Veggie smoothies are a great way to add some of the most important nutrients to your day from the start. Adding one of the best vegetables for smoothies into your diet can give you more vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, healthy fats, and extra minerals.
It’s also a sneaky way to get those veggies into your diet because the sweet fruits will be the perfect disguise (without any added sugar). These 30 best vegetables for smoothies will help you make the most delicious smoothies of all!
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Are Vegetable Smoothies Healthy?
Absolutely! Vegetable smoothies are a healthy choice for working in those raw veggies you might otherwise skip. Blending them into a smoothie can help you start your day with a powerhouse of nutrition. Ensuring you hit your daily nutrition requirements, all in a delicious way.
The List: 30 Best Vegetables For Smoothies
Here’s a list of the best vegetables to add to your next healthy smoothie recipe.
Best Leafy Greens
Green leafy vegetables are a great addition to any smoothie! Here are the best greens to add to your next smoothie!
1. Baby Spinach
Baby spinach is one of the most popular vegetable smoothie choices. It has a low-calorie count yet is high in fiber, which serves to help sustain you.
It contains vitamins A, C, and K1. In addition, folate, calcium, and lutein, the latter of which can protect your eyes and keeps them healthy. With other antioxidants and plant compounds, you’re going to start your day off on the right foot.
Baby spinach has a mildly sweet flavor, so it’s easy to disguise in your smoothies.
It’s actually one of my favorite veggies to add to a good smoothie recipe. This is my favorite spinach smoothie recipe!
2. Beet Greens
Like beets themselves, beet greens are plentiful in nitrates which can help lower blood pressure while improving oxygen flow. If you like to work out in the morning, adding beet greens to your veggie smoothies is a smart move as they can enhance your performance.
Beet root greens have plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, plus they give you lutein, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin, flavonoids that have potent antioxidant powers.
3. Collard Greens
Collard greens are a fantastic southern side dish but also a wise choice for your vegetable smoothies. They can be a little bitter on their own, which is why most people cook them, but having a single serving of them in your smoothies will give you vitamins A and C, plus iron, potassium, and zinc. They also have protein, so if you’re not a huge fan of those protein powders, this is the natural way to get it.
By adding collard greens and your favorite fruits to your smoothies, you’re in for a wonderful dose of good health in the most delicious ways!
4. Dandelion Greens
I love dandelion greens because they are so versatile. Case in point – they can be eaten cooked or raw. As they are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. Plus they give you vitamin E, small amounts of other B vitamins, folate, and a substantial amount of calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They’ll be your new BFF for added nutrition in your next breakfast smoothie.
5. Kale
Kale is incredibly nutritious and a great way to add green to your smoothies. It even has more vitamin C than one orange.
However, kale makes its presence known, unlike baby spinach. It’s bitter and peppery, so you’ll want to pair it with fruits that keep those flavors from stealing the spotlight. Mango and pineapple are great options for that. Also, ensure you get rid of those thick stalks first, as they don’t tend to blend quite well.
6. Parsley
I’ll never know why parsley was ever assigned the menial task of garnish on plates. It’s such a nutritious herb, giving you plenty of flavonoids and vitamins A, K, and C. It’s good for calcium, iron, and magnesium too. You can easily sneak it in with bananas, pineapple, mango, pear, or melon!
7. Radish Greens
When you buy fresh radishes, don’t toss out those green tops! These are rich in vitamins C and K plus magnesium, making them a good option to try in your next smoothie.
Just remove the hard stems to make them blend more seamlessly into the mix! (Or if you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, feel free to include the stems.)
8. Swiss Chard
You might be making a face about Swiss chard simply because it tends to be bitter. But when it’s eaten raw, it’s much less bitter. Swiss chard is a great leafy green that has a bounty of vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus some awesome minerals like magnesium, calcium, zinc, and copper. Like those radish greens, you should remove the stems before blending if you don’t have a high-speed blender.
9. Turnip Greens
With a radish-like taste, turnip greens add a bit of zip to smoothies. They’re nutritious with well above what you need for your daily value of vitamin K plus a super-high calcium content that rivals other fruits and vegetables. You’ll also get a dose of vitamin A, magnesium, and phosphorous so mix these in.
Flavorful Root Vegetables
Root vegetables can really pack a punch when it comes to their strong flavor and health benefits! They make a wonderful addition to veggie-packed smoothies.
10. Beets
Beets are well-known for their detoxification benefits. They also have vitamin C, iron, folate, and enough fiber to make you feel satisfied. Since they have such a pretty color, you’ll most certainly want to drink a vegetable smoothie with beets. As they are earthy in flavor, you will likely want to balance raw beets (or cooked) with something sweet, like strawberries, to truly enjoy this concoction.
