Creamy Pineapple Smoothie Infused with Green Juice & Seeds

This Creamy Pineapple Smoothie is deliciously smooth, refreshing, and quite the treat. It is infused with dark green juice, healthy proteins, and fats. Make it for breakfast, as a pick-me-up snack, take it to work, or offer it as a healthy drink to your guests with some nuts or dried fruits on the side. They will love it!

This pineapple juice smoothie is a keeper. I often enjoy it for breakfast or lunch. Yes, I am doing both, juicing the greens and then toss them into a smoothie. But it really is not that much work, and you are getting a whopping 8 cups. Plenty for a larger family, if you have friends over, or to sip throughout the day. I love it to replace a meal at lunch—it is quite filling and nutritious—and then offer some to my daughter later in the day as an after school snack. 

Don't have a juicer, only a blender? Not a problem, use a nut milk bag. They are cheap (around $14), very durable, and can be used to juice the veggies. It is super simple to use and easy to clean. Just rinse the bag and let it dry. So, here is how it works:

• Place the greens in a high-speed blender with some water (about half a cup). Blend until you have one green liquid.
• Place the nut bag in a large bowl to catch the juice. Pour the blended greens into the nut bag. Close the bag and start squeezing out the liquid until all that is left is the pulp (disregard).
• Briefly rinse the blender and then transfer the green juice into the blender. Proceed with adding the rest of the ingredients to make the juice smoothie. 

I use this straightforward milk nut bag at home (affiliate Get 10% off your entire order if you use code mychefsapron), but it does the trick. It is effortless to clean and dries quickly. Also perfect for making celery juice, which I often have as a morning drink. 

A FEW TIPS TO MAKE THIS PINEAPPLE JUICE SMOOTHIE

CHOOSE THE RIGHT ORGANIC GREENS

Greens like kale and lettuce beautifully complement this smoothie. They are full of healthy nutrients. Romaine lettuce is one of my favorites because it has a naturally sweet flavor. But switch it up with the butter or red leaf lettuce. You can go with any kale, or even use chard or spinach. 

For the apples, I love Granny Smith because of its tart flavor, and they hide any bitter taste from dark leafy greens. But I have used sweet red apples before as well. Go with what you love most or what is on sale at your local farmer's market or grocery store.

This juice smoothie is also perfect for when you are just starting to incorporate green juices to your diet or for kids that are not eager to eat their vegetables. My daughter and her friends in our neighborhood love this refreshing drink.

ADD SOME HEALTHY FATS

For this recipe, I use a good mix of roasted sunflower and hemp seeds. They will add some energizing fuel and essential fatty acids, but also make this juice smoothie super creamy. You don't need much. You can switch it up with chia seeds or flax seeds. For this recipe, I would stir away from coconut oils or nuts. It might make this drink a bit too heavy. Always blend the smoothie very well to pulverize the seeds completely!

THE STAR INGREDIENT—PINEAPPLE

Just like bananas, pineapple is an excellent fruit to balance the tastes of bitter greens like kale. It is incredibly juicy, and most people like the somewhat tropical taste. Besides the fact that pineapples are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, they also have digestive enzymes such as bromelain. Which is known to keep your digestion happy and healthy!

Play around a little with this recipe. You can start with ½ pineapple and maybe over time scale back on the fruits and add in more greens. Adjust the amount based on your taste buds.

This drink is DELICIOUS. Relax with a book, sip on this beautiful juice smoothie, and snack on some dried fruits, and all is well! Enjoy!

MORE SMOOTHIES OR DRINKS YOU MIGHT LIKE

• AN ENERGIZING CANTALOUPE-GINGER SMOOTHIE WITH FRESH ALMONDS
• THE BEST HOMEMADE HONEYDEW AND BASIL LEMONADE
• THE PERFECT PROTEIN SMOOTHIE TO BOOST ENERGY AND DIGESTIVE HEALTH
• HEALTHY BANANA TURMERIC SMOOTHIE (DAIRY-FREE)

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Recipe originally posted January 2017 but updated to include new information.