This delicious vegan smoothie is a great way to Get Your Greens for breakfast! Kale and spinach pair with the natural sweetness of banana for a winning whole foods combination. A scoop of plant-based protein powder adds an extra boost of nutrition. You’ll want this recipe on morning routine repeat.
Vegan Green Kale Smoothie: A Healthy, Plant-Based Drink
In the morning, it can be easy to reach for convenience foods liked boxed juices or caffeinated drinks for a quick pick-me-up. However, these drinks are often loaded with sugar, preservatives, and chemicals that can cause a crash hours later.
Making a smoothie is an easy, plant-based alternative! Smoothies take whole food ingredients and blend them together. Unlike juices, which are stripped of fiber, smoothies retain the fiber – and all the nutrition – of their ingredients.
This Get Your Greens Smoothie is packed with nutrition! Kale and spinach are loaded with antioxidants that help promote longevity by fighting disease and inflammation. Plus, the naturally sweet banana adds even more fiber and a dose of potassium. In addition, unsweetened plant-based milk and protein powder help supplement a plant-based diet, providing essential calcium, Iron, B-12, and other nutrients that are sometimes challenging tor vegans to get.
How to Make a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Smoothie
Smoothies are easy ways to get healthy, plant-based nutrition in your diet. However, you want to make sure your smoothie isn’t a calorie or sugar bomb. Here are some helpful smoothie-making tips:
- No added sugar or syrup: Avoid adding sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweeteners to smoothies. Get natural sweetness from the pureed fruit. Bananas, mangos, pineapple, and frozen cherries. You can also add dried fruits like dates or dried mango. The fruit can be fresh, frozen, or dried. What’s important, though, is that they have healthy fiber, which keeps you full.
- Smoothie vs Juice: Unlike juice, smoothies retain the fiber from the ingredients. This helps regulate your blood sugar. In turn, you stay fuller for a longer period of time.
- Plant-Based Milk: Use a plant-based milk to puree your smoothie. You can use any variety you like: Soy, Almond, Oat, Cashew, or Rice. I really like the 365 Whole Foods Brand or Almond Breeze brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Just be sure to use a plain, unsweetened milk to avoid added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- Adding Vegan Protein: If you have a very active lifestyle or want your smoothie to serve as a meal-replacement, you can add a scoop of vegan protein powder. Be sure to use a high-quality plant-based powder that has minimal added sugar or artificial ingredients. You can also add 1/2 cup silken tofu or cooked oatmeal.
Is it Wrong to Add Protein Powder to a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet?
It took me about a year of eating a whole foods, plant-based diet to realize I needed to supplement. I have an intense workout routine that includes running 10+ miles and heavy, full-body weight-lifting for hours a day. While I tried to eat extra whole grains, beans, and veggies to meet my nutrition goals, I struggled with feeling bloated and heavy.
Discovering this green smoothie was a game-changer. The combination of extra protein plus the nutrition of the green kale helps me feel energized in the morning. I also discovered that the almond milk and protein powder had key nutrients I was missing: Calcium, Iron, and B12.
While most people are able to get ample protein on a vegan diet simply by eating whole foods, that might not work for everyone. That’s okay. Supplementing a healthy diet with plant-based protein can be really helpful for people who are highly-active, on-the-go, or have a history of digestive issues.
For more reading on the benefits of 90%, I recommend: Is 90% Good Enough? What we can learn from the Reducetarian Approach and Blue Zones about Vegan Diets
What brand of vegan Protein Powder is the best?
There are endless varieties of vegan protein powder available to buy. Different brands promise everything from soy-free fuel to helping you control cravings. Plant-based powders are typically made using protein derived from legumes, seeds, or grain sources like peas, hemp, sunflower, chia, soy, and brown rice. The most bio-available form of protein is soy or pea. However, some people have sensitivities to these foods and need to avoid them.
When looking for a vegan protein powder, be sure to avoid any that have lots of added sugar or artificial sweetener like aspartame. Also, I prefer a protein powder that has more than just protein. The Kos brand has been my preferred brand for the past few years. Besides having 20g of protein in a single serving, it is loaded with vitamins and minerals like Iron, Selenium, Manganese, and Vitamin B12. These nutrients can be challenging to get on a vegan diet, so it’s nice knowing my smoothie gives me an extra boost.
