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Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Refreshing Cucumber Lime Veggie Green Smoothie Recipe

Refreshing Cucumber Lime Veggie Green Smoothie Recipe

February 28, 2017 (Updated: July 30, 2019)   —  by Katie Wells

How to make a green smoothie that actually tastes good

Reading Time: 4 minThis post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Green Smoothies vs. Green Juice
  • Fruit & Veggie Ratios
  • Getting Enough Greens
  • Cucumber Lime Veggie Smoothie Recipe
  • Healthier Smoothie Variations & Adaptions
  • Want an All Veggie Smoothie?
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There are two things that almost all health gurus seem to agree that we should do: get more sleep and eat more green veggies. In fact, statistically, these are two things most of us are pretty bad at! I confess, I’m still seriously lacking in the sleep department (thank you sweet teething baby), but I have been making a conscious effort to eat (and drink) my greens.

In fact, when my friend Heather mentioned that she craves greens for a few weeks each spring, I realized that I often did too…but that I hadn’t really paid attention because that is often when our farmers have an abundance of leafy greens, so I was already getting plenty.

Green Smoothies vs. Green Juice

There are two schools of thought when it comes to drinking greens. One advocates green juices, saying that you can consume much more of the nutrients in the form of juice than you can by eating the veggies. This is true, but as green smoothie advocates explain, juices of any kind do not have the fiber that is naturally present in fruits and veggies and can spike blood sugar. Green smoothies solve this problem by combining the two.

Personally, I’ve always been more of a green smoothie fan than a green juice fan, since they seem less wasteful and fruits and veggies naturally contain fiber for a reason. At the end of the day, green juice and green smoothies are both an upgrade from the processed snacks and drinks like soda that many people consume, so veggie on! (And eat some salads too!)

Fruit & Veggie Ratios

I’ve noticed that many green smoothie recipes contain more fruit than vegetables. There’s certainly nothing wrong with fruit (and my recipe contains some) but most of us are already getting plenty of sugar, even from natural sources like sugar and fruit.

I try to always have a 2:1 veggie to fruit ratio in recipes and add a little liquid stevia if needed for sweetness. I usually don’t need the extra sweetness though, especially with the fruit. For a lower carb option, omit the fruit and use a natural sweetener instead.

Getting Enough Greens

It’s always easy to get enough greens in early spring when local markets have an abundance of them. We drink green smoothies often, but also make sure to eat lots of salads and cooked green veggies. We usually try to work in green smoothies with breakfast (or for breakfast). Salads are our go-to lunch, topped with healthy proteins like chicken, grilled meats, or fish. Dinner is a great time to get cooked veggies in as soups or as a side.

The recipe below is one of my favorites, but there are whole books dedicated to green smoothies if you want more ideas.

How to make a green smoothie that actually tastes good
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4.22 from 14 votes

Cucumber Lime Veggie Smoothie Recipe

Make this delicious green cucumber lime smoothie with spinach, cucumbers, lime, kiwi, ginger, and matcha for a nutrient dense green treat.
Course Drinks
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 smoothies
Calories 222kcal
Author Katie Wells
The ingredient links below are affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water (or coconut or almond milk for a more creamy smoothie)
  • 1 cucumber (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 limes (juiced)
  • 2 kiwi (peeled and chopped)
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
  • 1 tsp  matcha powder optional
  • ½ fresh avocado (skin removed)
  • ½ cup frozen pineapple or fresh plus some ice cubes
  • 1 scoop Spring of Life greens powder (optional, but adds a lot of extra nutrients)
  • 1 scoop collagen powder (optional)

Instructions

  • Place water or milk, cucumber, and spinach in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add remaining ingredients and blend on high again until completely smooth.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy! 🙂

Notes

To make it low carb/keto leave out the pineapple and kiwi and use a natural approved sweetener instead. You can also add coconut milk or MCT oil for added fats in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1smoothie | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.8g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 7.4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 51mg | Fiber: 7.9g | Sugar: 23.4g

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Healthier Smoothie Variations & Adaptions

Like any smoothie, this recipe is endlessly versatile. Here are some variations to try:

  • Gorilla Green Smoothie – This green smoothie variation (and 5 other healthy smoothie recipes) are in my Wellness Mama Cookbook.
  • More Protein – Add a protein powder or collagen powder.
  • Up the Healthy Fats – Want to add more healthy fats? This is especially helpful for satiating kids who are always hungry. Use coconut milk for the base instead of water and add a couple Tablespoons of coconut oil.
  • Lower Carb – Omit the fruit and use a couple drops of liquid stevia instead. You can also use berries in place of the pineapple and kiwi. These are lower carb, but they will change the color.

