With the weather warming up, and my kids up with the birds for swim squads, a quick 5am pre-training session go-to is often this tropical smoothie (or a big cup of bone broth). Yes, this little mix happens to be ‘green,’ however rather than jump on the ‘green smoothies are the bees-knees’ bandwagon, I’m going to buck the current trend and put it out there that you don’t have to drink green smoothies to be healthy.

Personally, I don’t fancy the taste of many ‘green smoothies’ and I also don’t always like the way they make me feel. My gut is pretty cast-iron, but some ‘green smoothies’ leave me nauseous and upset in the tummy. I also find them often just too sweet with lots of fruit and flavours to ‘mask’ the bitter greens. Leafy greens are so good for you, but I really just prefer to eat my greens!

Interestingly enough, from an Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, green smoothies are not always a good idea. There are a few reasons, one is that lots of raw vegetables can be harsh on digestion and difficult to digest (especially when you drink them, you’re not priming your gut to receive them by chewing first). Also if you drink smoothies icy cold this also significantly weakens digestion (cold food and drink is really not good on digestion which needs heat to do it’s job). Also the oxalate content of green smoothies is often very irritating too. Also ‘drinking’ food dilutes gastric acids again slowing digestion down further.

Which leads me back to this tropical smoothie, which just happens to be a little green, but also delicious. Simple smoothies like this can be a good way to sneak in some extra greens for leaf-hating kids (if they can get their head around the fact that it’s green of course)! But I’d urge you to keep trying with the real deal too.

As always, I have a couple of variations for you, including changing the colour!

Health benefits

The fat from the avocado is very soothing and helps to enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The pineapple is a fabulous source of vitamin C and bromelain which is a potent anti-inflammatory and supportive to digestion. The coconut water is hydrating and along with the banana, is a great source of minerals.

This tropical smoothie is a delicious and refreshing blend of pineapple, banana, and avocado, perfect for a quick snack or light breakfast. The coconut water adds natural hydration, making it an energizing pick-me-up for any time of day.

Ingredients

This simple smoothie uses a handful of ingredients: fresh pineapple or orange, banana, avocado, and coconut water. It’s naturally sweet and creamy, with no need for added sugars.

How to make this Tropical Smoothie

Blend the diced pineapple or orange, banana, avocado, and coconut water in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Add ice if needed to reach your preferred consistency.

Serving suggestions and how to store

This smoothie is best enjoyed fresh, but any leftovers can be frozen into little cups or ice-block molds for a quick, healthy snack on another day.

Vary this to suit your dietary needs

For a green boost, throw in a handful of baby spinach, kale or fresh mint. Want to switch up the flavour? Add raspberries to turn it pink. You can also boost the protein by adding a scoop of wholefood protein powder or replace the coconut water with nut milk if you’re avoiding coconut.

Take a look at the variations below for all the details as well as suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.