Other Variations of Vegan Super Green Smoothie
Bananas provide naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture to this smoothie. However, you can use this recipe as a template for other fruits and various types of leafy greens. Try adding a handful of frozen blueberries, pitted cherries, a diced peach, or chunks of mango. Or, swap out the banana for another sweet fruit like mango. This plant-based recipe is a great opportunity to sneak more fruits into your diet.
Do I have to Eat Kale? What Other Greens Can I Use?
Besides fruit, this green smoothie can also help you add leafy greens to your morning routine. You can usually find a big bag of washed, organic, chopped kale in the produce section of most grocery stores. It’s ready to go and usually a very affordable price.
However, you don’t have to use curly kale for this recipe. You can use other dark greens like baby spinach, baby arugula, microgreens, or chard. Some stores even offer a Power Greens blend that is a blend of all of these healthy dark greens. Feel free to mix and match are just up what’s left in the fridge. Just be sure to avoid watery green lettuces. Romaine, iceberg, and bibb lettuce make great salads, but they don’t make delicious smoothies.
Chef Katie’s Baby Greens Tip: Baby greens naturally taste sweeter than their “adult” counterparts. If you find the taste of regular kale too bitter, try baby kale instead.
Watch this Quick Recipe Video to see How Easy it is to Make a Get Your Greens Plant-Based Smoothie:
You’ll Love this Healthy, Plant-Based Vegan Get Your Greens Vegan Kale Protein Breakfast Smoothie Recipe! It is:
- A Gorgeous, Green Color
- Easy to Make
- Creamy and Refreshing
- Kid-Friendly way to get them to eat veggies
- Perfect for and Sweet Dessert or Breakfast on-the-go
Chef Katie’s Healthy, Plant-Based Cooking Tips for a Vegan Get Your Greens Smoothie
Frosted Glass Tip: To keep your drink colder for a longer time, freeze your serving glasses. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours and enjoy the chilly, frosted glass.
Smoothie Meal Prep: For even faster blending, prepare your smoothie ingredients ahead of time. On the weekend (or whenever you have time to meal prep), cut up your banana. Make enough for 4 smoothies. Portion into small containers, along with the greens. Then, add the ice, almond milk, protein powder, and water when you’re ready to drink.
High-Speed Blender: A good, quality high-speed blender is a great investment for your plant-based kitchen. You’ll use it to make creamy cashew sauces, oil-free dressings, pureed soups, and quick smoothies. Choose one that fits your budget and has good reviews from chefs and home cooks.
No Refined Sugar or Syrup? I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories. This recipe don’t use any refined sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweetener. The pears and dates provide plenty of sweetness, along with healthy fiber and essential nutrients.
Get Your Greens Vegan Kale Protein Breakfast Smoothie
- Easy
- Servings: 2 small or 1 big
- Yield: about 5 cups
- Ready in: 5 minutes
If you love this recipe, you should also check out: Vegan Pineapple Coconut Piña Colada Smoothie, Cold Brew Hibiscus Tea, St. Patrick’s Minty Sham-Mock Spirulina Shake, and Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Coffee Smoothie.
Print Recipe
Get Your Greens Vegan Kale Protein Breakfast Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 scoop vegan protein powder – I use KOS Vanilla 1/2 serving, depending on the brand
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 cups curly kale
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree on low and gradually increase to high. You may need to add cold water to get everything smooth. Depending on your blender, this may be as much 1 cup of cold water.
- Puree until smooth.
- Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 1.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 305 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 7 g | 10 % |
| Saturated Fat 2 g | 10 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 406 mg | 17 % |
| Potassium 1449 mg | 41 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 52 g | 17 % |
| Dietary Fiber 11 g | 45 % |
| Sugars 21 g | |
| Protein 18 g | 36 % |
| Vitamin A | 16 % |
| Vitamin C | 31 % |
| Calcium | 69 % |
| Iron | 38 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
KOS Vegan Protein Powder Erythritol Free, Vanilla USDA Organic
- 5200 Blender, Professional-Grade, Container, Self-Cleaning 64 oz, Black/Grey
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