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How Much Does A Green Smoothie Cost To Make?


Robyn Openshaw - Aug 05, 2022 - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


Blog: 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:

  • Blog: How Much Does A Green Smoothie Cost To Make?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!

1001 Smoothie Recipes from Green Smoothie Girl

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 jointsBlog: How Much Does A Green Smoothie Cost To Make?

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.

Photograph of Robyn Openshaw, founder of Green Smoothie GirlRobyn 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:

  1. 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

16 thoughts on “How Much Does A Green Smoothie Cost To Make?”

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  1. Thanks for posting Robyn! I was wondering the cost! A lot of good nutrition for not much! Did you know that green smoothies make great popcicles? Yeah, I have some green smoothie pops in my freezer right now!

    1. Robyn Openshaw says:

      Tricia, yes, this is one of the 10 tips for getting kids to go green, in my book The Green Smoothies Diet. Thanks for the reminder!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Robyn that is awesome news on both counts. I think a GS bar would be amazing and something that is in need. I would definitely go to one here in California. Of course being an avid veggie shopper I knew that it is not nearly as expensive as people think, plus can you really put a price on fuel for your body?

    Congrats

    Monica 😀

  3. Anonymous says:

    but what about buying the blender???? that’s where I’m stuck. the start up cost…..

  4. Anonymous says:

    That’s really depressing, actually. For me and three kids, that’s $6.25 per day, or $44 per week. My grocery budget for the entire week is $65. I totally agree that the nutrition is worth it, and it’s far better than spending money on the alternatives. But those living on low budgets aren’t buying the alternatives in the first place.

  5. Robyn Openshaw says:

    Suzie, don’t forget that you can use your regular blender until you can afford the turbo version. You just won’t be able to use a lot of stems (of kale, for instance) and FROZEN fruit.

    Katie, if you are feeding a family of 4 on less than $300/mo., you deserve a budgeting award. If you garden, the greens can be FREE and cut the cost in half. Or find a neighbor with a garden or the BYU plots (see Ch. 5 for these ideas, ALL of which I have done).

  6. Anonymous says:

    Suzie: You can make decent smoothies in many blenders, you just need to experiment with the process. I know, because I’ve done it. Sure, you can’t necessarily be a GS missionary if your blender makes chewy smoothies, but if they’re important to you, you’ll get used to them.

    Ask on freecycle and check thrift shops for blenders. If you don’t find one that way, ask your Facebook friends & relatives–most likely someone has one they aren’t using, and will give to you.

    Always completely puree the greens before adding the fruit.

    Add more water to dense greens like kale and collards.

    Bananas and pears help with creaminess.

    Spinach is the creamiest green. Romaine, green leaf, and red leaf all blend up very nicely.

    A spoonful of coconut oil is another thing you can try to help with texture (and taste and nutrition).

  7. Anonymous says:

    Yay, Robyn! I’ve thought all along that you should open a chain of “fastfood” joints all across the country!! So.many.times. do we choose traditional fast food due to lack of time, but more often, lack of planning….I think people would seriously pay for healthy fastfood drive-thru options….

    And awesome on the cost figuring!

  8. Anonymous says:

    I have been using dandelion greens that are coming up in my garden. I also have volunteers of lettuce, spinach, carrots and kale. It is giving my garden a headstart. It gives good variety and less expensive

  9. Anonymous says:

    I think it is a great idea you are opening up a shop I was wondering why no one had yet with the craze picking up and places like Jamba juice making a huge profit! Congrats!

  10. Anonymous says:

    Way to go Robyn! If I lived near there I would be in frequently. I wish they could be rolled out nationally so I would have some drive-thru option! Good luck and congrats!

  11. Anonymous says:

    1) I just got home from a trip. It was semi successful as far as GS’s goes: I brought frozen GS in a little cooler; bought some Odwalla Green stuff at Costco (which is mostly fruit, so I missed the taste of the veggies); and brought my own veggies to eat; had salads at restaurants. I was proud of myself when I resisted and didn’t even mind that the people I was travelling with wanted pizza most of the time. So my vote for a Fast “Food” version of GSG is YEAH!!

    2) I’m only 2 months new to this way of life, trying to figure out what to eat besides smoothies and sprouts. Just made the flax crackers which I love- yet again, more nuts. Any suggestions?

  12. Anonymous says:

    My budget for food/diapers/toiletries (anything I’d buy at grocery store, WalMart, Walgreen’s, etc.) is $280 per month. I also have $25 for eating out, so $305 overall.

    I agree the garden would save money (if I had a freezer).

    I use my ‘profit’ from the group buys to pay for my oils, sweeteners, and nuts, although I haven’t utilized those much.

    I didn’t include case-lot stuff in the above budget. I have some canned beans, tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms through that.

    I’ve also got a few things in food storage, such as wheat, oats, and toilet paper.

  13. Anonymous says:

    I’ve been wanting to do this in my area.

  14. I am so proud of myself. I finally made my first green smoothie. I was waiting to order a high powered blender, but I opted to try my old stand by. And what do you know. My blender actually worked. I used spinach, frozen berries a banana and a touch of honey. Water was added just to get it blended. Man oh man, what was I waiting for. These things are great. I was an idiot not to make these sooner. And the ease?! Just wow!!!

  15. That sounds AWESOME!! When we lived in Georgia, and my hubby was in Chiropractic school, he worked inside this huge co-op ( I forget what it is called) but a woman owned and ran Arden’s Garden out of it and it was all about green smoothies and wheat grass. We often say how we missed that. Everything was organic and the wheat grass was growing and cut only when ordered! I hope it works for you as it will benefit many people!

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