There’s no faster (or more delicious) way to give your body a boost of healthy vitamins and nutrients than with a smoothie made with leafy greens. Keep these simple tips in mind to create perfectly balanced green smoothies every time you blend.

  1. Find the Right Ingredient Ratio

Some people prefer a thick smoothie consistency, while others like a thinner, almost juice-like consistency. When you’re playing around with custom creations, start with a thicker blend. You can always add more liquid or ice through the lid plug while your mixture is blending, until you reach your desired consistency.

  1. Perfect the Texture

Whether you’re looking for a silky-smooth blend or a textured mixture with bits of ice or fruit, adding ingredients in the right order is key. Add liquids to the blender container first, then dry goods like spices, powders and grains. Next, add leafy greens, then fruits and veggies. Ice and other frozen ingredients get dropped in last. Then, blend on the highest speed for 45-60 seconds for a silky-smooth texture (less time to achieve a chunkier texture). If you’re new to making green smoothies, the Going Green Smoothie is a great recipe to start with.

  1. Maintain an Appetizing Color

Since we eat with our eyes first, creating a smoothie that looks as delicious as it tastes is key. Adding blue or purple berries to green smoothies can quickly turn the mixture brown, so consider color combinations when creating your own custom smoothies, especially when it comes to picky eaters like kids!

  1. Know Your Greens

Spinach: the mild, versatile flavor and tender leaves of this vitamin-packed green make it an excellent choice for green smoothies. If you’re new to making your own custom smoothie creations, spinach is a great option. 

Try it in: It's Easy Being Green Smoothie

Butter Lettuce: mild and slightly sweet, with a delicate texture, this green is a great way to add vitamins A and C to a smoothie without overpowering the flavor of other ingredients.

Try it in: your own Custom Smoothie, using 1 small head of butter lettuce in column A

Romaine: crisp and refreshing, romaine is another green that’s mild enough in flavor to go nearly undetected in smoothie recipes. It also adds vitamins, iron and minerals like copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Try it in: Glowing Green Smoothie

Swiss Chard: earthy in flavor with tender leaves, chard boasts a high content of vitamins A, C and K, plus magnesium, potassium and iron.

Try it in: Sunset Smoothie

Kale: rich in beta-carotene, vitamin K, calcium and fiber, this dark, leafy green delivers a big nutritional punch. With some blenders, its fibrous leaves can result in a chunky texture, but a Vitamix blender incorporates it seamlessly. If you’re just easing into the flavor of kale, try using it in combination with spinach to start.

Try it in: Kale and Pear Green Smoothie

  1. Add Nutritional Boosters

Amp up the nutritional value of your smoothies with superfoods like acai or goji berries, spirulina, matcha, cacao, bee pollen, or seeds like flax and chia. For extra protein, add nut butter, protein powder, oats, or silken tofu. And don’t forget your veggies! Broccoli, cucumber, green peppers, and avocado are delicious ways to add great flavor and an extra dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Keep a handful of smoothie staples in your pantry, some greens and fruit on hand in the fridge or freezer, and you’ll always be ready to blend up a tasty green smoothie for a healthy meal or snack, any time of the day.