Green Lemonade Smoothie – Eating Bird Food

This Green Lemonade Smoothie combines kale, pear, cucumber, and lemon into a refreshing drink that is not only detoxifying but also alkalizing and energizing!

This green lemonade smoothie is an oldie that recently got a big photo update! This recipe came about after waking up one morning craving green juice, but not wanting to get out my juicer. With that said, I decided to try making a green juice smoothie on my Vitamix.

I usually use frozen bananas and almond milk as the base for most of my smoothies, but I wanted this one to be more like a juice, so I stuck with a pear, cucumber, and water. The Vitamix did a great job pulverizing everything, so I’d say it was a hit!

Why you will love this smoothie

• It’s the perfect balance of green juice and smoothie.
• It’s refreshing and packed with tons of nutrients and health benefits.
• You only need a few fresh ingredients to mix up this smoothie.

Ingredients needed

• kale – a green powerhouse, kale is packed with vitamins A, K, B6 and C, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It is the star ingredient of this green smoothie. I used green kale, but any variety of kale should work just fine.
• pear – Pears are not only delicious, but they also offer dietary fiber (one pear has 6 grams of fiber) and essential nutrients, such as vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. They are anti-inflammatory, have been shown to improve heart health, and may help with weight loss. Just be sure to include the peel as most of the nutrients are found there. (Fountain)
• cucumber – High in nutrients but low in calories, cucumbers are super hydrating due to their high water content. Because they are 95% water, they naturally detoxify your body. They are also high in vitamins A, B, and C and contain phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects.
• lemon – adds shine and flavor and helps boost your immunity and flush out toxins. Lemon juice also adds a good dose of vitamin C. Just be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice!
• water – Arguably hydration is the most important factor in achieving a beautiful, healthy glow, so I used filtered water for the base of this smoothie.
• ice – Since we are not using frozen fruit in this smoothie, the ice helps to thicken this smoothie and make it colder!

How to do

This green lemonade smoothie looks just like green juice, but it’s so much easier to make and less messy!

Simply place all of your ingredients in a high powered blender like a Vitamix. Blend until smooth, add more water or ice until the shake is the texture and consistency you like.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Notes and substitutions

• pear – if you don’t have pears on hand, you can use an apple instead. Both pears and apples are sweet, making it a great substitution. I would recommend using a Granny Smith apple or a tart red apple like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
• kale – If you don’t have kale on hand, you can use any leafy green of your choice. Fresh baby spinach would be my next choice, but any green variety will work.
• cucumber – this adds some great nutrition, but if you don’t have a cucumber handy, celery or romaine hearts would be a great substitute as they are both hydrating.
• lemon – Fresh lime juice will work as a substitute for lemon juice.
• water – feel free to use coconut water, orange juice, or your favorite non-dairy milk like unsweetened almond milk or light coconut milk instead of the water.

Smoothie Variations

• add protein: If you want to add protein to this shake, feel free to add 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. You can also add a scoop of your favorite protein powder or try this green protein shake recipe, as the protein powder will change the overall flavor of the shake depending on the type you use.
• Add ginger: If you like a little zing to your smoothie, try adding a fresh ginger nut.
• Do you want a thicker shake? If you want a thicker smoothie, feel free to add some frozen fruit. I would recommend a frozen banana, pineapple or mango. For a creamier smoothie without the frozen fruit, you can also add 1/2 a ripe avocado.

What kind of blender is better to use?

If you’re a smoothie lover, I recommend investing in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. I’ve had the same blender for over 10 years, so it’s definitely worth the investment, in my opinion! The high powered blender helps to really break down the ingredients used in smoothies (especially the tougher ingredients like frozen fruit, kale, and ginger) for that smooth and creamy smoothie consistency.

That being said, if you don’t have a high powered blender like a Vitamix you can still make this shake, the texture might not be as smooth.

Healthier Smoothie Recipes

Be sure to check out all the smoothie recipes as well as the full collection of drink recipes at EBF!