Jul 7, 2026 · 10 min · 6 segments
It’s the Summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and there’s no better time to get started with plant-based eating. Not only is it warm and sunny, there’s an abundance of colorful summer fruits and…
Earlier in the spring, a new member of my Free Beginners for Plant-Based Diet Success community on Facebook made this post.
This member also shared that her biggest challenge in plant-based eating were kale, greens, smoothies, and soups.
Although I had responded to her post with some suggestions, I wanted to bring her question onto this podcast.
because I know you may be wondering the same thing, especially if you are just beginning to move into healthier plant-based eating.
So let's take this question to kick off this Q&A or question and answer summer series.
I want to give you the confidence and tools you need to move into the best health for an active life of wellness.
First, I want to say that there are many ways to make a healthy and delicious smoothie.
It all depends on the ingredients you have on hand, or what fruits and vegetables you are able to get readily from your local grocery store or farmer's market nearby.
This means putting some fresh or frozen leafy green vegetables into the smoothie, and not necessarily that the smoothie itself will turn green.
That's because leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, kale, and arugula can benefit our health in so many ways.
Not only can they boost our brain health and slow down cognitive decline, they can help reduce blood pressure, improve heart health, and help in weight loss.
Part of this is because many leafy greens are a rich source of nitrates, which can be converted into nitric oxide, which has important cardioprotective effects on our bodies.
For smoothies to be healthy, you also don't want to add in any added sugars or sweeteners like honey, sugar, or maple syrup.
Instead, try to naturally sweeten the smoothie using fresh or frozen fruit or naturally sweet vegetables like carrots or beets.
So how do you make a green smoothie? You can actually make a basic green smoothie very easily using just four key ingredients.
About two cups of a chopped leafy green, an apple, a banana, and a cup of a calcium and vitamin D fortified plant-based milk.
In fact, I share about a basic green smoothie recipe on this podcast in episode 11, titled How to Make Your First Basic Green Smoothie and Actually Enjoy It.
So if you would like to give this a try, head on over to that episode after listening to this one.
So for this member, Sandra, who made the post earlier, having kale and bananas on hand will make creating her first green smoothie very easy to do.
Earlier in the spring, a new member of my Free Beginners for Plant-Based Diet Success community on Facebook made this post.
This member also shared that her biggest challenge in plant-based eating were kale, greens, smoothies, and soups.
Although I had responded to her post with some suggestions, I wanted to bring her question onto this podcast.
because I know you may be wondering the same thing, especially if you are just beginning to move into healthier plant-based eating.
So let's take this question to kick off this Q&A or question and answer summer series.
I want to give you the confidence and tools you need to move into the best health for an active life of wellness.
First, I want to say that there are many ways to make a healthy and delicious smoothie.
It all depends on the ingredients you have on hand, or what fruits and vegetables you are able to get readily from your local grocery store or farmer's market nearby.
This means putting some fresh or frozen leafy green vegetables into the smoothie, and not necessarily that the smoothie itself will turn green.
That's because leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, kale, and arugula can benefit our health in so many ways.
Not only can they boost our brain health and slow down cognitive decline, they can help reduce blood pressure, improve heart health, and help in weight loss.
Part of this is because many leafy greens are a rich source of nitrates, which can be converted into nitric oxide, which has important cardioprotective effects on our bodies.
For smoothies to be healthy, you also don't want to add in any added sugars or sweeteners like honey, sugar, or maple syrup.
Instead, try to naturally sweeten the smoothie using fresh or frozen fruit or naturally sweet vegetables like carrots or beets.
So how do you make a green smoothie? You can actually make a basic green smoothie very easily using just four key ingredients.
About two cups of a chopped leafy green, an apple, a banana, and a cup of a calcium and vitamin D fortified plant-based milk.
In fact, I share about a basic green smoothie recipe on this podcast in episode 11, titled How to Make Your First Basic Green Smoothie and Actually Enjoy It.
So if you would like to give this a try, head on over to that episode after listening to this one.
So for this member, Sandra, who made the post earlier, having kale and bananas on hand will make creating her first green smoothie very easy to do.
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