Ingredients

This recipe relies on a few simple, wholesome ingredients to create a perfectly balanced and creamy smoothie. Each component plays a crucial role in the final taste, texture, and nutritional profile.

Fresh Spinach (2 packed cups): This is the powerhouse of the smoothie. Use fresh, tender baby spinach for the mildest flavor. It blends seamlessly and provides a huge dose of vitamins and minerals without imparting a “grassy” taste.
Ripe Bananas (2 medium, preferably frozen): The bananas are the star of the show when it comes to sweetness and texture. Using ripe, spotty bananas ensures maximum natural sweetness, while using them frozen creates an incredibly thick, creamy, milkshake-like consistency without watering down the smoothie with ice.
Unsweetened Almond Milk (1 cup): This acts as the liquid base, allowing the ingredients to blend smoothly. Unsweetened almond milk is a great low-calorie, dairy-free option with a neutral taste that lets the fruit shine. You can substitute with any milk of your choice, dairy or non-dairy.
Plain Greek Yogurt (1/2 cup): Greek yogurt adds a wonderful tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the banana. More importantly, it provides a significant protein boost, making the smoothie more satiating, and contributes to its rich, creamy texture. For a vegan option, use a plant-based yogurt.
Chia Seeds (1 tablespoon): These tiny seeds are a nutritional giant. They add a boost of fiber, protein, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. When blended, they also help to thicken the smoothie and keep you feeling full for longer.
Honey or Maple Syrup (1 teaspoon, optional): For those with a sweeter tooth or if your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, a small drizzle of a natural sweetener can elevate the flavor. This is entirely optional and can be adjusted to your personal taste.

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Instructions

Creating this smoothie is a simple and straightforward process. The key to a perfectly smooth and creamy result lies in the order you add the ingredients to your blender. Following this method helps the blender work more efficiently and prevents chunks of unblended ingredients.

Start with the Liquids: Pour the 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk into the blender first. Adding the liquid base at the bottom helps the blades to move freely and start creating a vortex, which will pull the solid ingredients down.
Add the Greens: Next, add the 2 packed cups of fresh spinach on top of the almond milk. Placing the lighter ingredients like spinach on top of the liquid ensures they get pulled down and pureed smoothly without getting stuck under the heavier items. If you have a regular-powered blender, you can even blend the milk and spinach together for 30 seconds first to ensure the spinach is completely liquefied before adding anything else.
Incorporate Soft and Small Ingredients: Add the 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt and the 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. If you are using an optional sweetener like honey or maple syrup, add it at this stage.
Finish with the Frozen Fruit: The final step is to add the 2 frozen, ripe bananas. Placing the heaviest and hardest ingredients (in this case, the frozen fruit) on top helps to weigh everything down, pushing the contents towards the blades for a more efficient and uniform blend.
Blend to Perfection: Secure the lid on your blender. Start blending on a low speed for about 10-15 seconds to get everything moving. Then, gradually increase the speed to high and blend for a full 45 to 60 seconds. You’ll know it’s ready when the smoothie is completely smooth, uniformly light green in color, and there are no visible specks of spinach or chunks of fruit.
Check Consistency and Serve: Once blended, pour the smoothie into two glasses. If you find the smoothie is too thick for your liking, you can add a small splash of additional almond milk and blend for another 10 seconds. If it’s too thin, you can add a few more pieces of frozen banana or a half-tablespoon of chia seeds and blend again. Serve immediately for the best taste and texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 320