Beginning January 1st, we started Simple Green Smoothies' January 30-Day Challenge. We really like it because it's easy to get in some fresh fruit and veggies, but I also know that it's not always the most budget-friendly option. You're more likely to feel full if you eat 1 cup of spinach, ½ a banana, and a few chunks of pineapple than if you blend it all together in a smoothie. But, when you blend it in a smoothie, you're more likely to actually eat it! It's a toss up, right?
We didn't *try* to be cost-effective for the first 10 days, so I decided to break it down by cost. This is 10 days' worth of smoothies.
Daily Cost of Green Smoothies
Total ingredients:
- 2 bunches organic kale ($1.99 each) $3.98
- 1 12oz bag spinach $1.99
- 1 pound strawberries $3.99
- 3 bunches of bananas (10 total, 69 c/lb) $5.50
- 3 navel oranges (1 whole, 2 juiced) $1.50
- 2 apples (Honeycrisp) $1.00
- 1 mango $1.25
- 1 organic pineapple $3.99
Total = $23.20. $2.32 per batch or $1.16 per smoothie
Additionally, we bought 1 14oz bag of ground flaxseed for $6.49. This is not included in the price because we forgot it more than we remembered it! SMART.
Smoothies we made for $23.20:
- DAY 1: kale-banana-strawberry
- DAY 2: kale-banana-apple-flaxseed (& some coconut water)'
- DAY 3: kale-banana-mango-strawberry
- DAY 4: spinach-banana-strawberry-flaxseed
- DAY 5: spinach-banana-orange
- DAY 6: spinach-banana-strawberry-flaxseed (& juice of 1 orange)
- DAY 7: spinach-banana-apple
- DAY 8: spinach-banana-pineapple
- DAY 9: kale-banana-pineapple
- DAY 10: kale-banana-pineapple-flaxseed (& juice of 1 orange)
We'll have to try a little harder with remembering ground flaxseed next time around. We've got another 20 days left on the smoothie plan, and we definitely plan on using some more expensive additions like blueberries and avocados. I'll give the update here to see whether we were able to cut back on the price!
Lawrence Kellie
Your information is great, and I love the ingredients that you used for each day.
What are the actual "recipes" for each day? And how many oz is a batch or serving? (I realize that this depends on the amount of fluid is used, but since that is included in the recipe, it shouldn't be a problem.)
Lawrence
Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN
Hi Lawrence!! Thanks for your question - unfortunately I wrote this post nearly 10 years ago and my blog posts back then could really use some work. What I can say is that I always used a variety of greens - 2 cups packed, a banana, 1-2 cups of frozen fruit (often mango, pineapple, or mixed berries), and 2 cups of liquid. Nowadays I always add a source of protein and no more than 1 cup of fruit. Sorry I don't have better resources on this old post!
Christina Vail
Hi! I've been looking for a break down of a green smoothie and you did a great job doing it! Do you still do it now?
Caitlin
Thanks Christina! We don't drink them every day anymore, more like 2-3 times per week. But usually once a year we try to do the "30-day Smoothie Challenge" (see: Simple Green Smoothies), which is a great way to experiment with new smoothie flavors and chock your days with more leafy greens.
Elizabeth
What would you say are the total calories you're getting per smoothie? Thanks.
Caitlin
Hi Elizabeth, it's really hard to say, since this post includes a lot of different options and mix-ins. You can add your ingredients to this recipe tool to figure out calories. According to this tool, 1 banana + 1.5 cups strawberries + 2 cups fresh kale comes to 240 calories. This recipe makes about 2 smoothies, so with those ingredients, you're looking at 120 calories per smoothie.
Dana
What are you using as your liquid base on the days when you don't use orange juice or coconut water? I typically use unsweetened almond milk, but wondering if there's a better way. :)
Caitlin
We almost always just use water. I really like adding a little bit of lemon juice for the flavor, but I find that if I use a whole banana, the water is fine. Although, I did add some coconut milk a few times - like the awesome Thai canned stuff - and that was so creamy and delicious. I used to freeze yogurt in ice cube trays and mix that in for added texture too, and I'll probably start doing that again when it's summertime.