These Green Smoothie Recipes Have the Magical Power to Make You a Morning Person

Breakfast: It’s a blessing and a curse. On leisurely weekend mornings, cooking up breakfast feels like a luxurious treat — but on the weekdays, finding something healthy to eat before work seems more like a punishment. Enter green smoothies. They’re quick, they’re tasty and they’re also an amazing way to detox your body.

Green drinks are a whole food solution to getting more nutrient-dense vegetables (and fruit, depending on the green drink recipe) into your diet while helping you detoxify your system in the most natural way. Just be sure to tune up your diet and hydrate — green drinks won’t miraculously aid in weight loss or compensate for poor dietary choices.

More: 3 Fruit Smoothies Your Kids Will Actually Want For Breakfast

Sweet, creamy green avocado smoothie recipe

The addition of banana gives this green smoothie sweet creaminess while the buttery avocado adds a generous dose of healthy fats.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana, sliced, frozen
• 1 large orange, peeled, sectioned
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled
• 4 cups torn chard leaves, stems removed
• 2 cups cold water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Dr. Oz-inspired green drink recipe

A great way to start your day, this Dr. Oz inspired green drink features green veggies including spinach, celery, and cucumber, fruit, fresh herbs and the zing of ginger. As Oprah says, Dr. Oz’s green drink is “a glass of fresh.”

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach
• 3 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup diced, seeded cucumber
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small apple, cored
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Make extra and keep it on hand in the refrigerator.

Creamy coconut kale green smoothie recipe

Kale is one of the most concentrated forms of nutrients, loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Flax and coconut milk are rich in healthy fats. The frozen banana lends creaminess, natural sweetness, and a tasty amount of heart-healthy potassium.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, sliced, frozen
• 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Raw green drink recipe

The nutritional beauty of green drinks is that most of them are made with raw ingredients, making them a refreshing drink that is purely made with whole foods.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, seeded
• 2 cups torn kale leaves, stems removed
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon raw coconut oil

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Originally published September 2015. Updated April 2017.