This Detox Green Superfood Smoothie recipe is a flavor packed puree of pineapple, mint, kefir and kale. Perfect with, or in place of, a meal.
Who Needs A Detox Remedy In January?
While January is the month we tend to revisit better health choices, it’s also a season when colds and flu seem to run rampant. After the indulgence, rich foods, and late nights of December celebrations, our bodies quietly ask for something lighter, cleaner, and more nourishing. For this reason, I created an easy detox green smoothie, one that anyone can make and everyone will genuinely enjoy.
What Makes This Green Smoothie Healthy?
There are green smoothies, sweet and creamy, almost dessert-like, and then there is a Healthy Green Superfood Smoothie, one designed to replenish, restore, and gently support the body’s natural detox systems. This one falls firmly into the second category, while still being fresh, bright, and surprisingly delicious.
As you’ll see from the ingredients, I wandered into my greenhouse to gather much of what goes into this luscious green smoothie. There’s something deeply satisfying about harvesting vibrant greens in the quiet of winter, living foods that feel almost luminous this time of year. That said, you’ll easily find everything you need at your local grocery store, making this recipe just as accessible as it is nourishing.
Fortunately, fresh pineapple is available year-round, bringing natural sweetness and digestive support to the blend. And mint, bright, cooling, and cleansing, is as easy to grow in a windowsill pot as it is in the garden. A few sprigs are all it takes to lift the entire smoothie, making it feel refreshing rather than “healthy.”
Regular Detox For Health Maintenance
This green smoothie recipe was inspired by the three years I lived in Brazil, a country that is so far ahead of America when it comes to ‘food as medicine’.
On nearly every corner, in every city throughout Brazil, are these amazing kiosks piled high with tropical fruits and vegetables to make smoothies.
An added protein and nutrient shot can be added and tossed into a blender for the most amazing health smoothies I’ve ever had.
It was the first time I’d ever consumed raw beets, raw kale or other raw veggies I never thought to eat uncooked.
Pineapple In A Detox Green Smoothie
It seems as though our ‘gut’ is the root of most ailments we deal with, later causing inflammation in our body parts.
I know of no other single food ingredient that has the powerful enzyme aids for digestion, or simply to flush out the intestines, than pineapple.
Not only is it loaded with nutrients and disease-fighting antioxidants, but it has something in it that reduces inflammation of both intestines and periodic achy joints.
For those of us that get Botox injections (you bet your sweet tahootie I do!), drinking pineapple juice for the week before the injections aids in preventing swelling or bruising. It works for me!
Mint In A Detox Smoothie
While mint helps to cut the sweetness of the pineapple in this green smoothie by adding a burst of cool flavor, it also adds a dose of vitamins and antioxidants.
Greeks, for ages, have used mint tea as a remedy for tummy troubles. Brits use mint jelly, alongside their lamb dishes, not only to brighten the gamey flavor of lamb but since lamb is a very fatty meat, it aids in digesting the meat.
Having grown up with a Syrian mother, who made food in our home to taste different than all my American girlfriend’s homes, she always added mint to our salads. I thought it was simply for flavor but she said it was also for a healthy tummy.
So, in my detox green smoothie, I knew I wanted mint. Since it grows like a weed in my yard, even in the dead of winter, I knew I would have it fresh for my smoothie, and other recipes, year round!
Superfood Kale In A Detox Green Smoothie
Kale? Absolutely! Spinach has a definite, stronger flavor, and so I didn’t want it to combat with the pineapple.
On the other hand, kale has a sweet and mild flavor (when eaten raw), and was the perfect flavor companion for my healthy green smoothie.
Kale is considered a ‘superfood’ because it is powerfully packed with so many nutritious, immune supporting, antioxidant properties that I now have it growing in pots year-round!
I toss it (freshly cut), in my soups, my omelettes but adding it raw to my green smoothie takes this healthy drink to a new level of ‘healthy’!
Loaded with vitamins A, C and K (a vitamin that plays an important role in bone health), I knew adding kale to this Superfood, Healthy, Detox Green Smoothie was exactly how I wanted to start off my New Year!
