The Best Peaches ‘n Greens Smoothie Recipe with Healthy Kale | Foodal (2024)

Back when I was keeping regular office hours, breakfast was always tough.

I don’t know why it was easy to prepare lunch the night before while I continued to forget breakfast over and over again, but it was.

There were months of quick grabs on the way out the door – a muffin, some leftovers, cookies whenever they were around.

Even though nowadays I’m living the work-from-home life of the self-employed and most likely still in my pajamas past 10 a.m. (and you’d assume that such a fact would imply leisurely gourmet breakfasts…), I’ll be honest:

In actuality, the most important thing that’s saved me from skipping breakfast altogether or failing entirely to eat something nutritious is the smoothie.

Sometime last year – around the same time that all kinds of other changes were happening – I started making smoothies. I had made them before (a certain blueberry-orange-banana one made an appearance around here just weeks before making major changes to my diet), but this was different.

For starters, there were bags and bags and bags of frozen fruit, blended in all kinds of new combinations. In the very beginning, it was strawberries, bananas, and raw milk.

Maybe I’d add some cocoa powder, or I’d make it sometimes with yogurt or kefir if I was out of milk. Strawberries switched to blueberries and then mixed berries and back again.

Sometimes there were mangoes or kiwi or pineapple added in. And at some point I started adding raw eggs for protein.

A few times, I tried greens like kale – but it wasn’t until recently that greens became a staple, thanks to a few experiences with intensely green shakes, inspired by a nutrition consultation. I felt my taste buds changing and grew to really want vegetables in my smoothies, too.

You do need the best smoothie blender to get good results. Too often, smoothies are uneven, with lumps and chunks, when they’re made using an inferior blender (or faulty technique). When my dad surprised me with a brand new Vitamix, I almost cried.

I’m telling you all of this to explain that somewhere along the line, I became someone who has a smoothie every. single. morning. Like many changes, it happened gradually, naturally. But when I look back, I’m kind of awed by how different things look from here.

You know, it’s like the way that you stand your kid against the wall and mark his height each year, or you water your tomato plants every day and suddenly notice that they’ve bloomed! Sometimes, we need to look back and reflect to observe real change.

Today, my morning routine is pretty simple: throw ingredients in the Vitamix, pour into a glass or Mason jar or upcycled kombucha bottle, and head out the door. There is always fruit, and a few big leaves of greens, like kale, collards, or chard.

My choice of liquid is usually milk or kefir, or sometimes yogurt with water. Then I throw in some cod liver oil for omega-3s (you won’t taste it anyway, and it’s easier than trying to remember to take a spoonful every day) or a few probiotics.

The possibilities are endless, so my breakfasts never get boring. The version that I am presenting to you today is one that I made recently. It’s filled with the sweet flavor of fresh peaches, and a grassy kick of greens.

The name’s a little hokey, but the taste – and the nutritional value – definitely aren’t. Peaches ‘n Greens: now that’s a good breakfast.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe. And keep reading below for more tips to make the best smoothies at home!

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Wash the kale and peaches well, and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice the fruit, with the skin on. Set aside.

Remove hard stems from the kale leaves, tear, and set aside.

Measure the remaining ingredients.

Step 2 – Blend

Add all ingredients to a blender, being sure to layer them according to your manufacturer’s directions for the smoothest beverage. Blend until combined well.

Serve immediately in a tall glass, with a straw if desired.

What Makes a Good Morning Smoothie?

I am often asked what makes a good breakfast smoothie, and as I’ve outlined above, it’s been a journey to get here. There are a few pointers that I’d like to offer to make sure that you are starting the day off on the right foot, no matter what kind of smoothie you make:

1. Don’t Treat It Like a Catch-All

First, don’t treat the blender like a catch-all for your leftover fruits, vegetables, and flavor add-ins like chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and honey.

If you just start throwing things in there without measuring, you are going to end up with extra sugar and fat, and you don’t want to use fruit that is past its prime either.

This pretty much eliminates the whole “start your day off on the right foot” feeling – another reason why using a recipe is a great idea!

Instead, if you do want to tinker with your mixture, add one or two healthy, nutrient-dense add-ins, like the ones described in this article.

2. Don’t Add Extra Liquid Calories

Second, instead of using fruit juice (which is high in fructose and low in fiber), use fresh fruit and ice, kefir, yogurt, or a non-dairy milk like coconut, soy, or almond.

Extra protein, healthy fats, and probiotics add a healthy boost and a touch of liquid to your blend, along with great flavor.

3. Stick with a Single Serving

Finally, don’t indulge in a second serving. Instead, make sure your smoothie is hearty enough to keep you full for a long time.

That’s why the yogurt, fruit, and greens combo in this particular smoothie is so darn satisfying, with healthy fiber, protein, and fats to keep you feeling full longer!

Need the real peaches ‘n cream to satisfy your sugar craving? For an occasional indulgence, try our recipe for peach cobbler, served with freshly whipped cream on top!

For even more nutritious beverage try these recipes:

• Orange Ginger Sunshine
• Chocolate Banana
• Pomegranate Banana
• Berry and Date

What kind of smoothies do you love to start your day with? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to give this recipe a try. Come back and give it a rating when you do, so other readers will know how much you enjoyed it!

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on May 25, 2011. Last updated: February 25, 2023 at 14:14 pm. With additional writing and editing by Meghan Yager and Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.