) {you can sub spinach or chard}
1/2 large banana
1 cup of froz. mango
8oz Coconut Water
1 tbsp of ginger {if you have a good blender it'll grind it up otherwise finely grate it on your own}
Yummy!!! If you don't like the ginger kick just omit.
Cheers to you all!
I just got on this "wagon" yesterday and tried my own. I was prepared to hate it, but actually really ended up enjoying it!
3 c spinach
1 banana
1/2 c frozen pineapple
1/2 c frozen peach slices
iced decaf green tea
blended it all up and yum!
Ok, I was really skeptical about this whole green smoothie thing, lol. I sat here making little kid faces as I looked at ALL that spinach. But it tastes awesome! Way better than eating all that in a salad!
I know this is really late but I just made this and it was sooo good! I was suprised at hoe filling it was too! This is my breakfast in one cup, awesome!
I made the 45 minute drive to Atlanta and found some better then peanut butter, that stuff really is great! I just wanted to eat it by the spoonful! lol
I used one percent milk instead of almond milk because thats what I had and it turned out wonderful. Thanks Gina!
What would the conversion be if I used PB2 instead of peanut butter? Thanks!
I made this but I can't stand the taste of yogurt, so I put in chia seeds instead. Nummmmers..
Absolutely gross! I must have more sensitive taste buds than everyone else, apparently..
just tried this….amazing <3 totally in love 🙂
Good Morning,
I can't seem to find in Ottawa, Ontario the Better n Peanut Butter. Is it ok to use to no name smooth peanut butter with 25% less fat, 80 cal. per 1 tbsp, 4,5 g of fat? Thanks!
Loved it…I didn't have unsweet vanilla almond milk so I used unsweet almond milk and I had vanilla greek yogurt so I used that instead of the plain.
delicious!
I'm allergic to peanuts. Is there a substitution I could use?
Tastes great. I prefer it without putting ice in it. It seemed to water it down. Would like to experiment with more nutritional things added. Spinich is the only really good nutritional thing added. Well, the banana too. I've just seen other green smoothies with a lot of other fruits, vegetables, herbs added. Have you ever experimented and added other things? I will be adding this to my daily diet. Thx for the recipe.
I live in Ontario, do you know where I can buy Better n Peanut Butter? Or is there an alternative I can use?
Love green smoothies!! I love adding apple, flax and date sugar for a natural sweetness.
I started off my new year right- this smoothie is way better than I thought it would be- I'll be making another one tomorrow. The only change I made was that I used regular peanut but b/c that's what I had on hand. Thank you, Gina!
I really love the glass that this is served in! I have been scouring the web looking clear, bubbled glass. Where did you find yours?
I am allergic to bananas, is there something else you can suggest for a substitution?
Thanks!
Jamie
1/2 Banana
frozen ORGANIC strawberries
frozen ORGANIC blueberries
spinach/kale/both
grated raw carrot
grated raw beet
kefir (strawberry or banana)
1 tsp flax seed oil or ground flax seed
yum. if you are a beginner, start with a whole banana, that's all you will taste, but i like to make it lower calorie.
This was breakfast this morning! So delicious.
I've been drinking green for some time now and love how it makes me feel. Yours look so healthy and refreshing…but I love the glass even more. I was wondering if you remember where you got them. I know this post is almost a year ago but I hope you'll respond. Thanks.
Gina, wanted to thank you for this recipe. I drank a green monster smoothie every morning for the last 5 months, and added with LOTS of gym time, I am down 40 pounds! I cook recipes off of your site almost every night and have successfully kept the weight off. Cannot wait for your cookbook to come out!
I have made this several times and thinking I could whip it out with out looking at the recipe, I accidentally omitted the yogurt. Good news, I like it even better this way- it is thinner and works better with a straw. How much do think that might alter points and other nutrition info?
I started trying to read all 200+ comments to see if I could find my answer…..decided it would be so much faster to ask. Hope you don't mind. WHERE EVER DID YOU GET THOSE FABULOUS BUBBLE GLASSES?! I could barely concentrate on the post due to that fabulous glass!! Please do share 🙂 It would be greatly appreciated! BTW…..I just came upon your site in the last month or so. Can't say enough about it! Posted it to my FB page and suggested everyone take a look. Incredible! Thank you so much for all you do!!
I just asked about the bubble glasses the other day too. I did some search online and found them at target. Not sure if that's where Gina got hers but they look similar. Go to target.com and search for Bubble Glass Tumblers. Set of 6 (17 oz) is $28.19. They don't sell them at the stores, only online.
I make green smoothies for my son and myself every morning, i never use peanut butter, but I use hempseed and chia, which add protein and omega 3's and I don't use yogurt, I use just water and frozen fruit, keeps really cold and it's so delicious. Glad to see there are a lot of other green smoothy drinkers out there, the people at my work think i'm crazy…LOL
R green Smoothies meal replacements for losing weight? And how do u store them when you make ahead of time? Like I would need to make mine the day before so I could just grab and go…
I immediately went to my kitchen to make this ( I already had all the ingredients) and I'm in love!! Super awesome! And it TRULY is a surprise how yummy it is. Can't taste the spinach at all. My new fave! Thanks bunches for sharing this
I use freeze dried spinach and it is sooo yummy. that way i dont have to waste the spinach if it goes bad before I can get to it again and it has the same nutitional value as fresh raw spinach with out the worry of e-coli.. i use the trive brand from shelf reliance. it will stay good for 2 years open.
