How to Make a Green Smoothie with a Budget Blender

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Want to start your day well with the best green smoothie that’s full of nourishing green veggies, fruits, and good fats, and that tastes good too, but you don’t have a fancy-pants blender to turn that kale as smooth as cream?

Me neither.

And we don’t need one.

A green smoothie is an easy way to get in several servings of veggies and fruits.

Unfortunately, smoothies with a high proportion of leafy greens can be unpalatable. They can be bitter and the texture too much to handle.

Enter the ultra-high-powered blender. These fancy-pants blenders—a la Blendtec and Vitamix—turn even the toughest of veggie as smooth as silk.

They’re pretty sweet, and they do the job no sweat. I’m not denying that. Someday, I may even go out and get myself one.

For now, though, it’s not a priority in my budget—it’s not a priority in a lot of people’s budgets—but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a good green smoothie like the rest of them.

We can keep our cheap blenders and drink smoothies too!

We just need a few techniques and basic tools to make the best green smoothie on a budget.

How to Make the Best Green Smoothie with a Budget Blender

Making a nourishing and palatable green smoothie with a budget blender is possible. You just need the right ingredients and techniques.

A typical smoothie for our family of five includes:

3 cups tightly packed fresh leafy greens (such as spinach)
1 fresh (or frozen) banana
2 cups frozen berries of choice
½ can of coconut milk (or other milk)
Water to desired consistency, at least ½ cup

This makes enough 2 adults and 3 young children to enjoy. There is, of course, a lot of wiggle room in what you put in a smoothie, but this is the recipe I’ll be referring to from here on out.

Okay, now here’s how you get all those leaves really really smooth. It’s all about the layering.

The Layering Technique

I’ve been making green smoothies on a budget blender for as long as I’ve been making green smoothies (which is a while), and I’ve found that order in which you put your ingredients in the blender matters a whole lot.

Always, always, always, the greens go first.

Why?

For whatever reason, the greens emulsify with the liquid better when they go in first than when they go in later. It makes for a much smoother smoothie, which is what we’re going for.

After the greens, go the bananas.

Then, load in the frozen berries. Their weight will press those greens into the blades, helping the smoothing process further.

Pour the liquid in last, and blend, blend, blend, pausing when necessary to break up any chunks of frozen berries.

A Note About Blenders

In the world of budget blenders, there are two types:

Blender with a detachable blade, such as this Oster blender.
Blender with a built-in blade, such as this Hamilton Beach option.

I have used both, and I definitely prefer the built-in blade. This style is easier to use, clean, store, and, most importantly, it gives a better blend.

If using a blender with a detachable blade, it’s best to blend in phases.

Start with the greens, but blend them thoroughly with the liquid first, before adding any other ingredients. Once the greens are smooth, then blend in the banana. Finally, add the frozen berries and blend.

With a detachable blade, you’ll get a better consistency this way than if you layer it all in at once.

Choosing Your Ingredients

When making green smoothies with a budget blender, choose softer greens such as baby spinach or swiss chard. Avoid kale. It’s just too tough for a lower-powered blender.

Always cut the stems out of the swiss chard.

You can discard the stems, compost them, save them for stock, feed them to your pet hamster. But whatever you do, don’t put them in the blender. They won’t blend.

Frozen blueberries work really well for making a smoothie in a budget blender.

Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries work as well, though frozen strawberries are larger and more solid, so they’ll take longer for the machine to process.

With raspberries and blackberries, the seeds will not be fully broken down. If you don’t mind that in your smoothie, then go for it!

Fresh or Frozen

For the smoothest result, use:

Fresh Greens—Frozen greens get pulpy in a budget blender. Fresh greens blend smoother.

Frozen Fruit—The coldness of the frozen fruit helps hide any texture-y-ness in the smoothie. Even with all these techniques, we’re still using a low-powered machine—there will be texture!

Frozen Banana—Frozen banana brings a creaminess to the smoothie that fresh banana doesn’t, but both work well.

You really can make a decent green smoothie with a budget blender! Not sure why you’d want to? Find out why here.

Do you drink green smoothies? What’s your favorite smoothie combo?