Pineapple and spinach smoothie

This pineapple and spinach smoothie is incredibly easy, tasty and packed with green goodness. It has a great sweet-tart flavor, but without any added sugar. A perfect pick-me-up.

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Picture the scene: I am standing in the kitchen, passing a glass back and forth between my two boys for them to have a sip. My four year old exclaims "That's yummy! It's so tasty." Meanwhile my one year old points excitedly and goes "yum yum yum" which is his way of saying he wants more.

That was with this smoothie the first time I made it, now years ago. And if it's kid approved, you can be pretty sure you're on to a good thing (especially when vegetables are involved).

I never exactly jumped on the green smoothie trend as in all honesty, I found many I tried underwhelming. Some felt like hard work to drink, had a weird aftertaste, or plain tasted of grass. Sound familiar?

I completely get that the idea of being a great way to get all the fantastic nutrients from green vegetables quickly, but to me, healthy eating shouldn't be a chore. This simple smoothie gets past most of the issues I've found in the past through a combination of ingredients and tools. And the result is so good.

Core ingredients in this green smoothie

This uses a short list of ingredients that each add to that something to the end drink. I'm no dietician so I won't dwell on the health benefits, but suffice to say it has plenty of good things:

• Spinach - the main "green" that's loaded with lots of nutrients including vitamins A, C and K and minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. I recommend baby spinach as it has the mildest flavor, almost gently sweet, and blends really easily. Even if you are left with small specks in your drink, you don't taste them. My personal preference is fresh spinach, but you could use frozen, just remember it will also add liquid. So maybe reduce the water/ice if you do.
• Pineapple - this works really well in a green smoothie as the natural sweetness and acidity balances out any iron-y flavor you might get from the greens. Plus, it has a great sweet-tart flavor and nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber. I generally use frozen pineapple so it chills the drink,(and it's easier to only use a little at a time). But you could use fresh pineapple, too, if you have some needing used up.
• Celery - you could skip this if you like, but it adds a neutral freshness, as well as additional nutrients. And it's a whole lot easier to eat in a smoothie than as a chunk.
• Apple juice - I really like this as the main liquid here as it adds sweetness and flavor at the same time as adding liquids. I recommend a fresh apple cider/cloudy apple juice for better flavor and retains more nutrients than more processed juice.
• Water, coconut water or ice - rather than use all juice, you can balance it out with a little water so it's not overly sweet. Alternatively, coconut water adds a lovely extra freshness and flavor that pairs well. If you used fresh pineapple, then I'd recommend instead using ice to help chill the drink and give a smoother texture.

Optional additions

Beyond this core list, you can vary a little to taste. So, for example, as listed below, you could add a little yogurt (dairy or dairy free) for a bit of added smoothness as well as protein. Add in around a tablespoon chia seeds for the range of benefits they contribute.

While I love banana in a number of smoothies, like my apple banana smoothie, I don't feel you need it here and it can potentially distract from the pineapple flavor. But, you could also add some if you like - it will make it thicker and sweeter.

Final tips

While this is really easy, as you'll see, two final tips. First, use a high-speed blender. You want to make sure you break everything up well and not have chunks that are harder to drink. Plus, less powerful blenders are often not meant to be used with ice or frozen fruit. You'll get a better texture that's much more enjoyable.

Second, add liquid first. This is probably in your blender instructions and it's because it helps the blades move more freely. They then draw everything else in, rather than potentially getting clogged straight away. Blenders you turn over the container can be a little different, so do as makes sense for your blender.

This pineapple and spinach smoothie really is delicious, as well as incredibly quick and easy to make. Plus, you only need a handful of ingredients that are easy to find, too. What better combination could there be?

Try these other tasty smoothies:

• Cranberry smoothie
• Wild blueberry and apple crumble smoothie bowl
• Strawberry pineapple smoothie
• Mango dragon fruit smoothie
• Plus get more drinks recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was first shared in January 2017 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and additional information.

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