How Much Does A Green Smoothie Cost To Make?

Trying to balance the expense of a healthy diet with getting the right nutrition can be a struggle. Green smoothies are an easy way to get a large number of fruit and vegetable servings – and all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients they include – but I get questions about how much they cost.

Are green smoothies expensive? How much does a green smoothie cost to make? Are homemade green smoothies an affordable option as part of a healthy diet?

Green Smoothie Cost Breakdown

To answer this question, I selected a basic green smoothie recipe to evaluate on the basis of cost. All ingredients were purchased at Trader Joe’s and were used to make 72 ounces of green smoothie. Prices were as follows:

• 3 ounces organic Smoothie Greens with chard – $1.39 for 3 ounce bag = $1.39
• 2 ounces organic kale – $1.79 for 12 ounce bag = $0.30
• 8 ounces organic spinach – $2.29 for 12 ounce bag = $1.53
• 16 ounces (2 cups) frozen mixed organic berries – $2.99 for 16 ounce bag = $2.99
• 2 oranges – $.79 each = $1.58
• 2 organic bananas – $.19 each = $0.38
• 6-8 drops organic liquid stevia – $6.99 for 2 ounces = $0.02

Adding up the prices of the ingredients needed for this recipe, the cost to make one 72-ounce blender-full of green smoothie is $8.19. That’s just 12 cents per ounce to make a green smoothie.

If you drink a quart of this nutritious deliciousness each day – my recommendation – you’ll pay $3.76 to make a 32-ounce green smoothie.

That means that 16 ounces, which is the size of that grande coffee you might sip every morning, will set you back just $1.88. That’s a lot cheaper than a latte! Of course, if you shop at a club store or can get your groceries on sale, you bring that cost down even lower.

Making your green smoothie at home absolutely is a more affordable option than buying premade juices at your local smoothie shop or grocery store. Starbucks’ juices come in 15.2 ounce bottles that cost between $2.99 and $6.99 – which is comparable with other bottled pressed juices like BluePrint and Suja. Jamba Juice’s 16 ounce freshly-squeezed juices average $4.99. And NONE of these juices have the fiber in a green smoothie!

The Nutrition in a Green Smoothie

If you still think green smoothies are too expensive, consider the nutritional benefits you get from just one serving.

The recipe above includes roughly 10 servings of fruits and vegetables. If you drink half of it each day (32 ounces as recommended), you’ll be meeting the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables each day for adults.¹ That’s an entire day’s worth of fruits and vegetables for just $3.76--by noon, if you drink it for breakfast!

Of course, you’ll also be fueling your body with necessary vitamins and minerals. A box of macaroni and cheese may only cost $.99 cents, but it won’t come close to giving you the wide range of nutrients you’ll get from a single green smoothie – which provides vitamins and minerals like:

• Vitamin C – which reduces the risk of chronic disease and fights heart disease risk factors
• Potassium – which helps prevent stroke and regulate blood pressure
• Vitamin K – which plays a role in blood clotting and can treat osteoporosis and bone loss
• Vitamin A – which has benefits for healthy eyes and skin
• Manganese – which supports healthy bones and joints

These are just some of the many nutrients you’ll get in your daily serving of green smoothie, under $4 for a whole quart! You could spend between two and three times as much on a salad for lunch, but it may not include the same nutritional benefits – and even those popular fruit-and-nut snack bars don’t come close to offering the same bang for the buck.

Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to break the bank. Green smoothies are an affordable, nutritious, and delicious solution when it comes to getting your daily servings of fruits and vegetables and a whole range of vitamins and minerals. Start skipping your daily coffee run and make a green smoothie instead. Your wallet and your waistline will thank you.