Tried it for the first time, it is very tasty…I did add a touch of agave nectar for sweetness.
Reading this I was confused… in New England a green monster shake has mint in it!
Quick question, is there something that I can sub for the Almond Milk? They don't sell it here where I live. I found a recipe to make it home made, but not sure how that will turn out, I was hoping to make it today. Thanks!
Skim milk or whatever milk you prefer.
Any milk would be fine, use what you love.
Sub any milk you'd like, coconut water, or even plain water.
You can sub coconut milk, hemp milk or soy milk. Or even just regular milk. The dominate taste won't be the vanilla flavoured almond milk.
Sure, any milk is fine.
Hey Gina! I've been wanting to try one of these for severeal months now, and finally did thanks to your recipe! I pretty much told myself that almost every recipe of yours is fabulous so this should be my starting point for a green smoothie. It's yummy! Thanks so much for sharing all your delicious recipes with us!
Im really excited to try this in the morning! can any one tell me if this keeps you full throughout the morning if you have it for breakfast? Im used to a heartier breakfast of wheat toast with PB and I am worried I will be hungry ? Hope not !
This smoothie is really good. All I can taste is the PB and banana with a little bit of sweetness. Thanks for making this recipe WW friendly!
This looks delicious! I've been looking for a way to eat more spinach and I love the idea of combining it with other strong and tasty ingredients so I don't taste it. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
I made mine with regular PB, ff cow's milk, and unfrozen banana. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe, I wrote a blog post about it (I made sure to link this post and your blog itself).
I make my smoothie with 1 cup of chunk pineapple, 2 small bananas, 1 cup non fat plain yogurt, 1 cup filtered water and 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach and I drink every morning! Delish 🙂
I have made one of these smoothies almost everyday for breakfast since I found the recipe. On the days that I don't have all of the ingredients I have been eating cereal and I found that I am hungry almost immediately. The smoothie will keep my hunger at bay for at least two hours until my first snack. I love your recipes and your website!
Ok Chelsey Varela I will give it a try since I am on a diet and need something like this to take on the go with me.. Sure hope I like it… I hate spinach but you say you can't taste it.. so I will try… Anita
I love these but I skip the PB and just use FF vanilla or plain greek (chobani). i am going to have to try freezing the Yogurt into cubes, that sounded like a great tip. I usually use just a couple inches of frozen banana, 3-4 frozen strawberries, and half of a peeled orange. Sometimes I throw in a scoop of vanilla protein powder too. yummy!
has anyone ever tried making this and then freezing for a bit?? im curious if i make it before i go to the gym, freeze it, then drink it about 2 hours later if that would be okay or if it would turn frozen solid?
I love literally all of your recipes! This was delish and my 3 year old daughter loved it! Last minute I threw in some strawberries, but the flavor was better before I put them in.
I love it and it's so healthy!! And it actually tastes so good.
i've tried just now, and it tastes so so great even w/o peanut butter… i think i get hooked!
I have a green smoothie for breakfast almost every morning, but mine has no fat, and only counts as 1 weight watchers point, as fruits and veggies are free on weight watchers. I make mine with ice, water, either spinach or kale (I think spinach is actually a little sweeter), 1 tbsp of flax seeds (this is there the 1 weight watchers point comes in), apples or peaches, depending on the season, banana, pineapple and berries. I use all fresh ingredients becuase it's easier than frozen. It's good for you, tastes good and uses only 1 of my 29 weight watchers points a day!
I used regular, organic pb, and plain (not Greek) yogurt. Definitely a great way to get lots of things this preggo needs first thing in the morning, and as ad added bonus my 22 month old loves it!
I make this recipe without the peanut butter, and 1/2 frozen pear instead of the banana. It's delish!
I need some help with my smoothies, i seriously think taht i am getting carried away? I usually put this into my smoothie:
1 cupo spinach
1/2 cup blueberries
1 banana
1 small paypaya
1/2 cup yogurt, always low fat but usually swettened
1 teaspoon black strap molassese
1 teaspoon spirulina
1 teaspoon Wheatgrass.
This will last me 2 days.
If anyone has tips fo rm please look me up on Face book:
Roxanne Chase
http://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1551446146&slog=101056861&seq=1940579473&st=self&fbtype=2048&refid=46
Wow – this is the recipe that gave me the push to try them. I made one this morning and it was unsweetend vanilla almond milk, spinach, banana and then i added half cup of blueberries. I like a runnier smoothie so opted to not use the yogurt. Amazing how you really cant taste the spinach, that made me super happy.
I asked before but my comment is gone so i must have done something wrong. Is there a way to make this ahead and freeze it or something? I tried it and it tasted ok but came out gritty. I can't use my vitamix in the morning 'cause my husband is still sleeping usually and i don't want to wake him but in the summer my mornings start at an ungodly hour so something like this would be great.
This being said i drank half the smoothie (froze the other half) and super yummy! Thanks Gina i love your site. i sometimes get the e-mails but sometimes not so i make sure to check daily, wouldn't want to miss something yummy 🙂
I must admit I was very skeptical about trying this smoothie. I had a friend who had told me all about it, so I decided I would give it a try. I love spinach and I love bananas, just was not sure about mixing all of them together. I substituted peanut butter for almond butter, since I dont like peanut butter as much.The result: AMAZING! I Love it!! I will recommend it to everyone i know! thank you skinnytaste!
