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.
Robyn Openshaw, MSW, is the bestselling author of The Green Smoothies Diet, 12 Steps to Whole Foods, and 2017’s #1 Amazon Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller, Vibe. Learn more about how to make the journey painless, from the nutrient-scarce Standard American Diet, to a whole-foods diet, in her free video masterclass 12 Steps to Whole Foods.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.
Resources:
- Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020. Retrieved from: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/a-closer-look-inside-healthy-eating-patterns/#table-1-1
Posted in: Green Smoothies, Relationships, Whole Food
I cannot have the sugar in the oranges or bananas. Can you sub strawberries and blueberries?
I have lost over 100 lbs. It is very difficult for me to consume all that liquid at one time. Can I have half of it and still do the challenge? If you leave it sit for a few hours later will you lose the nutritional benefits?
Cheryl, Of course it is natural fructose that is in all fruit…not "sugar" but you can absolutely use any berries in your smoothie. I like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and even cranberries. They are all super foods!
Robyn, where do you get your organic produce at – those prices seem very low?
She stated she bought them at Trader Joe’s. The best place for quality, inexpensive food.
I add whatever supplements I want, kombu, kefir, Dribose, maca, parsley, asparagus, avocado. It was second shift meal and a good one. I use Trader Joe’s for greens, Costco for pineapple, strawberries, mango, and blueberries, avocado.
What do you use for the liquid so it will blend together?
There are many options and mixtures for the liquid in a smoothie….purified water is most basic but you can add coconut water, kefir, organic juice blend (none with added sugar though), green juice that you may have juiced yourself even…use your imagination!
What is the Smoothie Greens with Chard? We don’t have a Traders Joes near us.
Our Basic Smoothie
I use a Blendtec blender.
Fill the water to the 2-1/2 cup mark.
Add 1 bag of Organic Power Greens. I can get a whole 1.5 pound bag of greens in and it brings it to the 6 cup mark.
2 organic bananas
2 cups frozen three berry blend
4 Tbsp ground organic flaxseed OR
4 Tbsp Tri-Omega Sprouted
2 Scoops Bone Broth Protein Powder
COST breakdown – all items purchased at Costco or through Greensmoothie Girl Group Buy
Water – free
Power Greens 1.5 pounds bag for $5.99 = $5.99
2 organic bananas $1.99 a bunch of 6 = 33cents a banana = $.66for 2 bananas
2 cups of Three Berry Blend $9.59 a bag 14 cups in a bag = .685 cents a cup = $1.37 2 cups
4Tbsp ground flax seed. 25 pounds for $42.00 = $1.68 a pound (approx. 44 Tbsp whole flax seed or 64 Tbsp ground flax seed in one pound so I went in the middle with 50 Tbsp ground flax seed per pound) = $.12 for 4 Tbsp ground
OR
4 Tbsp GSG Tri-Omega – 2 Tbsp is a serving and 23 servings per bag = $1.30 for 2 Tbsp. = $2.60 for 4 Tbsp.( I only buy this when I can get it on a special which is usually buy 2 get 1 free which would then make this $.87 per serving or $1.74 for 4 Tbsp.)
2 Scoops GSG Bone Broth Protein Powder 1 scoop is a serving and 20 servings in a bag. = $2.45 a scoop = $4.90 for 2 scoops (again I only buy this when I can get it buy 2 get 1 free which makes this $1.63 a scoop or $3.26 for 2 scoops)
This recipe produces just over 2 quarts. So if I use basic flaxseed and no Tri-Omegas or Bone Broth Protein it costs $8.14 or $4.07 a quart. If I take out the basic flax and use the Tri-Omegas and Bone Broth protein powder at regular price it is $15.52 or $7.76 a quart. If I get it on special it is $13.02 or $6.51 a quart.
I use the 4Tbsp of flax or tri-omegas and 2 scoops of protein powder because then it is the complete meal per quart as opposed to it being half when I split it into the quart jars.
I have 6 kids so I make 3 blenderfulls to feed all of us one smoothie a day. My husband and I each get a quart and each of my kids drink a pint. After 3 blenderfulls I can usually pour off an extra pint.
On the basic recipe (no tri-omegas or protein) this costs us $24.42. If I make it using the tri-omegas and bone broth protein powder on special it costs us $39.06.
We have a $1200 a month food budget for our family of 8 (kids ages are 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 13) so that gives us $39.06 a day for food on a 31 day month. Drinking a smoothie a day takes a lot of our food budget but my husband and I believe it is a priority. I want the best nutrition in these children while I am in control of what they eat.
That’s not as bad as I thought it would be. But living on SS only, I can only afford to spend $100-150 a month total on groceries. Usually only have water with meals – no Starbucks, lattes, etc. Working on trying to find some part time work, though, as I’d love to be able to make one of these smoothies every day.
There are many options and mixtures for the liquid in a smoothie….purified water is most basic but you can add coconut water, kefir, organic juice blend (none with added sugar though), green juice that you may have juiced yourself even…use your imagination!
Hi Mareen. Alot of people whose only income is social security qualify for ebt or foodstamps. I think you can apply online. You can also call 211 and ask them to send you an application for foodstamps in the mail. Your benefits come on a card that look like a credit card. Also, if you call 211 you can ask them about food banks in your area. I think that some of the food banks will even deliver like meals on wheels. Please apply, I know alot of senior who get these benefits to supplement a low ss income.