11. Carrots
You probably know how good carrots are for your eyes with all that vitamin A, but they can also be beneficial for healthy blood pressure too. With plenty of fiber to make them a filling addition to your smoothies.
You’ll be surprised how easily they blend in with fruits. Many people love adding carrots to smoothies simply because you can’t even taste them in there. That’s not a bad tactic to get your kids to eat veggies either, now is it?
12. Ginger
Fresh ginger has long been beloved for its anti-inflammatory benefits as well as for quelling nausea and tummy troubles. It also adds another dimension of flavor, making for a nice balance with other veggies and fruits. You won’t need a whole lot of ginger to blend into your smoothie. Peel the outside of it first for the best results.
13. Sweet Potatoes
Nutritious sweet potatoes may just become your new favorite vegetable smoothie addition! With high levels of vitamins A and C plus iron, potassium, and fiber, you don’t even need to cook them before blending. Think about peeling them, though, if you don’t have a high-speed blender! You can grate them in to make it easier for them to incorporate into your smoothies.
Freezing chunks of cooked sweet potatoes is another awesome idea because they help keep your smoothie extra cold with a thick and rich texture. Another way to freeze sweet potato would be to cook it, purée it, and then freeze the purée in ice cube trays. This creates small frozen cubes of cooked sweet potato that can easily be added to your next sweet potato smoothie.
14. Turmeric
Like ginger, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties too. This superfood makes for a great smoothie ingredient with glowing golden color. It’s best if you have it raw and ready to blend, though if you only have the powdered stuff, that will work in a pinch too. A little goes a long way, and the earthy flavors can be tamed by the addition of your favorite fruits.
15. Turnips
Turnips are an amazing source of vitamins with a roster that reads like a novel. You’ve got vitamins B2, B3, B9, C, E, and K, plus potassium, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorous. Turnips taste a bit like cabbage but a little sweeter than that. You can easily blend them in with other fruits and veggies without noticing.
Delicious Squash
Squashes aren’t technically vegetables. They are actually a fruit! That being said, most people think of them as vegetables. They make a great addition to veggie smoothie recipes!
16. Acorn Squash
With its sweet, creamy, and nutty flavors, acorn squash is a dream come true in veggie smoothies. Full of antioxidants, you’ll first need to cook this squash before blending. If you prep it ahead, it’s smooth sailing, and with a little pumpkin spice seasoning, it’s magical.
17. Butternut Squash
Another squash to love in your smoothies is butternut squash. It’s that excellent source of vitamins A, B9, C, and E that you need. In addition, it contains the minerals iron, calcium, and potassium. It’s utterly delicious, too, rendering a creamy texture. Like acorn squash, you must cook it first. You’ll love it even more if you freeze it in cubes and then make it into your smoothies. With chai seasoning, you will wonder how you ever started your day without this.
18. Delicata Squash
Yes, you’ll also need to roast your delicata squash before it joins your other ingredients in the blender. But with this one, you’ll have a high dose of fiber to really fill you up, plus plenty of potassium. I’m a big fan of squashes of all kinds, though delicata squash is one of those that really will make you want to drink a smoothie every single morning as long as you put this in it.
19. Sugar Pumpkin
No, not the pumpkins you carve up for Halloween! Sugar pumpkins are sweet with firm, dense, and smooth flesh. They’re the kind you’d want to use for pies, but when used in smoothies, it’s like you can drink your pumpkin pie and get all the nutritional benefits.
The orange color is a dead giveaway of vitamin A, but you will also get vitamins B, C, and E, copper, manganese, and potassium. Adding sugar pumpkin to your next veggie smoothie is a tasty way to up your nutritional game!
20. Zucchini
With its mild taste, you’ll hardly notice zucchini in your smoothies at all. If you freeze it first it will actually blend better. Doing so will give your smoothies a creamy yet slushy texture. Zucchini is full of vitamin B6, a vitamin that can help take care of your blood glucose levels.
21. Yellow Summer Squash
With plenty of fiber, yellow summer squash is the ingredient you’ll want in your smoothies if you’re not a veggie fan. You won’t taste it at all, plus it makes the texture thicker. You will want to lightly steam the squash first, then freeze it. Then it will be ready to use in your smoothies.
More Tasty Veggies
And yes, I have more tasty veggie options for you to throw into your smoothies. Check these out! (Some again are not technically vegetables but are usually thought of as veggies.)