Thank you for this recipe. I am trying to lose weight after my first baby, and I was plateauing after 10 lbs. But, I started having these for breakfast for the past 5 days or so and am seeing my weight start to drop again – yay! Most smoothies are so full of sugar, that they end up being fattening. I think this is an easy way to load up on greens. I make mine with Almond Butter.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! This smoothie is delicious! I'm making it for my kids for St. Patrick's Day if not sooner.
Wow, I was surprised how tasty it was. Even my husband liked it (and he's against green drinks), and kids loved it!
i notice in other recipes gina . you use agave syrup, i sent an email but havent herd back, what is it?and what is it a substitute for ..
It's a sweet nectar, usually next to the honey. You can use sugar or honey in its' place.
i was wondering if its possible to use frozen brick of spinich..thats all i normally buy the fresh stuff tends to go bad in my fridge quickley.
I wouldn't use the frozen stuff, you could always use the rest for a salad.
I use a very similar recipe! What I do in mine is I put vanilla yogurt instead of plain, use a frozen banana and use half peanut butter and half nutella for a nice pb chocolate combo. I've also started using three drops of either maple or vanilla extract…depending on my mood (=
I am addicted to these smoothies! They are so fun to experiment with.
– Jen
I don't like mixing foods, normally, but I have already made this twice in a couple days because it's SO delicious. I can't always get all my servings of veggies but this is a great way!
The fat is really good for you and you keep missing that in your posts. 60-80 % of your nervous system is built around fat and your posts continue putting things with plenty of carbs and sugars. Sugars and carbs are the culprits of fat build up on the body not fat from the diet. The fats you eat help your body build nerves and assimilate fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D, & K.
It actually tastes good!!! Yes…I was Mrs. Skeptical over here. I HATE spinach!! YEAH…you rock!
This is a great smoothie! I have tried several "green" smoothies in the past, but I always struggled to get them down because I always tasted the spinach (or other greenery that might have been in it). I only taste the peanut butter, banana, and vanilla yogurt — no spinach! I am super excited to make another one tomorrow. Thank you so much!
* I substituted vanilla yogurt in place of the almond milk and plain yogurt.
I have been looking for a good recipe for green smoothie. I'm excited to find this. I love ur blog. I recently started my own blog and hope to make mine look as good as Ur's. Its awesome 🙂
I recently stumbledupon your blog and am official obsessed! Have had this for breakfast the last two mornings. Love it. And love your blog!
Hi Gina!!! I seriously CANNOT stop drinking these I may need Green Monster rehab!! I even make them the night before and bring them in travel bottles to work. Am considering giving up meat for lent and will be surviving on these happily if I do!!!
Go for it!!
I found PB2 at Whole Foods.
I have been making this for months but minus and milk or PB. Just water, Greek yogurt, spinach, banana, berries, mango, peach… whatever fruit I am in the mood for. I believe it comes out to 1 point. I am thinking of adding the PB2. Do you make it in to PB or use just the powder?
I'm allergic to peanut butter, any suggestions for a substitute??
Soy nut butter would work.
Awesome looking smoothie!!! So delicious and good for you. My week of trying green smoothies in the morning jumped started every day and I LOVED it.
Where can I find PB2.
Google it, you can buy it online.
I make these all the time! Try different variations. Love it 🙂
You were right! It is delicious. I am going to make this all the time now! Best thing about it….my husband even likes it! Used skim milk.
If you want to try any other green smoothies, Vitamix has some posted on their website. Just go to the recipe section and search "green smoothies". So far I've tried Going Green and Kale And Pear and they're delicious! I make them ahead of time an freeze them in bags 🙂 Some of their recipes call for wheat grass, but my dietitian friend says as far as nutrition goes, you can substitute kale or spinach.
Has anyone added coffee to the smoothie? Do you think that would be a yummy addition or would it ruin the flavor. I absolutely love them, I would just like to combine my morning coffee and smoothie 🙂
This was soooo good!! your intro was great! that gave me courage to make this :). i did add 2 tsp of flaxseeds (finely ground)perfect!
Just made it right now! Delish!
Just made this for breakfast…YUMMY! I added ground flax and a scoop of protein powder… I think I'm gonna be full for 6 hours!
I need that glass. Where did you find it?
Crate and Barrel
Just made this and it is AWESOME! My new favorite snack!
@Frugal in Florida… I just made my first Green Monster and did it exactly the way you mentioned!! Never even thought to freeze the yogurt in an ice tray until I saw it mentioned on Pinterest.
Just so handy! This smoothie is pretty dang tasty! Spinach… who would've thought? I hope it's as energizing as everyone says. I need that!
Could you use almond peanut butter?
Sure!
I just found this site 4 days ago and have tried 3 recipes, LOVED them all so I WILL ne trying this smoothie. Chicken Enchiladas were out of the world, along with the Avocado chicken soup. Tonight there were no leftovers on the garlic mashed potatoes:::)))
Oh my! This smoothie is awesome. I was pretty leary about it at first, but I've done a complete overhaul with my diet, so this seemed up my new alley. It's sweet, but not too sweet and you can't taste the spinach at all. Very good! Excited to experiment with different greens and fruits.
can you make this smoothie the night before? i'd like to get my husband to drink one but he wont do anything in the morning that requires time. so i was thinking i could make it up the night before pop it in the fridge and he can grab and go for his ride into work.
