Three Ingredients, One Drink: The Green Smoothie Rooted in Old Wisdom

What if one of the simplest habits you could start tomorrow morning needed only three ingredients, one blender and thirty seconds? No exotic powders and no expensive supplements. Just a handful of spinach, an apple and half a lemon. Grandmothers have long praised greens and fruit eaten "first thing in the morning." Modern nutrition science, it turns out, has quite a few kind words for this trio too.

A Hollywood Morning Ritual That Looks Surprisingly Familiar

Actress Reese Witherspoon has openly shared her green smoothie habit with her fans. In an Instagram video covered by Scripps News, she explained that she first heard about the recipe from fellow actress Kerry Washington, who credited it for the condition of her hair and nails. Witherspoon's blend is built on greens, including spinach, along with apple and lemon. She drinks it late in the morning on an empty stomach and says it keeps her satisfied until lunchtime. Her version was inspired by the "Glowing Green Smoothie" of nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, as featured by TIME.

You don't need a celebrity's kitchen to make something similar. Our version is even simpler, and that is exactly its charm.

Simple Ingredients, a Surprisingly Rich Drink

Even the most basic ingredients can make a wholesome drink. This combination contains a good amount of flavonoids, natural plant compounds studied for their antioxidant properties. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, flavonoids are widely found in fruits and vegetables. Researchers continue to explore their role in helping the body deal with oxidative stress, the cell damage associated with so-called free radicals.

Each of the three ingredients brings something of its own to the glass:

• Spinach provides folate, vitamin K, magnesium and plant-based (non-heme) iron. If you want to learn more about this leafy green, read Spinach and Carrot: The Simple Breakfast That Gives Your Body More Than You Think.


• Apple contributes fiber, including pectin, along with the flavonoid quercetin. A review published in Nutrition Journal describes apples as one of the most important sources of these compounds in the Western diet.


• Lemon adds fresh flavor and vitamin C. Vitamin C also has a practical role here: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that it helps the body absorb the non-heme iron found in plant foods such as spinach.

Vitamin C also contributes to the normal function of the immune system, which makes this drink a pleasant addition to your daily routine, especially during the colder months. Some people also find that a light green drink before meals helps them feel more comfortable after eating.

A note on "alkaline" claims: Many traditional recipes promise that green drinks "balance the body's pH" or "neutralize an acidic digestion." The body regulates its own pH very tightly, and a systematic review in BMJ Open found no reliable evidence that diet changes blood pH. Similarly, no single drink can prevent disease. What research does consistently support is eating plenty of fruit and vegetables as part of a varied diet, as recommended by the World Health Organization. This smoothie is simply a tasty way to get there.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup spinach


• 1 apple


• juice of 1/2 lemon


• 1/2 glass of water

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend for at least 30 seconds, until you get a smooth mixture. The most important thing is that the spinach blends well with the apple. Tip: pour in the water first and add the spinach before the apple, so the leaves blend more evenly.

Drink it on an empty stomach or before meals. You can also enjoy it several times a day. It tastes best fresh, because the vitamin C content gradually decreases once the drink stands.

One More Thing: Don't Throw Away the Peel

If you are not sure whether your apple is organic and unsprayed, peel it. Otherwise, use the whole apple with its peel, because the skin and the layer just beneath it hold a large share of the fruit's fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.

Many people soak apples in water with a splash of vinegar for about 10 minutes. But a study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that soaking apples in a baking soda solution worked best. They used about one teaspoon of baking soda per two cups of water, and it removed considerably more surface pesticide residue than plain tap water. Soaking for 12 to 15 minutes gave the best results. No method removed residues that had penetrated deeper into the fruit, so peeling is still the safest choice if you are unsure about the apple's origin. For more small details that make a big difference, read Foods We Use Incorrectly.

Who Should Be a Little Careful?

This drink is gentle and suits most people, but a few groups should keep a few points in mind:

• People taking blood thinners such as warfarin should keep their vitamin K intake steady. Spinach is rich in vitamin K, as explained by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, so talk to your doctor before making it a daily habit.


• People prone to kidney stones may want to moderate their spinach intake because of its oxalate content. The National Kidney Foundation offers practical guidance on this topic.


• Those with sensitive teeth or stomachs may prefer to drink it through a straw or with a meal, since lemon juice is acidic. Rinsing your mouth with water afterwards is a good habit.

Make It Your Own

Readers who have made this smoothie part of their routine often share their own variations. One reader told us she adds a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger for a warming kick in winter. Another replaces half of the water with cucumber for a lighter, more refreshing summer version. If the taste is too "green" for you at first, start with less spinach and a sweeter apple variety, and gradually increase the greens as you get used to it.

Looking for more homemade drinks? Try the recipe in They say this is the healthiest juice in the world..., or warm up on chilly mornings with Warm Water with Turmeric Against Winter Troubles.

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet.