Make this refreshing dairy-free Mango and Spinach Smoothie with spinach, frozen mango, and fresh apple in 5 minutes! Plus, I'll show you two easy and delicious ways you can add protein to it!
This is a light and refreshing fruit smoothie made with leafy greens. It doesn't have the same creamy texture as my Green Tropical Smoothie, but it's still delicious!
And, if you use one of the variations listed below to add protein, it will thicken this mango and spinach smoothie up quite nicely. 🤩
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe A healthy green smoothie doesn't get much easier than this. All you have to do is add a handful of ingredients to your high-speed blender and blend. That's it!
- Simple Ingredients You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this delicious smoothie recipe: a combination of frozen and fresh fruit along with baby spinach. If you count water, then technically, this is made with 4 ingredients 😉
- No Added Sugars. This mango spinach smoothie recipe gets enough natural sweetness from mango and apple. No fruit juices, honey, syrups, or agave needed.
- No Banana, No Yogurt If you don't like banana or prefer smoothies without yogurt, this recipe is for you! Of course, you can always add fresh banana or Greek yogurt to turn this into a super creamy green smoothie, but it's not necessary.
- Kid-Approved All 3 of my kids love this smoothie! Two of my kids prefer the versions with protein that I describe below.
Dietitian Tip
Tip 1 Smoothies are a great way to help you, and your kids increase fruit and vegetable intake. Still, sometimes the color of the smoothie will keep someone from even trying it.
Keep in mind that a lot of kids will drink almost anything served in a colorful cup, with a straw, or topped with mini chocolate chips. Or is it just my kids? 😉
Tip 2 If you have a high-speed blender (I used a Vitamix), it will pulverize the skin of an apple, so there is no need to peel it first. By not peeling the apple, you are saving time and adding extra fiber to the smoothie.
How to Add Protein to This Smoothie Recipe
I've made this mango spinach smoothie so many times, so many ways. Here are my top two ways to add protein to it. One is with protein powder, and one is without protein powder.
- Use milk instead of water and add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) to the recipe. This will add 22 grams of protein, or 11 grams of protein per serving.
- Add one serving of your favorite vanilla protein powder. I made this using Vega (a plant-based protein powder) and my son loved it. It added 15 grams of protein, or 7.5 grams per serving. If you use milk instead of water, that will add another 8 grams of protein.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby Spinach Use fresh spinach. I suppose you can use frozen spinach, but I've never tried it. Spinach is a good source of various vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Spinach also contains a small amount of protein.
- Frozen mango Frozen mango chunks can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Mango is a stone fruit and is typically very sweet. Mangos are high in fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
- Gala apple High in fiber and vitamin C. Apples also contain phytochemicals and pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber.
- Water Use filtered water, if necessary. If you prefer a thicker, more filling smoothie, use milk, coconut milk, or oat milk instead.
How to Make This Mango and Spinach Smoothie
Here is an overview of just how easy it is to make this mango and spinach smoothie. For a complete list of ingredients and full instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Put all ingredients in the blender, adding the frozen mango last.
- Blend in a high-speed blender for about 90 seconds. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- There is no need to peel the apple. Leaving the skin on saves time, produces less waste, and adds prebiotic fiber to the smoothie.
- Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick you would like this smoothie.
- If your kids like banana, either add a half of banana to the smoothie as is or substitute the apple with an overripe banana.
- If your kids like the flavor of coconut, coconut water or coconut milk can be used in place of water.
- Fresh mango can be used in place of frozen, but the smoothie won't be as thick as when using frozen mango. Personally, if I only have fresh fruit at home, I'd cut up a ripe mango and stick it the freezer for about an hour before using it in a smoothie. Either that or add ice cubes when blending.
Questions You May Have
Yes! While raw spinach doesn't have as much available iron and calcium as cooked spinach, it is high in antioxidants and polyphenols.
Thankfully, there are so many ways to add protein to smoothies!
Adding dairy (milk, kefir, or yogurt) or protein powder to smoothies are the easiest ways to boost the protein content of smoothies. I use both milk and kefir to make my mango and pineapple smoothie for this reason.
Flax meal, hemp hearts, nut butters, and chia seeds also contain protein and are often added to smoothies. If you are feeling really adventurous, you can even try adding leftover unseasoned edamame to green smoothies to boost protein content.
Making a smoothie with silken tofu is another option. Tofu adds protein and calcium.
Mango is my favorite tropical fruit for making smoothies because it has a subtle flavor and makes a creamy smoothie. However, in my opinion, frozen mango shouldn't be the only fruit used to make a smoothie.
I tried making this smoothie with just spinach, mango, and water and it had an unpleasant aftertaste. In my opinion, mango needed to be balanced out with another fruit.
I have found that banana, pineapple, orange, and apple go well with mango in smoothies. So, if you don't have apple, try substituting one of these other fruits when making this smoothie.
More Easy Recipes
Did you love this super easy Mango and Spinach Smoothie? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below to let me know! A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
Remember to follow me, @carrots.and.cookies, on Instagram for more easy recipes and nutrition tips. Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Mango and Spinach Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mango chunks
- 1 cup baby spinach One packed cup. Or about one and a half cups of loose spinach.
- 1 Gala apple Washed.
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Remove the stem and core (including seeds) from the apple.
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Add the frozen mango chunks last.
- Blend for about 90 seconds on high speed, or until your desired consistency is reached.
Notes
- Don't forget to remove the stem and core from the apple.
- There is no need to peel the apple. Leaving the skin on saves time, produces less waste, and adds prebiotic fiber to the smoothie.
- This is a thin smoothie. If you prefer a thicker smoothie, use less water or use milk instead of water and add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts, or add one-half of a frozen banana.
- Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick you would like this smoothie.
- If your kids like the flavor of coconut, coconut water or coconut milk can be used in place of water.
- To add protein to this smoothie recipe: use milk instead of water and add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts OR add one serving of your favorite vanilla protein powder. Refer to the recipe post for complete details.
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