Green Smoothie for Skin & Gut Health

by | Sep 20, 2019 | Beauty, Beverages, Digestive Health

This green smoothie is packed with protein, greens, healthy fats and probiotics all while remaining not-too-sweet. The perfect concoction for supporting your gut health and skin.

I’ve been on a morning smoothie kick the past couple of weeks. Does that ever happen to you? When a certain kind of breakfast or snack becomes a daily obsession for a little while? Yeah, that’s this smoothie for me.

I created this smoothie out of the desire for something with lots of greens but not too sweet. But I also decided I wanted to highlight ingredients for nourishing the gut (world’s biggest gut health fan over here) and also skin. A couple months ago I experienced a horrible breakout — which has since cleared right up — but I’ve really been amping up my skin health game as a result. And what’s one of the keys to happy, healthy, clear skin? A happy, healthy gut.

Our digestive system is the foundation for whole body health and you bet the state of our skin is closely linked to what’s goin’ on inside of us. I’ll share more details soon about what exactly caused my skin to go haywire (hint: it’s food related), but for now, let’s dive into this smoothie and why its ingredients are so powerful for our gut and skin.

Green Smoothie Benefits for Gut & Skin Health

  • Avocado: a fantastic source of monounsaturated fats for blood sugar balance and cellular health
  • Flax seeds: great source of gut-healthy fibre to keep things running smoothly and essential anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids
  • Hemp seeds: rich in fibre, omega-3 fats, and plant-based protein. All three combined help to regulate our appetite.
  • Collagen peptides: rich in protein (amino acids) and collagen to support skin, joints, bones, and gut lining
  • Coconut (non-dairy) yogurt: a great source of friendly probiotic bacteria for digestive support
  • Leafy greens: rich in essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium

How to Make this Green Smoothie

Coconut yogurt (plain and unsweetened) can usually be found in the regular milk/yogurt section of your grocery store, or in a health food aisle, depending on which store you go to. I like the brands President’s choice, Maison Riviera and Silk, or make it homemade. I highly recommend using non-dairy yogurt for this recipe instead of Greek or other cow’s milk-based yogurts. If you’ve been experiencing any digestive woes or acne, reducing or eliminating dairy is wise.

Note: you can also pop open a probiotic capsule and add it to this smoothie as an alternative to using coconut yogurt.

Collagen peptides are a great protein-rich addition to this smoothie, adding a lovely creaminess but no particular flavour. However, it’s optional if you’d rather omit. Collagen is sourced from bovine or other animal hides and can be purchased in powder form. I like the brands Vital Proteins and Great Lakes.

Note: Alternatively (or additionally), you can use a vanilla or unflavoured plant-based protein powder. I recommend Pure Lean, Vega One, or Hemp Yeah by Manitoba Harvest. Vanilla protein powder adds a really nice flavour to this smoothie.

The base for this smoothie is an unsweetened non-dairy milk. I usually have a carton of almond or coconut milk in my fridge if I’ve not made a homemade batch. You can also use cashew or hemp milk or another of your choice, fresh or store-bought.

All you need to make this smoothie is a blender. Hopefully one that blends really well! I personally use the Vitamix as I enjoy smoothies (and other recipes) that are blended as “smoothly” as possible without chunks or grit. Add all ingredients to your blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds.

5 from 1 vote
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Green Smoothie for Gut & Skin Health

A light, creamy, not-too-sweet smoothie with greens, probiotics, and healthy fats for gut and skin health.

Course Breakfast
Keyword smoothie
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Author Meghan

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe banana you can use an unripe banana for a lesser sweet smoothie
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, coconut, cashew)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
  • 1-2 handfuls baby spinach and/or baby kale (I like a mix of both)
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 2 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 – 1 scoop collagen peptides (optional)
  • 1/2 – 1 scoop your favourite plant-based protein powder, vanilla or unflavoured (optional)
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds until smooth and creamy. Enjoy immediately. Serves 1 generously or 2 smaller servings. Store extras in airtight jar for one day.

Leave me a comment below or tag me @meghanlivingstone on Instagram to share your smoothie creations!

by Meghan Livingstone

Note: this post may contain affiliate links. Learn more here.

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13 Comments

  1. Malu Ramos

    5 stars
    Hi Meghan. I’m from the Philippines. The flaxseeds in the grocery here are not ground; they’re literally seeds. Can I use the them directly from the pack? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Meghan

      Hey there! Yep, you definitely can add them to your blender whole. I often grind mine up into a powder so that I have a jar full. So that’s an option too!

      Reply
  2. June

    Thank you, Meghan for this recipe. I am having dental surgery and first I am purchasing a Vitamix and since I cannot eat solid food for a short time, this smoothie will be great as it has protein and many nutritious ingredients.

    Reply
    • Meghan

      You’re so welcome June! Hope this smoothie is helpful for you 🙂

      Reply
  3. abuelita

    How many times can I have this smoothie a day? Can I have it as a meal replacement 2x a day?

    Reply
  4. Enriqueta Navarro

    Hi Meghan can I have this smoothie twice a day kind of like a meal replacement

    Reply
    • Meghan

      Hey there! If you want to make this smoothie more of a meal, I’d suggest adding an all-in-one protein powder such as Vega One. The vanilla would work well 🙂

      Reply
  5. Geraldine

    Hi, Meghan, I am pre-diabetic cause use this smoothie and how many calories
    Are in this smoothie.

    Reply
    • Meghan

      Hi Gerladine! I don’t calorie count so my recipes don’t have that calculation. If you’re diabetic, this recipe should be fine but you may want to use 1/2 a banana and one with green tips instead of very ripe. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  6. Cher Yeung

    Hi, Meghan, I would like to know why use unsweetened non-dairy milk, can I use normal Almond milk?

    Reply
    • Meghan

      Hey there! The reason is because it’s less sweet, which I prefer and recommend for less sugar content. But you can use regular almond milk if you prefer!

      Reply
  7. Dorene

    Hi Meghan,

    What brand of flax seed do you use? The Amazon link on the YouTube video is broken.

    Reply
    • Meghan

      Hey there! Thanks for letting me know – I like Bob’s Red Mill but I’ve used other brands too! I’m not too picky 🙂

      Reply

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Meghan Livingstone, CNP

Hi, I’m Meghan. I’m a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, blogger, and YouTuber with a passion for healthy, simple living. I’m here to inspire you to listen to your body, eat wholesomely, and create a fulfilling life.