Maybe you could put all the ingredients except the liquid into the blender at night and pop it in the freezer. Then add the liquid in the morning and blend…fast and out the door.
I have a green monster smoothie almost everyday. I use coconut water (very hydrating and fewer calories than yogurt or milk), spinach, and whatever combination of fruit you like. I usually add banana, frozen pineapple and an orange or mango, peach and a banana. Soo yummy!
Love all the variations!
Use soy milk instead. Or coconut milk!
Would love to try this, but I'm VERY allergic to almonds. Bananas aren't much better, though I do love the taste I pay for it when I do eat them. Any suggestions for substitutions?
Thanks! 🙂
This is similar to what I drink most every day, but I use spinach, frozen blueberries, and just a few slices of banana (watching sugar content). I add water to make it the consistency I want and Kefir to get lots of good yeast and protein into the mix.
try 1 Cup Water, 1 Cup OJ, Handful of Spinach, 5-6 Kale leaves ( I use a few more), 3/4 Cup Frozen Pineapple, 3/4 Cup Frozen Mango, 1 Banana. YUM!!!
Green smoothies are the best! I love using both an apple and a frozen banana: I find the bitterness from the greens is covered up pretty well with those two together.
I've drank a green smoothie every day for the last year. My skin is clear and bright, and my energy levels are unrivaled! Here is my recipe in case anyone else wants to try:
12 oz purified water
1 small frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen mixed fruits (i like pineapple, mango and strawberries)
1 large handful of leafy greens (whether baby spinach, kale, collards, or romaine)
1 scoop beneprotein protein powder
1 tbs ground flax seeds
blend till smooth, if not sweet enough, add stevia or splenda
very delicious breakfast or snack replacement!
Thanks. Sounds great!!!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS…as written. YUM. Love the peanut butter taste. This was our dinner tonight…refreshing after exercise.
I always make PB and Banana smoothies with Almond milk. What is the yougurt for? To make it sweet? Just wondering
This was so tasty and filling! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I made this yesterday and it was amazing! Even my husband liked it! We now have a new breakfast smoothie. I did change out the greek yogurt for Weight Watchers yogurt (1. not a big fan of greek yogurt 2. on a budget and saved about $3) and added just a little more then what was called for. It worked out great!
Thank you so much for creating this website! I have been cooking from it for the past few weeks and I haven't found a dish that we don't like. Plus having left overs for lunch instead of "making a lunch" is great in the morning! Trying to eat healthy is tough, but you make it so easy. Thank you also for adding WW information!!
I'm in the "was skeptical and now a convert" group for this one. I started adding spinach to my smoothies a few weeks ago, I love the extra nutrients I'm getting from it. I also use PB2 (trying to use up the choc PB flavor I have) occasionally but my favorite is still mango, pineapple and coconut extract with the other usual ingredients.
Once you get over the concept of drinking spinach, this thing is freaking amazing!
I love green smoothies! I also was hesitant at first "What are these green smoothies I keep hearing about?" I was so glad when I tried one. You definitely don't taste the spinach, all you taste is the sweetness of the fruit and whatever other ingredients you add (sometimes I add peanut butter, almond butter or other nut butters but sometimes I keep it simple with just fruit, greens, water and ice). It is fun to see the frightened looks people give me when they see me drinking it….that is until they try it for themselves!
I make this on a dialy basis for my kids. I use skim milk, banana, vanilla fat free yogurt and sometimes pb…my kids perfer it without the pb..and it is also good with a tbs or so of coconut milk
We just bit the bullet and tried this. We used vanilla soy milk, no yogurt, and some ice cubes. I admit it was hard to get over the greenness, but we were pleasantly surprised it just tasted like peanut butter and banana, and there were no strange textures either. We will make it again!
Thank you Gina! I've been making fruit smoothies every morning and who would of thought I could add spinach?! I had to make one this morning – spinach, soya milk, frozen banana and some vanilla paste 😉 OH YUM! It's my new favourite. This is just the beginning! thank you.
Thanks Gina and the rest of you who are posting great recipes and alternatives. I don't like PB so thanks to those who posted other ways of creating this "green monster". Other suggested ways to keep this low in points and w/ out PB – are welcome!
I tried the "green monster smoothie" this morning and I used chocolate Better 'n Peanut Butter; banana, chocolate peanut butter, does it get any better!!! YUM!!!
I make something similar to this every morning for breakfast. I am watching my sugars/carbs so I don't use bananas or yogurt. My smoothies consist of 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1-2 tbs natural peanut butter, 2 cups of spinach, a handful of ice cubes. Sometimes I will do 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries instead of the spinach. It's so yummy and fills me up for 3-4 hours.
I've recently joined WW and a friend recommended this 0 point "green monster":
– handful frozen mixed berries (I like strawberries and blueberries)
– frozen mango
– handful fresh kale, stems removed
– handful fresh baby spinach
– 1 packet of splenda
– water (I use about 3/4 cup to get to the right consistency. Less water if you like it thicker.)
