Why This Easy Smoothie Recipe Works
I’ve been making this Banana Spinach and Avocado Smoothie for-ever! Back up, the addition of avocado only came in the last few years but it’s a delicious and healthy way to add some extra vegetable protein (around 3 grams!) in our smoothies. Best of all it only takes 5 minutes to make!
My son was a preschooler, years ago, when I first had a banana and spinach
smoothie. I had never thought to add spinach but since he was already a fan of
banana smoothies, I figured it was a great way to add some extra nutrition.
Over the years, I’ve added my own twists with the addition of plain Greek
yogurt and ground flax seed too.
Smoothies are a great way to start our day when we’re on the run or for a nutritious, after-school snack.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for this banana spinach smoothie with avocado are pretty simple to find at most grocery stores.
We pretty much have bananas on hand every week. I like to wait until the bananas have some spots on them because then their natural sweetness really shines!
I most often use fresh avocados in this smoothie recipe but we live in southeast Texas so they’re pretty easy to find and plentiful year round. I’ve also seen the frozen avocado chunks at in the freezer section of wholesale clubs like Costco or some grocery stores.
We prefer the baby spinach over regular spinach but either will work in this recipe. The baby spinach tends to have a milder flavor and is a bit more tender so I have found it blends a lot more easily with the rest of the smoothie ingredients.
I buy the ground flax seed in bulk from Costco but you can also find it in the bulk section of many grocery stores. It’s so easy to add a bit to smoothies and other things like muffins or this Slow Cooker Homemade Granola . The ground flax seed is a better way for your body to receive its nutritious benefits vs. the whole flax seed.
My family also prefers the plain Greek yogurt from Costco, but you can also find plain yogurt in any grocery store. I use plain yogurt in all kinds of recipes including these Simple Greek Tacos , Sticky Lemon Bread or Homemade French Onion Dip.
How To Make This Smoothie
Take only 5 minutes and you’ll be enjoying this Banana Spinach Smoothie with Avocado in no time!
One thing I love about smoothies is how quick it is to throw everything into the blender jar and in just a few minutes I’ve got a healthy, nutritious breakfast or snack ready to go.
Pro Tip: Putting the spinach at the bottom of the blender jar (1), below the banana and avocado, makes it easier to blend everything together.
Depending on your style of blender, you will need to experiment on how long it takes for the spinach to fully blend in. Sometimes it will leave green “specs” of the leaves and that is ok (2). But I find if I blend it just a little longer, those bits are a lot smaller.
Once you’re done, pour the mixture into a glass (3) and enjoy!
Make Ahead Tips
While this smoothie is super simple to make, you can also prep some of it ahead of time. The night before , using a large mason jar (affiliate link) or other food safe storage container (affiliate link), add the bananas, baby spinach, ground flax seed, yogurt and honey.
I usually wait to add the avocado until the morning because it can turn brown pretty quickly.
When you’re ready to make your smoothie, add the contents of the mason jar, plus avocado and milk and blend everything together. That’s it!
Freezer Friendly Tips
You can also assemble all the ingredients except the milk and make it a smoothie kit! Simply combine all the ingredients in a zip top bag or reusable silicone bag (affiliate link), label (affiliate link) and freeze.
When ready to make your banana spinach avocado smoothie, let the frozen ingredients thaw a bit in the blender jar of your blender (about 10 minutes) or in the refrigerator overnight so it’s not so tough on your blender’s motor to mix it up. Sometimes the banana will turn brown in the freezer but that’s ok. It is still ok to use in the smoothie.
Add the milk to the frozen ingredients, blend and you’re good to go!
Do You Love Smoothies?
Do you love smoothies like I do? Be sure to check out some of my other smoothie recipes like this Creamy Peach Pie Smoothie, Triple Berry Banana Smoothie or Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie (all-natural, sans the bread!)
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If you’ve tried this recipe, let me know how much you enjoyed it by coming back and leaving a comment below and a rating. I love hearing from you!
Green Monster Banana Spinach Avocado Smoothie
Course Beverage
Cuisine American
Keyword banana spinach smoothie, easy smoothie recipe, Spinach Avocado Smoothie
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 410kcal
Author Brenda Thompson
Equipment
Blender
Ingredients
2 bananas very ripe, with spots. The riper they are, the sweeter they become.
2 cups baby spinach loosely packed in measuring cup
1 small avocado 1/2 avocado if it is larger
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
½ cup plain yogurt we prefer Greek yogurt, but any plain variety will do
1 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups skim milk can substitute soy or almond milk if you like
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in blender until blended. Pour and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Pro Tip
Putting the spinach at the bottom of the blender jar, below the banana and avocado, makes it easier to blend everything together.
Make Ahead Tips
Prep your ingredients the night before for an even quicker morning or snack. Add the bananas, baby spinach, ground flax seed, yogurt and honey to a food safe storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
When ready to make your smoothie, add contents of the jar plus avocado and milk, blend and enjoy!
Freezer Friendly Tips
You can also make a smoothie kit! Simply combine all the ingredients, except the milk, in a zip top bag or reusable silicone bag (affiliate link), label (affiliate link) and freeze.
When ready to make your smoothie, let the frozen kit ingredients thaw a little bit (about 10 minutes)
When ready to make your banana spinach avocado smoothie, let the frozen ingredients thaw a bit in the blender jar of your blender (about 10 minutes) or in the refrigerator overnight
Add the milk to the frozen ingredients, blend and you’re good to go!
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 1459mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 3471IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 346mg | Iron: 2mg
This post was originally published in June 2011 and updated in April 2020 with new photos, content and video.
The post Green Monster Banana Spinach Avocado Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Meal Planning Magic.
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