Berry Spinach Smoothie (dairy free)

This berry spinach smoothie recipe is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s high in protein without needing protein powder, easy to make, and super satisfying.

This is one of our go-to smoothies! You can never go wrong with a berry smoothie recipe. We almost always have the ingredients on hand, and when I need an easy and delicious smoothie, this berry spinach smoothie gets made.  It tastes amazing, if I do say so myself 🙂

This smoothie is packed with antioxidants from the berries, spinach, and chia seeds. And I use almond butter to add in some protein. I don’t know about you, but I really despise protein powders… I’ve tried a TON and they are always grainy, taste like fake vanilla, or are downright gross. There are some chocolate ones that I like, but i'll only use those if I'm making a chocolate smoothie. If the smoothie isn’t chocolate, you will rarely, if ever, find me putting protein powder in my smoothies. But, if you have one you swear by (and it’s clean), do tell!

Tips for Keeping Your Berry Spinach Smoothie Clean

Organic Produce

I recommend organic for the frozen berries and spinach. Spinach is on the dirty dozen list, and depending on what berries are in your mix, most likely some of those are on the dirty dozen list as well. I am always trying to avoid toxic pesticides and chemicals on/in our food.

Don’t worry about bananas – the fruit is protected by the thick skin of the banana, so you don’t need to worry about expose to chemicals here.

Almonds

For both the almond milk and almond butter, organic is always best. Various pesticides and toxic residues are commonly found on conventional almonds.

But, the ingredients in almond milk and almond butter and JUST as important. Make sure you read the ingredient list to find the cleanest options. For almond butter (and all nut butters) the ingredients should list ONLY the nut used (is this case, almonds); if salt is listed, that’s okay too. What you do not want to see are added oils, sugars, or flavors.

For almond milk (or any nut milk), you want to see just almonds (or the nut) and water (and maybe salt). Again, you don’t want to see added sugars or flavors.

My favorites are Malk, Elmhurst, 365 Almond Butter, and Sun and Seed Raw Almond Butter. Note: Elmhurst milk is not organic, however, due to the fact that their almond milk is 100% clean in ingredients, I am still a big fan.

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

Frozen bananas – I always keep half bananas in the freezer for smoothies. Simply peel your bananas, break in half, and store in the freezer. If you don’t have frozen bananas ready, you can use one straight from the counter. Just add in a few ice cubes to keep your smoothie nice and cold.

Mixed berries – any combination of mixed berries would be great in this berry spinach smoothie.

Spinach – I recommend spinach or kale for the greens in this smoothie. Either one will blend up well.

Almond butter – I love using almond butter to increase the protein in my smoothies. Like I said, I’m not a fan of most protein powders, and throwing in some nut butters and seeds is such a clean and easy way to increase the protein (and healthy fat). You can omit this all together, or use cashew butter, peanut butter, or any nut butter.

Chia seeds – don’t have any on hand? Sub with some hemp or flax seeds. You can also skip all together, but again, I love the addition of seeds for the nutrients, fats, and protein.

Milk – Since I’m dairy free, I use almond milk, but you can use cow’s milk too if you’re not dairy free. I love Malk brand and Elmhurst almond milk – it’s the cleanest out there with only almonds and water. And water works too if you want to skip on the milk… milk does help though with making it nice and creamy.

Can I Make This Smoothie Ahead of Time?

Once you make the smoothie, I recommend drinking right away. However, you can prep some of the ingredients in advance and store in the freezer.

Place the banana, berries, and spinach in a freezer friendly bag. When ready, add that, plus the milk, almond butter, and chia seeds to a blender.

Other Smoothie Recipes You Might Like

Strawberry Almond Smoothie (dairy free)
Apple Kiwi Kale Smoothie
Peach Banana Smoothie
Mango Pineapple Smoothie

If you make this berry spinach smoothie, please let me know what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating below and/or share a photo on Instagram and mention @CleanPlateMama.

Resources:
https://www.evolvingwellness.com/post/how-to-choose-the-best-almond-butter-comparing-the-best-worst-brands