Kale Pineapple Green Smoothie without Banana - Refreshing & tasty smoothie with kale, pineapple, grape, apple, orange juice, and flaxseeds.
I love a good smoothie. It's easy, convenient, and a perfect way to have more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Although my husband and I both love my green smoothie, I wanted something that is refreshing and highlights summer flavors like pineapple and grape.
Don't give me wrong, my family loves to use bananas in our smoothie to create a creamy texture and rich sweetness. A perfect example is my recent Almond Butter Smoothie with Banana!
But I was craving something lighter as the temperature rises and that's how this smoothie was born!
Why you will love this green smoothie
- It highlights the summer flavors like pineapple and grape
- You won't be able to taste kale in the smoothie
- It is packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants
- You can prepare ahead of the time
- It is SUPER delicious
Ingredients
- Kale - Kale is what makes this smoothie vibrant green color
- Pineapple - Sweet and unmistakable refreshing flavor
- Grape - These little sweet gems scream summer
- Apple - It adds additional sweetness as well as extra fiber
- Orange juice and water - The liquid portion of the smoothie that gives a pleasant tang with sweetness
- Ground Flaxseeds - The healthy fat component that ties everything together
Substitutions and Variations
- Kale - For the kale, you can use baby spinach
- Orange juice - For the orange juice, you can use apple juice, pineapple juice, or water
- Pineapple and grape - You can use frozen peach and/or mango
- Apple - For the apple, you can use pear
- Ground flaxseeds - You can easily substitute ground flaxseeds with chia seeds or hemp seeds.
- Ground flaxseeds - I find ground flaxseeds to interfere with the flavor of the rest of the ingredients least. When using ground flaxseeds, the smoothie gets a little darker green.
- Chia seeds - It is an excellent substitution but if you are not using a high-speed blender, it is difficult to mix in chia seeds with the rest of the ingredients smoothly.
- Hemp seeds - If you enjoy the nutty flavor without adding any nuts, hemp seeds are a perfect substitution. When adding hemp seeds to the smoothie, it will make your smoothie creamier and lighter in color.
Frequently asked questions about Green Smoothie
If your smoothie contains ingredients that are high in insoluble fiber such as kale and apple, your smoothie tends to separate and becomes foamy. To make your smoothie less foamy and separate less, you can add healthy fat to emulsify the smoothie.
YES! You can freeze the prepared smoothie in the freezer for up to 3 to 5 days. You can thaw them in the fridge and give it a quick shake to mix everything before enjoying.
I recommend using frozen fruits to make my smoothie thicker without diluting the flavor. However, I sometimes use ice cubes to thicken the smoothie.
You can simply add more liquid such as juice, milk, or water.
Using a high-speed blender (Vitamix or Blentec) helps. But if you don't have a high-speed blender, you can add the fibrous ingredient first, then add ingredients with harder texture next, and add softer ingredients.
Tips on making Kale Pineapple Green Smoothie without Banana
- If you are not using a high-speed blender, be mindful of the order of ingredients added to the smoothie. You should add:
- Fibrous ingredients first with the liquid (such as kale and apple)
- Add harder ingredients next (frozen grapes and pineapple)
- Add softer ingredients (ground flaxseeds)
- You can add the ice cubes last. When adding ice cubes, add 2 to 3 pieces at a time.
- Use frozen kale, pineapple, and grape. Not only does using frozen kale, pineapple, and grape help thicken the smoothie, it helps the smoothie foam up less.
- Portion out the ingredient and place them into a freezer-safe bag for the make-ahead smoothie package. I like to prepare three to four packages at a time and freeze them. So all I have to do in the morning is dump this package in my blender and add a couple more ingredients to enjoy this delicious and healthy smoothie in a jiffy.
Kale Pineapple Green Smoothie without Banana
Kale Pineapple Green Smoothie without Banana - Refreshing & tasty smoothie with kale, pineapple, grape, apple, orange juice, and flaxseeds.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 big smoothies 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 small size apple, roughly chopped
- ½ cup frozen pineapple
- ½ cup frozen green seedless grapes
- 1 cup packed frozen kale (or 2 cups loosely packed)
- 1 and ½ cup orange juice (or less)
- ½ cup of water (depending on how much orange juice you use and to adjust the thickness)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
- Place everything in the high-speed blender.
- Blend until everything is smooth. Adjust the thickness by adding more orange juice/water (to make it thinner) or ice cubes (to make it thicker).
Notes
- Freeze kale, pineapple, and grape ahead of time. Using frozen kale, pineapple, and grapes help with separation as well as foaming up the smoothie a lot less.
- Please feel free to adjust the amount of orange juice and water. I like to have about 2 cups of liquid (orange juice and water combined) added to my smoothie. If you use more orange juice, it will be sweeter.
- If you are not using a high-speed blender (like Vitamix or Blendtec), blend the orange juice with kale and apple first, then add the rest of the ingredients. Start with the low speed and gradually increase the speed as the smoothie becomes smooth.
- Please see the substitution and variation above for more information.
Keywords: kale pineapple green smoothie without banana, kale green smoothie, green smoothie, no banana smoothie
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