Put everything in the blender and blend.
My friend also recommended Cuisinart's CPB-300 SmartPower blender. You can blend the drink directly in the plastic glass that you will drink it from. I make one for breakfast every morning. 4minutes start to finish and I'm out the door and on my way with the Green Monster in hand (and therefore 2 of my 5 veggies for the day).
Never in a million years did I think I would like this. I look forward to it every morning. It has changed my life – literally. Clearly, my friend is very smart!
Gina, I love your site. Thanks for all you do to help those of us struggling with the tremendous challenge of weight loss.
Holy smoothie batman! I just made it for the 1st time, and I think I have a new go to smoothie
Made this for me and the hubby this morning – it was delish! a slight taste of peanut butter and some sweetness from the banana. I little less protein than the whey protein we usually have. A great change and alternative with lots of other good vitamins that the whey shake doesn't have. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Gina, I'll try it! not a fan of frozen bananas.
The peanut butter makes it! I think I'm addicted!!
Make sure the banana is ripe, that is where you get the sweetness.
I guess the banana doesn't have to be frozen, just add ice!
I'm going to play around with several versions, it's oddly fun!
I drink a Visilas shake every morning. After this recipe I added two very large handsfull of NBaby spring mix greens. I fixed one this morning for my Husband. He said YUK when I sat it down to him but after drinking said it was really good. I said yes, I thought it had a nutty taste. He said"theresa peanut butter in it" I said no theres not. It really DOES taste like it has PB in it. I'll do this every morning.
thanks for the Idea
I make lots of green drinks, but have never made one with peanut butter. I can't wait to try this!
Does the banana have to be frozen?
nope. add some ice or cold water.
OMG I totally LOVE the picture with all the ingredients in the blender before they're all pureed! It's such a better visual as to what is actually in the green smoothie! Hysterical! LOL
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If you use pineapple, pineapple juice, or mangoes, make sure you understand how much higher the Glycemic Index will be… Just thought I'd throw this out there…
My family and I like these. I use baby spinach, sunbutter (my 2 yr old is allergic to nuts), soy milk (he's allergic to dairy and nut milk too), Chia seeds, banana and ice.
I've tossed in oats (Certified GF for my Celiac) and even carrots on occasion and they've been awesome.
I had to convince myself to drink one of these smoothies the first time, it was a dark green (sunbutter is darker) and did not look good, but tasted awesome!
Thank you so much for this. I went right out to stock up on the spinach for this drink. This is a welcome addition to my diet especially since I am not really a breakfast kind of person. I love all the variations people are suggesting to keep it new. THanks Gina
Gina, great minds must think alike… I have just started getting into green smoothies, too! I don't add any nut butter, and use ground flax seed in mine ( it still gives it a bit of a nutty taste). Also, try it with mangos and pineapples instead of banana, and use water instead of the almond milk if you prefer.. Delicious!
Had it this morning and made it with PB2. It is delicious!! I am going to start making it for my kids as well!!!
I would love to start having these for breakfast but I commute 1 hr & 45 minutes to work. Would these hold up well in a thermos. I leave to early to have my breakfast so I always have it at work? Thanks
Yes, I just use one of those insulated cups with a straw. And mine lasted the hour commute to work. Perfect! Now I eat breakfast while driving.
Hey…I jumped this morning and ran to get my spinach! I had seen these all over the place but never thought to try…until recently that I've been calorie counting and realized I'm not eating my vegetables and fruits daily! So I figured this would be a great way to get it all in (or most of it for that matter) I added ground flaxseed to mine. I just had some leftover and it got thicker, almost like a shake consistency becuase of the ground flax. YUMMO!!! I am sold!
Gotta love greens for breakfast. I'm going to make this and sub in coconut yogurt instead….good vegan alternative and soy free too!
I am right there with ya… I've never actually had a green monster smoothie! There is just something about the green stuff that doesn't sit well with me incorporating it into a smootie… but I must admit I love the fact you added peanut butter. That makes the green stuff worth it. Totally.
Just for those that were asking about substitute for bananas..frozen mango also has a creamy texture. Though, I like bananas the best. Or try almond or coconut milk for a creamy texture.
I just tried this pumpkin pie smoothie recipe…yummy:
8oz coconut/almond milk
2 cups spinach
can of pumpkin
1 fresh or frozen banana
pinch of cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice to taste
And voila! Tastes like a pumpkin spice frappucino to me without the coffee flavor, but way, way healthier! 🙂 Hope everyone has a good day!
i make a crazy variety of green smoothies. once you start having them you can really switch things up and make them even more nutritious over time with kale, etc.
Gina- thanks for all the great recipes! I recently lost over 20 pounds on WW and reached my goal! Your recipes really helped me out! My reward after working out is a smoothie with spinach, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, frozen strawberries,chocolate protein powder and Just great stuff powdered peanut butter. LOVE IT!!!
I love Green Smoothies! I use either frozen pineapple, mango or peaches with frozen bananas (I freeze those myself), spinach, flaxseed and water. I love the taste of adding darker berries, but they change the color so much and I've grown to love that bright green color 🙂 My favorite breakfast!