Speaking of New Year… If you’ve had an over indulgent weekend, this smoothie will get you back on track after too much booze.
Making A Detox Green Smoothie
All you will need to make this healthy green smoothie is a strong blender. Everything gets tossed into the blender and whirled into a nutritious health aid you should try to drink at least once a week.
Maybe consider making this your ‘every Monday’ drink to start off the week, cleansing yourself from weekend shenanigans.
Liquid in this smoothie is an option. I added Kefir to this recipe simply because I was looking for an added dose of probiotics to round off this perfect superfood drink. But, you can use a nut milk instead, or if the pineapple chunks are frozen, you won’t need the extra liquid to puree this drink into a perfectly smooth, green smoothie.
Other Health Smoothies You Will Love
While we adults can certainly wrap our heads around healthy foods for our longevity, our kids aren’t there yet.
For this reason, I’ve made certain to make a smoothie loved by kids, yet hides healthy ingredients.
I call many of these kid dishes “Grandma’s Sneaky Whatever”! You’d be surprised how many adults are wowed by my sneaky dishes.
For this reason, there are still so many adults that think like kids when it comes to food: taste, and that’s it!
So for these silly nillies, I’ve made several powerful healthy smoothies that simply taste good and they will never know its healthy!
- Healthy Kids Fruit Smoothies – sneaky ingredients that are good for kids but they will never know they are there.
- Brazilian Health Smoothie – rich in beets and carrots, smoothed over with bananas and loaded with several other superfoods.
- Brazilian Protein Fruit Smoothie Bowl – tropical fruits, various contributions of cashew, which is both a fruit and a nut in Brazil and loaded with so many protein rich ingredients, still looking all pretty in a smoothie bowl.
Simple Equipment For These Smoothies
- Blender – the easiest way to whirl the ingredients into a smooth drink.
- Cutting board and knife for cutting the pineapple into smaller pieces and a quick chop of the kale and mint leaves.
- Measuring cup for easier flavor blending and adding to the blender.
- A fun glass to make the drink more special and a straw, or a to-go cup with a straw to assure you aren’t too busy to take care of you first!
The Ingredients That Make This Smoothie So Restorative
Each ingredient in this green smoothie was chosen with intention, not just for flavor, but for how it supports the body during a season when we’re craving both nourishment and lightness.
- Fresh or frozen pineapple – Pineapple brings natural sweetness and a sunny brightness to this smoothie, making the greens feel approachable rather than overwhelming. Whether fresh or frozen, pineapple adds digestive enzymes that help the body break down heavier foods left over from the holiday season. Frozen pineapple also creates a creamy, almost sorbet-like texture that makes this smoothie feel like a treat rather than a tonic.
- Raw baby kale – Baby kale is tender, mild, and far easier on the palate than its mature counterpart. It blends beautifully without bitterness, offering a gentle introduction to leafy greens while still delivering chlorophyll, minerals, and fiber that support detox pathways and immune health. This is the kind of green that nourishes without demanding too much from a tired system.
- Fresh mint – Mint does more than brighten the flavor, it cools, calms, and refreshes. Traditionally used to soothe digestion and support clarity, fresh mint adds a clean, uplifting note that makes each sip feel revitalizing. A small handful is all that’s needed to transform the smoothie from “green” to truly refreshing.
- Kefir, Almond milk or other nut milk – The liquid base allows you to customize this smoothie to your body’s needs. Kefir brings probiotics that support gut health and immunity, especially welcome during cold and flu season. Almond milk or other nut milks keep the smoothie light, dairy-free, and easy to digest, while still lending a soft creaminess. Choose what feels best for you; this recipe is meant to support, not stress, the body.
Detox Green Superfood Smoothie
Equipment
- Blender
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pineapple fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Raw Baby Kale
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mint
- 1/2 cup Kefir or Almond Milk
Instructions
- Place the kefir, or almond milk in the blender first. This helps everything to puree easily.
- Rough chop the leaves and pineapple and layer them into the blender, pineapple first with leaves on top.
- Puree for about 1 minute until all the lumps and bumps are smooth. Serve.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.