Spinach Pineapple Banana Smoothie

Frozen vs Fresh Fruit for Spinach Pineapple Banana Smoothie

I use a combination of frozen and fresh fruit in my smoothies.  Using frozen pineapple drastically cuts down on the amount of prep work.  Using fresh bananas and spinach will give the smoothie some fresh components so it doesn’t have the texture of a slushy.  Frozen fruit (while in its frozen status) can be more bland than its fresh counterparts.  So I prefer a combination of the two!

New to Adding Greens to Your Smoothies?

If you’re new to adding greens to your smoothie and not sure if you’d like it, start with spinach.  It has a milder taste than kale and it’s easier to cover up with fruit.  You can also try adding half the amount of greens, then over time slowly increase the amount as you get used to them.

Using pineapple (like in this pineapple banana smoothie) is also a great way to cover up the taste of greens in smoothies. The sweet tropical fruit can be found in a lot of recipes adding a bright slightly tart flavor.

Variations

• Make it a pineapple lime smoothie by adding fresh lime juice.
• Use kale instead of spinach, remove the stem, and tear it into pieces before adding it to the smoothie. Swiss chard can also be used, remove the stem before adding it to the blender, or try an arugula smoothie that pairs the peppery greens with pineapple and oranges.
• Instead of water, try dairy-free milk, or coconut water.
• Substitute half of the frozen pineapple with mango or another fruit.
• Add a little fresh grated ginger or turmeric.

Tips

• If using fresh pineapple, use frozen bananas to have a chilled smoothie.
• If you are using all fresh fruit, try adding ice cubes to make it a chilled smoothie.

Storage

Store leftover vegan pineapple smoothies in an air-tight container with a lid in the refrigerator and consume them within 24 hours.  I’m a big fan of reusing cleaned-out peanut butter jars for all sorts of storage: overnight oats, freezing, meal prep, and even smoothies.  Plus they come with a lid!

More Smoothie Recipes

• Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie
• Vegan Chocolate Banana Smoothie
• Dairy-free Mango Smoothie
• Arugula Smoothie

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe for a banana and pineapple smoothie!