While going on a “cleanse” isn’t exactly my style (short-term detoxes of the smoothie variety or otherwise have never been sustainable for me), I do love the idea of using the start of the week as a healthy reset, particularly since on Friday night, we had a family food/bar crawl through downtown Milwaukee that started with cocktails, reached a midpoint with tater tots and wings, and ended with ice cream. Saturday night, Ben and I hosted six friends for dinner, all of whom share our gusto for good eats and drinks in great quantities. (For the curious, I made Ina Garten’s four-hour leg of lamb and French white beans from Foolproof, one of my all time favorite cookbooks. It’s my second time making both, and they were even better than I remembered!) While I have no regrets about either evening—except perhaps wearing high-waisted jeans…NEVER AGAIN—today feels like an appropriate green smoothie detox day.
What Makes This Cleansing Apple Avocado Smoothie Cleansing?
What makes this an especially cleansing smoothie recipe is the combination of spinach and apple, which are both high in fiber and thus help clear your system. If you are looking for smoothies for weight loss—or if, like me, you have serious hanger issues—fiber is a critical factor to prioritize because it means the smoothie will keep you fuller for longer.
Fresh ginger, another one of our star smoothie ingredients, is known to help with digestion. I also adore the flavor ginger adds. It gives the apple smoothie a welcome, energizing pop! that brightens my winter blues. Speaking of winter…our final star green ingredient is avocado, which makes the smoothie ultra creamy and satisfying. Avocado is also great for your skin, a welcome plus at this most blustery time of year. If you haven’t tried avocado in your smoothies yet, DO IT! Avocado gives smoothies a creamy, velvety texture that feels ultra indulgent. This Blueberry Banana Avocado Smoothie and this Avocado Mint Smoothie, which tastes like a shamrock shake (!!), are two of my other favorite avocado smoothie recipes. Amping up the creamy factor further is frozen banana. It also gives the smoothie much of its sweetness naturally, and if you’d like it a bit sweeter, you can add additional honey too.
We’re just past 21 days into January, and if you’ve been doing one of those 21-day green smoothie detox programs that I keep spotting in my Pinterest feed (has anyone tried this?), I hope today’s Apple Avocado Smoothie is a welcome addition to your green smoothie routine. Or if, like me, you just need a little post-weekend reset, this vibrant green apple banana smoothie has you covered there too.
This cleansing smoothie packs the health benefits you are seeking when you pull out your blender to make it in the first place, but the addition of less-standard ingredients such as ginger, apple, and avocado make it shine among the rest. If you’ve been looking to freshen up your green routine, this apple smoothie has you covered! (This Beet Smoothie and Apple Smoothie also pack a nutritious punch!) This recipe yields a fairly large amount (enough for two smoothies). It can last up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, so I like to make the full recipe, drink half right away, and then store the other half in a mason jar in the refrigerator, either for breakfast the next day or for quick sips if I need an afternoon snack.
Blend Your Apple Avocado Smoothie (and every smoothie) Like a Boss
If at all possible, this goes much more smoothly (did you see what I did there?) in a high-powered blender. I have this one, and my sister swears by her Vitamix. THAT SAID, you do not have to have a high-powered blender to make a delicious green smoothie! A standard blender (I owned this one for years) can still work well. I’ve included a suggestion in the recipe section for you below.
More Delicious Smoothie Recipes
Strawberry Spinach Smoothie Greek Yogurt Smoothie And all these delicious Healthy Breakfast Smoothies!
