Kale Pineapple Smoothie

Kale Pineapple Smoothie benefits

• It's thick, cool, and creamy, filled with pineapple freshness.
• It's extra smooth and very satisfying.
• It's packed with essential nutrients, especially fibers.
• It's quite filling and nutritious, a great smoothie for detox and weight loss.
• It's powerful - loaded with healthy Omega-3s and superspice - ginger!
• It's made with wholesome ingredients and has no added sugar.
• It's super easy to whip up with simple pantry ingredients.
• The ultimate healthy drink - perfect well-balanced breakfast.
• And NO - it doesn’t taste like kale!

Ingredients used

For this kale smoothie recipe, you will need only a few simple pantry ingredients.

Kale. It's called a superfood for a reason. It is one of the healthiest nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Kale is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fibers and water, both great for detox and healthy digestion. Kale is also packed with antioxidants - beta-carotene and vitamin C, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols that have powerful heart-protective, blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory effects on our body. (1) Kale has a mild taste and is great for green smoothies. I used fresh raw kale. 

Pineapple. Pineapple is known to boost metabolism. It's a fruit packed with flavor but also with many other nutrients, antioxidants, and helpful compounds, such as enzymes that promote digestion. (2) 

Banana. Bananas are sweet, creamy, and extremely healthy. I skipped adding unnecessary added sugars by using a ripe banana to sweeten the kale smoothie. Bananas are also rich in fiber, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and magnesium — two nutrients that are essential for heart health. (3, 4, 5)

Milk of choice. I used cashew milk here mainly because of its creaminess and mild nutty taste that pairs so well with tropical pineapple.

To give this smoothie extra flavor and more boost, I also tossed in:

• Hemps seeds. They are loaded with essential fatty acids, omega-6, and omega-3, but are also a great source of high-quality proteins. (6)
• Ginger. It's one of the healthiest spices on the planet. It is high in gingerol, a substance with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (7) Ginger is also amazing for speeding up digestion. I used fresh ginger here.

How to make Kale Pineapple Smoothie

Making this kale banana pineapple smoothie is super easy. It will take you 5 minutes and all you need is a high-speed good blender.

Step-by-step instructions

• Start with preparing and measuring all the ingredients. I like to use measuring cups.
• Take the blender and add all ingredients. Note: add wet ingredients first for easier blending.
• Mix everything at high speed until you get a smooth silky texture.
• If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more liquid – milk or water. Blend again until everything is well combined.
• Taste the smoothie and add additional sweetener if the smoothie is not sweet enough to your taste. (See "Recipe tips" section for sweetener recommendation)
• Transfer the smoothie into a smoothie glass. 
• ADD TOPPINGS: I used hemp seeds and goji berries. Be creative here and add toppings you like. 
• Serve and enjoy!
• Makes 1 serving that serves 1 person as a full meal, or 2 servings as a light meal.

Substitutions

• You can use any plant-based milk. Coconut milk is amazing here.
• Cow's milk won't work here in terms of the flavor.   
• You can substitute kale with any dark leafy green like spinach, or Swiss chard.
• You can substitute pineapple with mango.
• Substitute hemp seeds with ground flax seeds or chia seeds (it will add more proteins and Omega-3's). 
• Don't substitute fresh ginger with ground ginger powder. It won't work!

Smoothie variations

Make it without banana: Substitute banana with ½ avocado. It will make the smoothie creamy. Note: in this case, you will need to add extra sweetener.

Make it protein-packed: Add a scoop of protein powder. This will transfer the smoothie into a great protein-packed shake. I recommend vanilla flavored.  

Make it more energizing and nutritious: Add in a tablespoon of nut butter, like cashew butter or almond butter.

Make it vegan: Use plant-based milk.

Tips for storing

• Store in a glass jar with a lid or shaker and keep refrigerated for up to one day.
• If you left the smoothie standing too long it will set. Don't forget to shake or stir before drinking!
• Remember, all smoothies oxidate when left standing. That's not bad. But to reap all benefits from ingredients, it's best to have the smoothie freshly made.

Recipe tips

• When adding ingredients to a blender, always add the liquids first. Doing this will help your blender run easily and this will prevent making lumps.
• Use a high-power blender to ensure everything blends well and the smoothie is silky smooth. 
• Frozen banana is the best for making this kale smoothie. It blends into a thick very refreshing drink that gives you a cold punch.
• If you don't have a frozen banana at hand, just slice the banana and pop it in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Or just add in some ice cubes, for that cool kick.
• Frozen pineapple is also great here. But don't use both frozen bana and frozen pineapple. It will be imposible to blend. Use one or the other.
• Kale pineapple smoothie can be very thick. Add more liquids, water (recommended) or milk, until you achieve desired consistency. It should be runny but not to watery.
• If you're using flax seeds, make sure you grind them first. Grinding flax seeds is the best way to make the most of their health benefits. 

Sweetener recommendations

This smoothie uses banana as a natural sweetener. I don't recommend adding extra sugar. But if you find the smoothie not sweet enough, you can add some.

• Add 1-2 dates, date syrup, liquid honey, or maple syrup.
• If you are using dates, make sure you soak them in warm water for at least 10 minutes. Drain them before using them.
• Stevia or any low-carb sweetener is a good option too.
• Coconut sugar or any other cristal sugar won't work well here. It will not dissolve well in a cold smoothie mixture.

You may also like:

• Goji Berry Smoothie
• Grapefruit Ginger Smoothie
• Blueberry Chia Smoothie