This super easy green island smoothie is made with simple ingredients and only takes 5 minutes to make. Kids love the bright green color and refreshing tropical flavor!
This delicious green smoothie recipe is similar to a tropical smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, just with a few added twists. It's smooth and creamy texture will get you hooked!
It's made without banana and with coconut water to give it just a hint of coconut flavor. And the combination of orange, mango, and pineapple give it more than enough sweetness.
In fact, this smoothie is so sweet that your kids won't even taste the avocado in it - my kids still don't know! Don't be surprised if it takes over as their new favorite green smoothie!
And if your kids love tropical flavors, you've got to make my Tropical Blue Smoothie Bowl for them! It makes the best summer lunch!
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Why This Recipe is so Great
- Easy recipe.
- Made with five different fruits and vegetables.
- Vibrant green color.
- Smooth and creamy texture.
- No banana.
- Vegan
- Dairy-free. Gluten-free. Soy-free.
- Plant based recipe.
- Made without ice.
- Naturally sweet. No added sugar.
- Serve as a snack or as part of breakfast or lunch.
- Just a hint of coconut flavor. Even your kids who don't like coconut will enjoy this smoothie!
- The amount of fruit in this recipe masks the flavor of avocado. Even my pickiest eater who does not like avocado loves this smoothie!
Ingredient Notes
- Spinach Use fresh or frozen baby spinach. Gives this smoothie a bright green color. Spinach is full of nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, zinc and fiber.
- Avocado Avocados are full of monounsaturated fats, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals.
- Orange Use a large seedless navel orange, peeled. Oranges are high in vitamin C and fiber. If using an orange with seeds, remove the seeds before blending.
- Frozen Pineapple Contains manganese, copper, various vitamins (including vitamin C), and fiber. It also contains bromelain, an enzyme that is thought to help with digestion and reduce inflammation.
- Frozen Mango Adds natural sweetness and helps to give this smoothie a creamy texture. Mango is high in fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
- Coconut water Gives this tropical smoothie just a hint of coconut flavor. If you don't have coconut water, you can use plain water instead.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Dietitian Tips
If your kids are skeptical of green smoothies or if they don't like avocado, I suggest holding off on telling them that there is avocado in this smoothie until after they rave about it.
I also suggest serving this smoothie with a straw. This smoothie is creamy, which some kids may not appreciate if they don't have a straw to drink it with.
And try to pay attention to the ingredients in what your kids order out from restaurants and cafes. I noticed that almost all of the smoothies my kids liked included orange juice as an ingredient. So, I started adding fresh orange to smoothies to add the flavor they enjoy the most.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a quick overview of the steps to make this refreshing tropical smoothie. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
It's so easy! All you need to do is put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until the desired consistency is reached!
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Expert Tips
- Can use frozen banana instead frozen mango.
- Feel free to use kale instead of spinach. If using kale, be sure to remove the thick ribs first.
- If you use fresh fruit, be sure to add ice to this recipe. It may taste a little watered down, but it will still work. Most kids like their smoothies cold.
- Half of the flesh of one avocado is used in this recipe. Slice the avocado lengthwise, then twist the halves apart. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the half without the seed.
- This smoothie makes 40 ounces. If you only need a smoothie for one, pour the rest in glass bottles and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Recipe FAQs
According to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe's website, their Island Green smoothie is made with spinach, kale, mango, pineapple, and banana. Spinach and kale have similar nutrient profiles, so I chose to use avocado instead to give my smoothie recipe variety.
Also, many smoothie recipes use banana, so I wanted to provide a more refreshing and still delicious option by using orange instead of banana.
You can but it will change the texture of this recipe. Kids like cold smoothies, so either add ice to this recipe or pour the smoothie over ice. The smoothie will get watered down by doing this, but it will still have a nice flavor.
You sure can! If you think about it, many juices that are often added to smoothies contain water. So, if all you are adding are whole fruits and vegetables, then it makes sense to add water as the liquid base. In this recipe, you can use water instead of coconut water. It just won't have a hint of coconut flavor.
More Easy Fruit Smoothie & Smoothie Bowl Recipes
Did your kids love this refreshing tropical smoothie? Please leave a 5-star rating below or a review in the comments section!
Don't forget to snap a pic of their beautiful bright green smoothie and tag @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram so I can see it. Enjoy!
Island Green Tropical Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 Blender High Speed Blender. I use a Vitamix.
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 naval orange Seedless. Peel first.
- ½ avocado (small) See notes for how to easily remove the flesh from a ripe avocado.
- 2 cups frozen pineapple pieces
- 2 cups frozen mango chunks
- 1½ cup coconut water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
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