I’ve eaten a blood sugar balancing green smoothie almost every single day for breakfast for maybe a decade now (yes, it’s OK to drink a green smoothie every day!!). It’s the most delicious and easiest way to pack in more nutrients before 9 a.m. than most people get in an entire day. I never get tired of them because there’s literally endless flavor variations, and I actually wake up craving them because A) I make them taste like milkshakes and B) they make me feel SO good and energized and full–it’s like a Pavlovian response.

As you may remember from one of the most popular episodes ever of the Healthier Together Podcast about how to hack your blood sugar, there’s a science-backed trick to making smoothies so you don’t feel hangry and sluggish 30 minutes later! Enter: my tried and true blood sugar balancing green smoothie formula, which I’ve personally tested with my Levels glucose monitor.

This formula was born out of the observation that so many green smoothie recipes online don’t have the key elements that keep blood sugar stable, so you’ll end up feeling that spike and crash that has even worse consequences on your health like disrupting your hormones, your weight, your sleep, and so much more. Listen to the episode if you’re like “what??” Besides, if you’re doing the work of putting greens in your smoothie, you won’t want to miss out on absorbing all those nutrients. You can find plenty of my green smoothie recipes in this blog post, or get creative and follow my green smoothie formula below to be set up for success!

What greens to put in a smoothie:

If you only put spinach in your green smoothies, stop right here. Research shows that by eating the same type of green all the time, alkaloids can build up in the body and lead to negative side effects. You’d need a very, very large amount of spinach to do that, but using mixed greens in your smoothie or rotating them daily is a great way to steer clear plus also get more diversity of vitamins and minerals!

Many, many people do not rotate the greens in their smoothies, and it’s so vital to getting the most health benefits out of your smoothies. To explain further, all greens have a large amount of healthy ingredients and a very small amount of toxic ones, designed to encourage animals to graze judiciously on the green, moving on to another plant before the whole population, say, of kale was wiped out. To counter this, you need to switch up your greens regularly, especially because smoothies have you consuming such a large amount of them. There’s no need to be intense about this—simply make your way through a bunch of spinach, then grab arugula next time, mixed greens the next, then go back to spinach before grabbing some kale, and so on.

Green smoothie formula:

• 2 big handful of greens: remember to rotate your greens because you want to get a mix of nutrients and anti-nutrients to counter the high oxalates of just spinach!
• Healthy fat: adding healthy fats will help you absorb nutrients from greens! You could use avocados, nut butters and nut milk, yogurt, seeds like chia, flax, hemp, and coconut/MCT oil.
• Protein: by adding protein to your green smoothie, you’ll feel much more satiated, energized, and fuller longer. For protein powders, I love Ritual, Sprout, and Nuzest digestive support blend!! I also recommend to rotate between a few for diversity.
• Half a frozen banana: this will make the smoothie creamy like a milkshake
• Frozen fruit: we naturally sweeten the smoothie by adding in frozen fruit
• Spices: Spices are the original superfoods. Give your green smoothie delicious flavor with added health benefits! I love to add cacao, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, and even chai spices for a kick!
• Pinch of salt: ALWAYS add sea salt for digestion and to make the flavors pop.

Can I make this green smoothie without banana?

Yes! Just omit the banana and use a bit more frozen fruit! For your healthy fat, I recommend using avocado (versus nut butter or seeds) because you need it for the creaminess with no banana.

Is it OK to drink a green smoothie every day?

Absolutely! Remember to chew your smoothies though. Digestion begins in your mouth, and the food mixes with the saliva, which has digestive enzymes in it and the act of chewing essentially “turns on” your gut. So, you’ll have less stomach issues and get more nutrients out of chewing ANYTHING you need to digest.

Try my favorite green smoothie recipes:

Need some inspiration on how to get started and experimenting with flavors? I’ve got you covered. These are my tried and true dairy free green smoothie recipes that’ll keep you energized well until lunchtime. And yes, I still consider a smoothie “green” if it packs in vegetables that aren’t that color (you’ll be glad you did). Or check out my free green smoothie guide for even more tips & tricks!

• Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie (no banana)
• Constipation-Busting Green Smoothie
• Vegan Chocolate Coffee Protein Smoothie
• Starbucks Pink Drink Smoothie
• Vegan Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Green Smoothie
• Healthy Chocolate Chai Green Smoothie
• Detox Green Smoothie

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