I've seen this smoothie posted on many websites and blogs. I've always been skepital–but I've gotten more adventerous as to trying new healthy foods/beverages in the last year. I've just started doing the "30 day breakfast challenge" and I think now may be the perfect time to be brave and try this. I mean, what's the worst that can happen right? And who knows, I may end up liking it!
My husband and I make these every morning, but we use frozen fruit, fresh apples and oranges, ice, spinach or kale, and flax seed. These are a great way to start the morning.
Frozen mango, peaches, and pineapple are all great fruits to add with spinach, without making it turn brown and visually unpleasing. My kids love the bright green color it makes. We call it our "Shrek" drink!
Tried this today in my brand new Vitamix, it was delicious!!
I tried this recipe this morning substituting skim milk for almond and strawberry flavored greek yogurt for plain. My smoothie came out tasting bitter for some reason. Any suggestions?
honey, plain greek and real berries!
What else can I use instead of the unsweetened vanilla almond milk? I would never drink it and I don't want to buy just to make this – would skim milk work? Also, what is PB2? BTW – Gina thanks for all your recipes! I found your blog about a month ago on pinterest and have already made several things – me and the hubby haven't minded our new years healthy eating resolution at all!
Skim milk works well
i posted a recipie a few posts ago – i make green juice with blueberry boost every morning – it's partly a cleanse but it's INSANE for your body!
Interesting combo. I'll have to give it a try!
Thanks for this recipe! I have been drinking commercial organic big-mean-green-goodness beverages for years….usually when I felt that I was low on fruit and veg consumption. Grossed people out at work but that's because they didn't taste it! Fresh and yummy! Now I can make at home. May use soy products. Keep the healthy yummies coming! 🙂
Oh, and as someone else mentioned, darker things mixed with the spinach (such as my dark chocolate almond milk) makes the whole thing the color of swamp water. But it's so, so good, I don't care. My non-healthy fiance loves them too – he requests them frequently!
P.S. I recommend blending the almond milk and spinach together first to liquefy things before adding the other ingredients. It helps everything reach a nice, smooth consistency.
I felt the same way about green monsters. I remember thinking, there's no way you can't taste the spinach. But everyone raved about them, so I gave them a skeptical try. Delicious!! My favorite way to make one is almost identical to yours. I use one cup of dark chocolate almond milk, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1 tablespoon PB2, and one frozen banana (sliced before freezing). It's so, so good. The banana gives it the perfect consistency and the whole thing tastes like a chocolate peanut butter banana milkshake. Yum!
I love green monsters! So delicious. I usually skip the yogurt and pb, and just do the banana, spinach, almond milk, and sometimes frozen cherries. Also good: chia seeds. YUM!
This is amazing!!! I have been playing with green smoothies forever, and Angela (Oh She Glows) is my other go-to blog!!
Yesterday I did: frozen pineapple, coconut water/regular water, celery, spinach – light green.
If you add dark berries it turns purple: I usually use peaches, mangoes & pineapple!
Yummy!!!
p.s. without the milk, points go way down!! 🙂 And a 1/4 avocado works for a "fatty" PB substitute – also green!
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Jenny
I got off of my Green Smoothie kick, but am planning to get back on. This recipe got me thinking again, thanks! I used to do them with whatever frozen fruit I had, spinach, light Vanilla Soy milk (my preference over almond), and ground flax seed. So easy and so tasty. I've been drinking protein shakes, so I'd like to find a type of protein powder I can add for fewer calories and no major flavor change. Hmm.
lifesourcevitamins whey protein they are 120 per scoop and great vanilla taste..low carb and low sugar i use it always
I'm having one for breakfast this morning too!
My son and I have these green smoothies every morning. He loves them and I love them. So good. I haven't tried peanut butter but may have too. If you are going to use flax seeds make sure you grind them up first.
This is similar to the one I drink. 1c. skim milk, 1 banana, 1c. spinach, 1c. ice, 2TBS. better n' pb & 2 scoops protein powder. It's also 6 pts+.
(2 for the milk, 2 for the btpb & 2 for the pp.)
🙂 Yummy!Gonna go make one now.
sounds good! will give it a try!:)
Where do you buy your Better N Peanut Butter? And what is PB2? Thank you
banana
Spinach
Hemp seeds
Almond milk
Strawberries
Greek yogurt
BOOM
these monsters are all over the blogosphere! I think it's time i should try one too
No way I would waste 6 pts on this 🙁
I love green drinks. Yumm!!!!!
Better late than NEVER! The possibilities are endless and you can use kale instead of spinach too if you like.
Good for you!
I love to start the day with green smoothies during the summer, but never really think of them at this time of year. I learned at a Vitamix Demonstration that pineapple is a great addition to green smoothies. It really helps to sweeten it and would make a great alternative to banana.
I love your recipes and cook with them a lot! Thank you for always keeping a mind toward the veggie readers and offering substitutions when you can.
I can't have bananas. Is there another fruit you'd recommend?
Xmissingxlovex what about soy butter?
Nydia, oh wow, National Peanut Butter day, that was just luck on my part!
Love the Kale idea!
I counted all the fruit in the smoothie based on the nutritional info. They say when using fruits in a recipe you should count them. I'll leave that up to you though!
Jenn, Thanks for letting me know, I love Oh She Glows. I'll give her the proper credit. Had no idea.
