When your green smoothie is disguised as a healthy shamrock shake it's a huge win! Filled with protein packed avocado and spinach for that extra green boost.
This recipe was originally published on 3/15/14
I have a gift of getting my kids to think healthy treats are actually dessert. I'm all for feeding them veggies with dinner, but if I can get them in with dessert too, I leave the day feeling like a superstar.
Are vegetable smoothies healthy?
The way I see it, you can never have too many veggies. We eat them with our meals, but I love nothing more than sneaking them into treats.
Fruit is great in a smoothie, but it's best to balance out all the natural sugar in fruit with some veggies. There are loads of options that will give you a variety of nutrients.
The healthiest thing you can do is get as many veggies as you can into your body, making sure to mix it up so you are also getting a variety of vitamins and minerals.
What greens are best in smoothies?
Spinach in a green smoothie tends to be the first pick for people. I love it because it is versatile and has so many great qualities!
Avocado is also a great addition, not only for it's creaminess but also because it is such a great protein and fat source. Our bodies need both of these to function, so to get it in all forms is not only healthy but the creaminess is also delish.
Here is a list of my favorites:
- spinach
- avocado
- zucchini
- lettuce
- kale
- chard
- peas
- celery
How do you make a healthy milkshake?
The first thing I did was decide what veggies I wanted to use to get the flavor and texture of a milkshake but also have a hidden healthy factor.
Spinach disguises itself well so because this is kids I went with that as my hidden green.
To help add to the creamy factor, I chose avocado. I love that it has all that fat and protein too, so a perfect way to boost their health without them knowing.
Steps to making the healthy shamrock shake:
- Put everything in the blender, except the chocolate chips, and blend.
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse until incorporated.
- Devour! And if you're like me, the more whip the better.
More awesome drink desserts you might like:
- Vegan Pecan Pumpkin Shake
- Vegan Homemade Strawberry Milk
- Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
Healthy Vegan Shamrock Shake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk , or use 1 cup full fat coconut milk for optimal creaminess
- 1 ½ very ripe frozen bananas
- ¼ cup spinach
- ¼ avocado
- 5-6 ice cubes , optional for an icier shake
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 4 dates , optional for extra sweetness
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon peppermint extract , depending on how pepperminty you want it
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips , plus more to sprinkle on top (use raw cacao nibs for raw shake with less sugar)
Optional toppings:
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, into a blender and blend.
- Add chocolate chips and pulse to chop them up, but don’t overblend because you will lose the green color.
- Top with whipped cream and more chocolate chips if preferred.
- Serve
Notes
- Make sure you are using a neutral tasting avocado, some types have stronger flavors than others. Hass is probably the best bet, I used a Fuerte one time and the flavor was way too strong for us.
- Make sure your bananas are very ripe when freezing to get the optimum sweetness. If they aren’t super ripe you may want to add more sweetener.
- To make this nut free use a nut free milk.
- Adjust milk amount to get your preferred thickness.
- Nutrition calculations use maple syrup and do not include whipped topping.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Alyssa
This was delicious! Will definitely be making it again:D I didn't add the optional maple syrup/dates and it was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. If anyone is skeptical about this healthier alternative, throw that extra sweetener in there and they are guaranteed to love it. It's a win for all my books
veggiesdontbite
So happy you liked it Alyssa!!
Becky
This is AMAZING!!!! My daughter (18) and I would love to get McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes when she was little. Since going Vegan we obviously haven’t been back to McDonald’s for years. This was so much better than expected and preferred over McDonald’s any day. We’ve been doing the 5 day raw vegan reset and we will be making this again many many times even after the 5 days. What’s even better is it contains spinach so you don’t even feel that guilty eating this. Super easy and fast to make and so satisfying. THANK YOU and GREAT JOB!!
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you liked it Becky!! I so appreciate your review and I hope you find other things you like too! I am happy to have you here!!
Dippydoo
Avocados aren't exactly protein packed.
veggiesdontbite
Avocados are the perfect food. The have fat, protein and are full of nutrients. Which is why I chose them for this.
Cassie Autumn Tran
Happy early St- Patrick's Day! For some reason, my mint chip adoration has peaked. I guess it truly is because spring is just around the corner and I need some fresh flavors like mint, mango, strawberry, lemon, and carrot cake! I actually made a healthy vegan chocolate milkshake yesterday. I really want to try a mint chip variety and I know I will adore it! Your recipe looks incredible and what's even more amazing is its ingredient profile--spinach, bananas, and avocado are so beneficial for you!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Cassie! We love it! Chocolate and mint is one of my faves!