22. Avocado
With tons of protein and that good-for-you monounsaturated fat, avocados are a winner in smoothies. Their mild taste goes with pretty much everything, and that creamy texture will trick you into thinking you’re eating something much naughtier. Plus, as an excellent source of fiber and healthy fats, it will leave you feeling fuller for longer.
23. Bell Pepper
Since bell peppers are a little sweet, you’ll love this vegetable in your smoothies. They have tons of vitamin C, which is great for immunity. Additionally, they have an overall abundance of antioxidants.
24. Broccoli
Yes, raw broccoli can go in your smoothie, too, and give you a great source of fiber. You’ll also get high doses of vitamin C and even protein along with it. This plant has everything you need for a healthy smoothie to start your day.
25. Cauliflower
Steam your cauliflower, and you’ll have a creamy and nutritious ingredient that gives you vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.
While I love bananas, cauliflower is an ingredient that makes your smoothie thicker and richer while adding less sugar overall for an even more nutritious smoothie.
26. Celery
With inflammation-fighting antioxidants, celery is a rockstar in any smoothie. The high water content adds hydration, plus it’s low in sugar. Even though celery tends to be a bitter veggie, it tastes amazing when combined in a smoothie with fruits. If you didn’t put it in there yourself, you’d be shocked because your smoothie will not taste like celery.
27. Cucumber
Cucumber is another hydrating option for your vegetable smoothie. Containing fiber, minerals, and vitamins. It’s light and refreshing, too, much like melons. In fact, they’re actually fruits that are related to melons, so combining them for a cucumber smoothie will be an amazing union!
28. Green Cabbage
Don’t worry…you won’t taste cabbage in your smoothies. But when you add green cabbage to them, you’re getting vitamins C, and K. Cabbage supports gut health and is an all-around nutritious veggie to eat. If you’re not a fan of it, put it in your smoothies, and you’ll get those healthy benefits without having to taste it.
29. Peas
Peas are perfect for your best green smoothie recipe with their subtle sweetness. They also bring a creamy texture to the table, plus lots of fiber, vitamin C, and protein.
Use them frozen to make your smoothies. Next time. you’re at the grocery store just grab a bad of frozen peas and you’ll be ready to go!
30. Purple Cabbage
Red cabbage is similar to green cabbage and is super-rich in vitamin C. And like green cabbage, you won’t taste it at all, but you will notice the gorgeous color it gives your smoothies.
Smoothie Ingredients for Added Protein
This is all about the best veggies to add to your next smoothie. However, there are other ingredients that aren’t fruit that you could consider adding to your smoothies if you’re looking for more protein.
- Seeds: Hemp seeds, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds are delicious ingredients to add to any healthy breakfast, including smoothies!
- Nut Butters: My favorite nut butters to add to smoothies are peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter.
- Plant-Based Milk: Using plant milk instead of water in your smoothies is an easy way to get more protein and healthy fats. My favorites are almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, or oat milk.
- Protein Powder: This is a great option for packing your creamy smoothie with protein. My favorite protein powder is Vivo Life Perform Protein Powder.
Tasty Vegan Smoothie Recipes
FAQ
Yes, it’s a very good thing to add vegetables to your smoothies. This is because you’re adding much more fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrition in general.
Vegetable smoothies are a smart move for anyone struggling to eat enough veggies daily. Paired with fresh or frozen fruits, they add more substance while keeping the flavors enjoyable.
Green smoothies are such a treat for the body. You can drink one each day, but I recommend making them a bit differently each time to get a broader spectrum of nutrients. I also advise that you don’t just drink vegetable smoothies for every meal. Your body needs a variety of sources of nutritious foods.
While starting the day with vegetable smoothies ensures you get a head start on your proper nutrient intake, don’t make all your meals in the blender.
That said, consuming a whole foods green smoothie every day can improve digestion and immunity, protect from chronic diseases, help your bones stay strong, and have healthier hair and skin.
Absolutely, and I highly recommend it, especially if you like your smoothies cold.
Some vegetables will need to be cooked and then frozen first. However, adding frozen veggies to your smoothie makes the texture even creamier and more luscious.
Final Words
Go beyond the leafy greens like spinach and kale and try these 30 best vegetables for smoothies. By changing things up more often, you consume more nutrients.
Veggie smoothies are especially wonderful if you’re finding it hard to eat enough vegetables each day or if there are ones you want to be eating but don’t really like. Blending with fruit helps mask some of the flavors while giving you all the nutrition benefits you need for a healthy lifestyle.
If you’re. a vegetables smoothie newbie, I suggest starting with spinach and experimenting from there.
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I love this article. It’s so vibrant! Great ideas for the best veggies for my next smoothie too!
Awesome! Let me know what veggie you add to your next smoothie!