I make a variation of this every morning. 10-12oz water, 1 frozen banana, 1 large handful frozen fruit mix (berries…from Walmart), Vanilla protein powder (2 scoops, as it is the serving size)and about 2 large handfuls of spinach. I blend it until it is completely pureed & smooth…about 30 seconds. (I have a vitamix blender) Usually is a deep purple color. This gives me about 24 oz of smoothie and fills me for at least a couple of hours. You do not taste the spinach. I mostly taste banana. Also every once in a while I throw in a handful of almonds. It really is a good smoothie.
Everyone refers to spinach smoothies as "Green Monster" smoothies . . . and you'd have to research them to figure out Oh She Glows was supposedly the girl to first come up with that name. I'm not sure crediting her with the name is necessary. Not like she has it copyrighted or anything.
I've been reading about green monster smoothies for a while now and STILL have never tried one! Your recipe looks so easy so I think it might be the first one I try 🙂
You can use Sunbutter if you are allergice to nuts . .. but the points go up. Still delicious though!
Looks great. My best friend and I have been totally into smoothies lately. We especially love the ww friendly ones. Thank you so much. A must try!
Jessica
I often drink a green smoothie in the mornings using a similar recipe, but mine calls for a banana, blueberries, spinach, soy milk, ground flaxseed, and ice. It is so good and much better than it looks!
Am definitely trying this!!
I have it figured at 3 weight watchers plus points, not 6…
1 banana. 0 points
Spinach – 0 points
Half cup nonfat Greek yogurt 1 point
1 cup unsweetened almond milk – 1 point
2 tablespoon pb2 – 1 point.
Total 3 points.
It was probably put through the recipe builder which takes into account the nutrition information for all the items…making the fruits and veggies not free…
PB2 vs. Peanut Butter is the difference.
So because this is mixed together it comes out to 7 points on my recipe builder..but if ate separate it would be 3 points..that just doesn't make sense to me. So, should it count as 3 or 7 points?
According to WW when you blend the fruits they are actually not free because the blender is doing the processing, not your body. I believe they said as a rule of thumb to use the old point system for blended fruit.
I have this every morning. Minus the peanut butter add a cup of frozen strawberries and throw in a few carrots. If you add blueberries, the smoothie won't be green but a dark purple.
I have a green smoothie everyday for breakfast, my version is spinach, OJ, a banana and whatever frozen berries I have on hand, yummy!!
The OJ makes your healthy smoothie not so healthy. Each serving of pure fruit juice may already contain as much as eight teaspoons of natural sugar called fructose. While fructose may better benefit the fresh juice drinker than glucose found in table sugars, it still is nonetheless rich in calories that require to be burned by the body so as not turn into stored fat. Whole fruits, on the other hand, contain all the health-beneficial nutrients found in fruit juices, fructose included. Whole fruits, however, carry the natural fibers that facilitate better fructose absorption of the body.
I do that as well….but use a whole orange so you dont have the fake fructtose. Make it with all fresh, not preservatives or fake sugars. And use almond butter often.
Righto doctor know it all
Does the banana have to be frozen?
No. But it's better if it is frozen. Peel your bananas and cut them in half lengthwise making it easier for the food processer to handle, and pop them into a freezer bag.
I could be totally wrong about this, but I thought the "Green Monster" name came from Angela from "Oh she glows"…shouldn't she be credited?
She is credited – look up towards the top – I saw it somewhere around the recipe. ;0)
This is perfect since it's National Peanut Butter Day. Gonna try it today Thanks!
This is a Super Delicious Smoothie!! I sometimes leave out the PB and put in a KIWI!! YUMMY!!
My kids will even drink it with the kiwi because it's sweet.
Green Monsters are great! You don't taste the spinach, but you feel awesome drinking spinach like it ain't no thing. Pretty much you're Pop'eye.
My husband loves them too!
I hate banana.. what would you suggest as a sub but have it still be yummy lol
Avocados.
grapes
any kind of berries will work some berries taste funny with PB so i use protein powder
I actually posted about this today to!
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I love green smoothies! They are the perfect start to the day! Though, I'd be careful about mixing dairy products with greens. It can cause digestion issues. But, I love my green smoothie! So glad you liked it! 🙂
@ Alex: I buy the bags of Baby Spinach from the produce department and freeze them. They work wonderfully. I take out what I need for my smoothie and blend away!
You can also make it with water, and add more veggies – such as Kale, banana, strawberries, cucumber, apple. And it still tastes good.
is there anything i can use other than peanut butter, i cant eat it:(
You can just omit the pb. I omit the yogurt too and add ice and 1 t. oil.
You can easily add almond butter, its healthier than pb
I love peanut butter, but just can't imagine it tasting good in a smoothie.
you need one of the nut butters because that is what makes this have enough calories to be a meal replacement and is what gives you the full feeling you need to make it to lunch!
try Sun Butter its made from sunflower seeds but has all the good stuff pb does
I am in love with green monster smoothies, at least the one that I made which is actually very similar to this one, I just add a little pineapple or mango 🙂
I'm one of those weirdos who hate bananas but I'm starting to jump on the spinach smoothie band wagon. Any ideas of what I can substitute for the banana?
Any berries will do, preferably organic.
Frozen mangos are delish and make it just as thick and cold!!
im another weird who HATES bananas…but LOVE berries..thank god i can use them
Avocados instead of bananas, keeps smooth consistency.
the banana seems to add the sweetness you need so you might try grapes. Berries would work but some of them are still a bit tart.
