High in antioxidants and vitamins, this 5-minute green smoothie bowl is very healthy. It’s a quick and delicious way to eat more fruits and leafy greens.
Recipe Highlights
- A green smoothie bowl is a fruit and vegetable smoothie. It’s served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon.
- This recipe only uses frozen fruit, which makes the smoothie bowl thick enough to scoop.
- It’s naturally sweetened from the Medjool date, banana, and mango.
- Make this smoothie bowl in 5 minutes for a quick and healthy snack.
RELATED: Avocado Smoothie Bowl
5 Green Smoothie Bowl Benefits
1. Promotes Gut Health
Fiber is an important nutrient for digestion and gut health. But most people don’t get enough. Eating this green smoothie bowl will help increase your intake of fiber. The nutrient is found in Medjool dates, spinach, banana, and mango.
2. Increases Fullness
The fiber in green smoothie bowls will help reduce hunger. Fiber is slowly digested by the body, so it can keep you full for a while.
3. Provides Antioxidants
This green smoothie bowl is good source of antioxidants. These are compounds that reduce your risk of disease. The antioxidants come from the Medjool date, spinach, banana, and mango.
4. Supports Immunity
The spinach, banana, and mango in this recipe provides a lot of vitamin C. An essential nutrient for immune function, vitamin C can help your body fight harmful germs.
5. Protects Brain Health
Leafy greens are some of the best brain-friendly foods. This includes spinach, which is used in this recipe. Spinach contains folate and lutein, which can protect brain function as you get older.
RELATED: 12 Benefits of Eating Mango
Ingredient Notes
- Unsweetened almond milk: Unsweetened almond milk is a great neutral base. It has a slight nutty flavor that tastes good with fruits and vegetables. Dairy milk or another plant-based milk will also work.
- Medjool date: Medjool dates are natural sweeteners. Plus, they add fiber and antioxidants to smoothies.
- Spinach: Spinach is packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Baby spinach is the easiest to add to recipes, but you can also use chopped regular spinach.
- Frozen banana: If freezing bananas yourself, pick ripe bananas, which are yellow with some brown spots. Before freezing, always slice them into coins first.
- Frozen mango: The bright and sweet flavor of mango pairs well with spinach. It also omits the need for ice, which can dilute the flavor of your smoothie bowl.
- Chia seeds: Chia seeds are a great way to add extra nutrients in a smoothie bowl. Instead of chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds can be added.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
Nut butters: Peanut butter, cashew butter, and almond butter are tasty in green smoothie bowls. Start with 1 tablespoon per recipe to avoid overwhelming the flavor. Nut butters are rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, and plant-based protein.
Protein powders: For a more filling smoothie bowl, add protein powder. This ingredient will also help your muscles recover after exercise.
Collagen powders: If you want to improve your skin and joint health, choose powdered collagen instead. Collagen is the main protein in your skin and joints.
Green powders: To make this green smoothie bowl even healthier, add a green powder like spirulina or wheatgrass. These ingredients contain antioxidants and vitamins. They’ll also intensify the green color of the recipe. Usually, you’ll need 1 tablespoon or 1 scoop per smoothie bowl.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Pour almond milk into the blender. Add chia seeds.
Put the liquid ingredient into the blender first.
Step 2: Add Medjool date, spinach, frozen bananas, and frozen mango.
The heaviest ingredients go in last.
Step 3: Blend on a low speed, then increase to high.
Use a tamper tool to move the ingredients around the blender.
Step 4: Spoon into a bowl. Serve immediately.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Blender Tips
Move ingredients with a tamper.
Using a tamper will make the blending process easier. It also ensures a smooth and consistent blend. A tamper is a tool that’s inserted through the lid of the blender. It allows you to push ingredients toward the blades as they move.
Load ingredients in the right order.
When putting ingredients in the blender, avoid adding them randomly. Otherwise, this will cause air pockets and a poor blend.
Start with liquids instead. Follow with any add-ins, like powders and seeds, then add leafy greens. Finish with heavy ingredients, like ice or frozen fruit.
Begin on low speed.
Don’t immediately blend on high speed. The blender needs some time to break down the frozen fruits. Start on low speed, then quickly increase to high. This will ensure the blades of your blender don’t get damaged.
Expert Tips
- Smoothie bowls with bananas tend to be very creamy. If you want an icier smoothie bowl, replace some of the banana with frozen mango.
- You can also add a few ice cubes. Put them in the blender after the frozen mango.
- If freezing your own mango, choose a ripe one. You can tell a mango is ripe if the skin is green with some red or orange. It should also have some give when you gently press it.
- Skip the Medjool date to reduce the sweetness.
- When possible, make smoothie bowls when you’re ready to eat them. Storing a smoothie bowl can make the ingredients separate. If you need to store leftovers, keep it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
Questions You May Have
When part of a varied and balanced diet, green smoothie bowls are very healthy. They’re a great way to eat more fruits and vegetables.
You can add ice to thicken and chill your smoothie bowl. Just be sure to use it with frozen fruit to avoid diluting the recipe.
Kale and spinach are popular choices. Kale has a strong earthy taste, while spinach has a milder flavor. Both are delicious in smoothie bowls.
Related
- Tropical Smoothie Bowl
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
- Acai Smoothie Bowl
- Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
- Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
If you tried this Green Smoothie Bowl recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Green Smoothie Bowl
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Medjool date
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 frozen banana (sliced)
- 1 ½ cups frozen mango chunks
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, Medjool date, spinach, frozen banana, and frozen mango chunks into a blender. Secure lid.Place ingredients into the blender in the order listed.
- Blend until smooth.Start the blender on LOW speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to HIGH for a full minute. Use the tamper to help move the ingredients.
- Pour or spoon smoothie into a bowl. Serve immediately.Add optional toppings like spinach, fresh mango, and fresh sliced banana.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- Dairy milk or another plant-based milk can be used instead of unsweetened almond milk.
- Smoothie bowls with bananas tend to be very creamy. If you want an icier smoothie bowl, replace some of the banana with frozen mango.
- You can also add a few ice cubes. Put them in the blender after the frozen mango.
- Before freezing bananas, always slice them into coins first. This will make it easier to puree in the blender.
- If freezing your own mango, choose a ripe one. You can tell a mango is ripe if the skin is green with some red or orange. It should also have some give when you gently press it.
- Skip the Medjool date to reduce the sweetness.
- When possible, make smoothie bowls when you’re ready to eat them. Storing a smoothie bowl can make the ingredients separate. If you need to store leftovers, keep it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.