Want an All Veggie Smoothie?

If you’re looking for my original green smoothie recipe that was all veggie, here it is. Please note that this recipe is not for the faint of heart!

In the blender, combine:

  • one small tomato
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • one bell pepper
  • one jalapeño
  • ¼ of an onion
  • 1-2 cloves of raw garlic
  • 1-2 stalks of celery
  • 3-4 big handfulls of greens of choice
  • 1 tsp kelp
  • 2 tsp spirulina powder
  • 2 cups water
  • handful of ice cubes

I make my smoothies in our Vitamix, so quantities might need to be adjusted if you have a smaller size blender. If you don’t have all the ingredients, use what you do have and add any vegetables that can be eaten raw. As one reader recommended, I have also started adding turmeric, as this gives additional health benefits.

Blend ingredients until smooth. Smoothie will be thick. I find the easiest way to drink it is like one would do weights at the gym, in sets. I take 5 gulps, chase with water, and repeat. If you don’t handle spicy foods well, omit the jalapeño!

Ever tried a veggie green smoothie like this? What is your favorite type of healthy smoothie? Share below!

A delicious veggie smoothie is an easy way to add some healthy vegetables to your diet. This recipe is an excellent way boost your health!

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Category: Drink Recipes, Recipes

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (99 Comments)

  1. Abbie

    November 28, 2012 at 3:13 PM

    My fave:
    1 large English cucumber
    4 cups Italian kale (stems removed)
    1/4-1/3 cu fresh mint (don’t skip, it sweetens/mellows it out)
    1/2-3/4 cu frozen pineapple
    coconut water (or filtered water) and ice added to desired consistency

    Reply
  2. Jessica Corcoran

    October 2, 2012 at 10:43 PM

    Have you ever tried adding taco seasoning to it? I ask because this is really close to my tortilla soup recipe (which I make in my Vitamix) 🙂

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      October 2, 2012 at 10:50 PM

      No, but that sounds good!

      Reply
  3. Vita

    September 17, 2012 at 5:39 AM

    I tried 64 oz. of this and loved it! What a great breakfast. Will definitely have this everyday.

    Reply
  4. Melissa Davis

    August 31, 2012 at 8:24 AM

    Okay I have been following you for awhile. I have made a lot of your beauty and household cleaning recipes. My husband bought a Vitamix yesterday so I had run out of excuses for not trying the green smoothie. Today I tried it…very nervous…it wasn’t bad though! A bit spicy, but good! I am headed to Mountain Herbs to get some kelp and spirulina! So thankful for you and the time you put into your blog. You are my easy button for health(:

    Reply
  5. James

    July 19, 2012 at 3:26 PM

    I can force down some nasty stuff, but dang, I’d at least throw some amount of fruit in it lol.

    Reply
  6. Ruth

    June 27, 2012 at 9:23 PM

     Here’s my favorite Green Smoothie recipe:
    1 chopped apple
    1 cup cold green tea
    1/2 lemon – juice and pulp — I scoop out the pulp with a grapefruit spoon
    1/4 avocado
    2 cups or more spinach (or Kale, or Collards)

    Put everything in a blender except the spinach and blend until smooth.  Then add the spinach and blend well — add even more spinach if you like.   I find as long as I add some avocado, it doesn’t need any sweetener — the avocado kind of smooths out the flavor.

    I keep green tea handy, by putting a couple of tea bags in a quart jar full of cold water.  I usually leave the tea bags in anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.  Then I refrigerate the tea.  I can drink it cold, add it to recipes like this, or heat it up.  It is never bitter.

    Reply
  7. Vader

    May 28, 2012 at 12:18 AM

    I make some drinks like this too, as well carry them with me to work or where ever I go. I also get strange looks:-) thats awesome!!!keep carrying your green juice!

    Reply
  8. Wellness Mama

    May 23, 2012 at 8:59 PM

    I’ve seen some of the same research. I do typically cook any greens when I eat them, and I’ve lately switched to just putting lettuce in the smoothies with spirulina and kelp, but definitely worth more research.

    Reply
  9. Michelle

    May 23, 2012 at 5:59 PM

    Hi Katie,
    Can you address this article please, which claims that green smoothies can be devastating to your health due to high oxalate content in greens: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-green-smoothies-can-devastate-your-health/
    thanks!

    Reply
  10. Katy

    May 3, 2012 at 6:38 PM

     This sounds good in theory, but i don’t think i could stomach it! lol

    Reply
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