Try pineapple or mango. 🙂
I make smoothies with spinach, blueberries and even add carrots with a base of almond milk and protein powder.
I made one the other day with spinach, green grapNo peanut butter. I figured mine at only 3pp and it was really tasty es , a few berries , skim milk and Greek yogurt.
I take it frozen spinach probably not a good idea? I have everything in the house but the spinach, unless frozen counts =)
Frozen worked for me. Yay!
Love all your variations! PB2 would work just as well!
I skip the yogurt and almond milk, just use some pineapple juice and ice, and only use 1/2 Tbsp of almond butter. Sooooo good, and I *think* it's less points.
This is similar to my after workout smoothie– I use spinach, banana, milk, chocolate ovaltine, and a tsp of instant coffee– green mochalicious — yummy stuff!
That sounds great! How many p+?
I'm just getting into green monsters, too! They are surprisingly delicious and with all of the vitamins it's hard to find an excuse not to like them!
oops! I only use one tablespoon of real PB
Not sure why that is 6 points.
I use 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of spinach, 2 tbsp of real peanut butter, one frozen banana and a splenda. Only 5 p+, 1 dairy, and 3 f/v done for the day.
Because you didn't use yogurt. That's why the PP is different.
Hi Gina! Love green monster smoothies as well! you really cant taste the spinach at all. I keep frozen spinach and use it all the time, in things like mealoaf and burgers. Kids like the smoothies too! If you want to keep the ww points low I just use a banana and PB the rest is water or ice cubs, not as thick as with milk or water but it's only 4 points… you can use any variation you want.. just make sure to use spinach!!
I just don't know if I can justify 6 points on that. I know the veggies/fruits are all healthy, but I have a breakfast sandwich for 6 points + a banana every morning and feel that I'm getting the all my food groups. Plus it's not GREEN:) I may just have to try it though.
Mmm I haven't added yogurt, but I make almost that exact smoothie daily. It's sooo yummy!
Looks interesting….just have figure out a way not freak out my pug if I make one in the AM!
Have you ever tried the PB2? I was looking at it the other day…it's one point and most review are pretty good.
-Kat
I love PB2! It tastes different than peanut butter, and still great. I just made this with PB2 and a little vanilla protein powder. It's even better than I expected!
I also love PB2. It is great just as peanut butter (mixed with water) or in shakes. I also like the PB2 with Premium Chocolate powder! This I love in protein shakes as well as mixed with plain greek yogurt!
~Gina
After reading your comments about PB2 I had to find out what it was b/c it sounded so interesting, especially for a peanut butter fanatic like me. After doing some more research, it seems like PB2 is not very healthy after all. In case you're interested here is some more info: http://foodbabe.com/2012/09/16/the-truth-about-pb2-powdered-peanut-butter/
Looks delicious! I love experimenting with spinach in my smoothies!
If you like experimenting, try using Kale instead of spinach. It's super nutritious. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale. If you add sweetener, you should only use non-chemically produced Stevia or Xylitol which is a sugar alcohol sweetener used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute. It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables.
The recipe above calls for peanut butter and almond milk. I use raw almond butter and cocunut milk.
Thank you for this comment. I was wondering if you could use almond butter.
I use Sun Butter made from sunflower seeds
Instead of Stevia/Xylitol, etc try tossing in a date or two..natural sweetness! Usually just having a banana in my smoothie does the trick and I don't add in yogurt (vegan). Also, I like to add 1 T chia, hemp, or flax (or a combo) and grind really well in the blender first.
Hope you don't mind- I shared your recipe over on my sister-in-law's blog, http://www.onlyinlouisianas.com
I gave you full credit! Thanks!
There is actually a whole website dedicated to all the green monster recipes! http://greenmonstermovement.com/
Thank you for making this "Skinny"! I found a recipe similar a few weeks ago and couldn't justify the 10 points it said! Glad this one is a "WW" friendly!
ohhh…forgot to warn: if you put darker color fruit in with the spinach, the color changes to a pretty icky brownish green color 🙁
I added about 12 blackberries to this recipe and, although it tasted fine, it looked like mud. I practically had to close my eyes as I drank it.
I love these. I usually blend all of the ingredients really well and then just blend in the yogurt at the end for 1-2 seconds. It's much less foamy that way.
That's so funny because I just did a post on this a week or so ago … same EXACT recipe except: banana is sliced and frozen and I use plain yogurt that I freeze in ice cube trays. Easy and good … I make mine after I work out.
I LOVE the idea of freezing the yogurt in ice cube trays. Thanks for the tip!
I agree – they were my go-to breakfast in the summer! They just take on the flavor of whatever you add – protein powder, cocoa powder, berries, etc!
I was skeptical too, and now I have one similar to this almost every day. Try adding some frozen berries to it, and the color should be a little more of a purple. Plus, I drink mine out of a tinted water bottle so I can't really see the green!
great idea for the tinted bottle! I have a hard time getting past the green too!
I have this every morning! I use PB2 though and sometimes add a little bit of chocolate protein powder.
I was just coming down to the comments to see if PB2 was the same as the peanut butter supplement that she mentioned 🙂 Good to know that it works just fine!