The Best Tropical Weight Loss Smoothie with Kale

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Looking for a weight loss smoothie with kale? You’ve got to try this amazingly simple recipe to help you slim down and feel great.

Why We Love this Tropical Weight Loss Smoothie

I’m all about quick and easy when it comes to losing weight. I hate slaving over a hot stove for a long time, especially in the mornings when things are hectic.

Enter green smoothies! They are the absolute best way to get in your greens, taste great and help you feel amazing. It takes only minutes to blend up one of these babies in the morning and you’re out the door.

This particular smoothie is one of my favorites because it includes tropical fruit (which I love) and also has the added nutrition of kale, one of my favorite greens. Give it a try in your green smoothie rotation.

Ingredients in this Easy Kale Smoothie

1. Banana

A fresh banana works so well with greens of any kind, especially kale. It takes away any bitterness from greens (although you shouldn’t have much bitterness with kale) and gives a sweetness to the smoothie so that no other sweetener is needed.

You can also use a frozen banana if desired, especially if using fresh fruit for the pineapple. (Freezing bananas when they are past their prime is the perfect way to use them up and save money!)

2. Pineapple

The second tropical fruit on our list is pineapple, and most people know it’s one of the sweetest fruits there is. It really helps sweeten up kale smoothies, and its addition in this smoothie recipe gives it a nice touch.

It’s best to use frozen pineapple but if you have fresh on hand that’s fine. I’d go with a frozen banana if you use fresh pineapple.

3. Kale Leaves and Stems

Kale is one of the most nutritious greens there is! It hides well in green smoothies and is a perfect addition to weight loss smoothies.

You get a nutritional punch with kale – but be sure to use the stems as well as the leaves to get the most nutrients out of this amazing superfood.

If you don’t have fresh raw kale on hand, don’t worry. It’s fine to buy frozen chopped kale and keep it in the freezer for smoothies. In fact, when I buy fresh kale I’ll often freeze it if I don’t eat all of it in time. Perfect for kale smoothies!

4. Non Dairy Milk

You can use any non dairy milk you like here: almond milk, coconut milk, or any milk will do. It’s okay to also use dairy milk if you prefer or even a bit of greek yogurt with a splash of water.

I use water for a lot of my smoothies, but some days I just want a little bit of a creamier smoothie and the addition of some type of milk fits the bill perfectly.

I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but you can also use the sweetened variety for this green smoothie recipe.

How to Customize Your Kale Smoothie Recipe

One of the best things about green smoothies (among many!) is how easy they are to customize. Here are a few ways you can easily customize this simple kale smoothie recipe:

1. Add Sweetener

You can always add honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, Stevia or any desired sweetener you like to sweeten up this recipe. With the banana and pineapple I find it sweet enough, but I’ve noticed when I go through a period of not eating so healthy I have to tone down my sweet tooth gradually.

Another natural way to make it sweeter is to add another sweet fruit like mango or even a juice such as orange juice or watermelon juice.

You an always add in a tiny bit of sugar as well if you prefer, but I try to stay away from processed sugar when I can.

2. Change out the Liquid

Don’t want to use almond milk or coconut milk? No problem! Filtered water, green tea or coconut water are other great options. You can even use pineapple juice.

You can also try plain yogurt or greek yogurt, too! (This might need a bit of milk or water as well to blend to the right consistency – or make it a smoothie bowl!)

3. Add in other Super Foods

Depending upon what mood I’m in that day I might add seeds such as chia seed, flax seed or hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts) to my smoothies. Both of these tiny seeds pack a huge nutritional punch.

If you don’t mind the bite of fresh ginger, you can add that to your smoothie as well. This is wonderful for your digestion.

Another great addition are frozen blueberries, you get a huge antioxidant boost with the phytochemicals in blueberries. Then you get a blueberry kale smoothie! (And any other frozen berries work, too!)

5. Ways to Tone Down the Sweetness

For some people, this might be a little too sweet. If you haven’t eaten processed foods in a while you might want to tone down the sweetness of this recipe. Try adding lemon juice or lime juice to tone it down a bit.

Another option is to add another vegetable, like cucumber or celery, that aren’t as sweet. The cucumber will add liquid to your smoothie, too.

6. Add Some Protein or Fat

Blend in a nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter or add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. You can also add in a fourth or half of an avocado for some healthy fats.

7. Switch out the Greens

Don’t have kale on hand and want to use spinach, swiss chard or another green? No problem! You can swap in an equal amount of any green you like. Any of these greens make for healthy smoothies.

How to Blend a Delicious Kale Smoothie

This is my preferred way to blend a smoothie. If your blender is having trouble blending, try adding greens and liquid first and blending, then adding the rest of the ingredients.

Step One: Add kale to blender.

I like to add my greens first thing. (See how to measure leafy greens here)

Step Two: Add pineapple and banana.

The fruit goes in next, it doesn’t matter which order you put them in.

Step Three: Add liquid.

The liquid will seep in the areas around the fruit and greens, so it will get to the blades.

Step Four: Blend!

Turn on that blender and let it do its thing!

Nutrition in a Tropical Kale Smoothie

Potassium

Eating a banana a day will help with your potassium balance. We need a delicate balance of potassium and sodium to help stave off high blood pressure and headaches.

Potassium is also important for muscle contraction and helping the heartbeat to stay regular. It also has the job of helping nutrients get into cells and helping remove waste from cells.

Read more about Potassium here.

Vitamin C

This smoothie contains a good amount of vitamin C thanks to the pineapple and kale combo. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help protect the body against free radicals.

Vitamin C also helps us to fight off infections and heal wounds. It also helps us absorb iron and helps to make collagen.

Read more about Vitamin C here.

Vitamin K

Kale is a huge source of Vitamin K – the vitamin that helps with blood clotting. Vitamin K also helps wounds heal.

There is also some evidence that this vitamin helps keep bones healthy – so eat up!

Read more about Vitamin K here.

Fiber

Fiber is very important for regular digestion. It’s a type of carbohydrate that humans can’t break down in our bodies, so it passes through the digestive system and helps “scrub” out waste.

Most adults in America do not get enough fiber, so it’s important to consume more in our diets and green smoothies can help!

Read more about Fiber here.

How to Store a Tropical Kale Smoothie

You can store a smoothie in the refrigerator, covered, for a day. It’s best to consume them when they are made, but they can be taken to-go or stored.

You can also make them into smoothie pops! We do this a lot at our house.

Common Questions about Kale Smoothies for Weight Loss

You Might Also Love This Kale Weight Loss Smoothie:

Final Thoughts on Our Tropical Weight Loss Smoothie with Kale

Kale is a wonderful food to help you in your weight loss journey. I hope you will give it a try and enjoy some delicious low calorie, low fat smoothies without added sugar. Smoothies are my favorite way to lose weight!

Happy Blending!
Amanda