Fresh & Minty Pineapple and Spinach Smoothie | 20g Protein
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A mint, pineapple and spinach smoothie is an awesome way to start the day. Sure, we’re a bit biassed – we LOVE smoothies here at Hurry The Food Up.
We think that they are a yummy way to get the nutrients you need. It’s a miracle what blending can do to turn ingredients that are healthy but not super appetising, into something delicious!
Imagine being presented with a bowl of spinach leaves, another bowl of plain greek yogurt, some frozen pineapple, a bunch of flax seeds, some nuts and fresh mint to eat? That would NOT be a fun culinary experience.
But whack them in a blender and it’s a different story … now, you have a delicious mint pineapple smoothie, which you can’t wait to sip down… and it still contains all the nutritional benefits of those ingredients!
Our easy pineapple smoothie takes just 7 minutes and is a real treat.
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Pineapple and Spinach Smoothie: vitamin C, iron & more
As mentioned above, this pineapple and spinach smoothie is full of healthy ingredients – and not just the ones in its name!
The crucial ingredient in a pineapple smoothie recipe is, of course, pineapple. Pineapples are rich in vitamin C and manganese.
Vitamin C helps tissue growth and repair and manganese helps with bone health. 1 cup of pineapple contains 100% of your RDA of manganese!
The other key player in this drink is spinach! We can’t sing the praises of spinach enough – packed full of iron, antioxidants, nitrates, anti-cancer compounds.
In practical terms, this means that spinach is good for your skin and immune system health. It helps to prevent anaemia and to lowering the risk of certain cancers, as well as maintaining a more steaady blood sugar level.
It would take far too long to go through the health benefits of everything else in this smoothie – but cashews, greek yogurt and flax seeds are all pretty awesome too.
Who knew a simple pineapple smoothie could do so much?
If this healthy pineapple smoothie recipe has inspired you, why not try these 18 high protein smoothies or these 30 low calorie smoothies!
How to make a pineapple smoothie for weight loss
Drinking smoothies to lose weight is a popular trend. However, some fad diets promote extremely low calorie drinks as a meal replacement…which is not healthy and will just leave you hungry.
That said, smoothies can be great for weight loss if they have the right ingredients and provide you with enough calories to keep you going.
Basically: don’t drink smoothies to skimp on calories/nutrients – use them to get enough of what you need!
Protein Pineapple Smoothie with Yogurt
For example, you could drink this pineapple and spinach smoothie is one of our favorite weight loss smoothies because it is high in protein (20g per serving), thanks to the fact that we make our pineapple smoothie with yogurt .
Protein is the most filling macronutrient, so a serving of pineapple and spinach smoothie is going to keep you going for longer than something with the equivalent calories but less protein.
Protein also helps you to build and maintain muscle mass – so it’s great if you are looking to bulk up, or just to make sure you don’t lose too much muscle mass while you lose weight!
It also contains 319 kcal per serving. This makes it enough calories for breakfast or a snack, if you are working with the 1500 kcal to 2000 kcal allowance we usually use in our weight loss course and weight loss meal plans.
Essentially you want to be maintaining a slim calorie deficit while eating healthy, wholesome and filling foods … like a pineapple and spinach smoothie!
Ingredients
- 4 oz pineapple chunks (preferably frozen)
- 1 small sprig mint, fresh
- 5 oz low fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 oz baby spinach
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 tbsp cashews
- 1.5 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tbps rolled oats
- 1 ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the blender.4 oz pineapple chunks, 1 small sprig mint, fresh, 5 oz low fat Greek yogurt, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, 1.5 oz baby spinach, 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1 tbsp cashews, 1.5 tsp maple syrup, 2 tbps rolled oats, 1 ice cubes
- Blend until fully incorporated and creamy. You shouldn’t see the texture of the solids, everything should be as smooth as possible.
- Taste and add extra mint leaves if you want more mint flavour.
NOTES
Nutrition
This article has been medically reviewed by James LeBaigue MSc Learn More
James LeBaigue MSc
James has a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition.
He loves combining his scientific knowledge along with food in the real world, and these recipes are the result.
He’s on top of all the latest evidence and guidelines to make sure our nutrition advice on the website is as accurate as it can be.
By day he works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a busy NHS GP Practice.
Each recipe is tested and then eaten (much to James’ delight), many times before it is deemed worthy to be published. Bon appetit!
Abril Macías
Creator of this wonderful recipe!
I am a culinary creator and food photographer from Quito, Ecuador. I have a Master’s degree in New Food Thinking and a Bachelor’s degree in Gastronomy, my expertise lies in crafting and capturing creative dishes. Collaborating with websites and blogs worldwide, I develop recipes and bring them to life through captivating photographs.
I dedicate my work in the kitchen and through the lens to explore food from different backgrounds, origins and diets. I would describe my style as “comfort food with a twist”. My goal is to create recipes that are homely, yet attractive, delicious and have something different and exiting to them.
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Loved this x