Cold Buster Green Smoothie (How to Fight a Cold)

This cold buster green smoothie recipe is packed with fresh fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system, hydrate your body and send those winter colds packing!

Green smoothies were all the rage a while ago and still are, but I never really thought they were that big of a deal. And then I realized that with all of those vitamins packed into a smoothie we would actually be giving ourselves the proper nutrition that we are recommended in getting. So, we started keeping a full supply of spinach and fruits and sure enough, not only did we start feeling better but we weren’t getting sick.

I hate winter. I know, lots of people love it and cannot wait to get outside and enjoy all that the snow has to offer, but I hate it. Strong word? I seriously dislike it I guess. I am learning to really enjoy skiing, but I still freeze to death and cannot last very long out there. But the major reason I don’t like winter is because we all get sick and pass it around over and over again all winter long. I freeze all winter which I’m sure keeps me sick.

You don’t have to pass a cold around all winter. Last year we cracked down and learned how to fight a cold and this cold buster green smoothie was a huge help! Keep scrolling to the end to see other products we love to help us survive winter colds.

What Makes a Green Smoothie?

The definition of a “green smoothie” can be quite ambiguous but the basics of a green smoothie are:

Leafy Greens + Liquid + Fruit

Then, of course, you can add other ingredient to add protein and more nutrients. Keep scrolling below to see suggestions for the best types of leafy greens, liquids and fruits. We also want to highlight what makes this recipe specifically a cold buster green smoothie.

Ingredients in a Cold Buster Green Smoothie

This smoothie is unique in that we chose specific items to kick the cold right where it hurts:

• Spinach: adds great fiber, vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K as well as iron, folate and potassium
• Orange Juice: isn’t just about the vitamin C it’s also about staying hydrated
• Orange with Peel: really slam dunk the vitamin C and the peel contains 4 times more fiber than the fruit itself, it has anti-inflammatory properties and may even help reduce harmful LDL’s
• Baby Carrots: great for killing germs in the mouth and helping with digestion
• Banana: gives the body natural energy which is something you are lacking when sick, and it helps the smoothie be extra creamy
• Frozen Pineapple: adds flavor and helps thicken the smoothie when it’s frozen
• Apple: adds flavor and natural sweetness
• Ice: helps thicken the smoothie without adding sugar or extra calories
• Optional: add a scoop of protein so our b

Bursting with the sweet, juicy flavors of pineapple and coconut, this Pina Colada Smoothie brings a bit of vacation sunshine, no matter the weather.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Years ago, when I first put this recipe on the blog, I had just made this piña colada smoothie and churned it into ice cream. I can still remember how my little boys jumped up and down with excitement.

They loved the sweetness of this refreshing ice cream treat during the heat of a Phoenix summer. I loved that it had no refined sugars.

I had been on a bit of a smoothie kick, back then. But, I’d never tried freezing a smoothie recipe before that. The result is a creamy texture that is more like soft-serve ice cream.

The twist of lime in this Pina Colada Smoothie gives it a unique taste that is more complex than the simple combination of coconut and pineapple. And, the tiny pinch of sea salt likewise enhances all of the flavors.

Be aware that different manufacturers produce their coconut milks at varying levels of creaminess and thickness. My favorite is the canned coconut milk from Thai kitchen.

I typically use store-bought frozen pineapple chunks for smoothies, but you can also freeze fresh pineapple chunks with the banana. Also, the honey could be swapped out for another natural sweet

This dairy-free Pineapple Banana Smoothie is light and refreshing, perfect with breakfast or as a snack any time throughout the day.

If the gray skies of January have you dreaming of warm summer days, mix up a batch of smoothies this morning and your mood is sure to improve!

Banana Pineapple Smoothie

The sweetness of the fruit is balanced nicely with the slightly tart pineapple in this drink. Without adding more than a hint of coconut flavor, coconut water creates a much lighter smoothie than the alternative dairy-based smoothies.

I like to add frozen bananas to our smoothies, but if you don’t happen to have a frozen banana on hand, a regular one will still serve to thicken the smoothie nicely. (I keep a bag of ripe peeled bananas in the freezer at all times for this reason.)

My family is laughably passionate in their love of smoothies. (That might have something to do with the reason why there are over 50 smoothie recipes on this website!) On almost any given day, you’re likely to find our blender on the counter making smoothies in almost every color of the rainbow.

Pineapple Orange Smoothie

The orange juice in this smoothie ser

As tasty as it is nutritious, this Mango Banana Spinach Smoothie highlights the tropical sweetness of mango and the creaminess of bananas.

Mango Spinach Smoothie

I was skeptical the first time I tried spinach in a smoothie. All it takes is a wheatgrass shot at Jamba Juice, and you’d be suspicious of blended greens, too. But, spinach is one of the most frequently used ingredients in our smoothies, now.

It might seem like an unlikely partner in this dance of flavors, but when blended it becomes a wonderful, earthy undertone. It adds complexity and depth to the fruit flavors in a mango spinach smoothie.

Mango Banana Spinach Smoothie

I have always struggled to get my kids to eat their leafy greens. And, if I’m honest, I came pretty late to the salad game as an adult. Smoothies became a surefire way to get them to eat an entire serving of greens in one sitting when they were little.

This spinach mango smoothie is a dream for getting ahead in the vegetable game. If you’re struggling to meet your fiber goals or to get enough spinach or kale into your diet, I strongly recommend it.

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Freshly brewed espresso is poured over creamy vanilla ice cream to create Affogato, an Italian dessert that is a marriage made in flavor heaven.

Affogato

As a bona fide, lifelong lover of homemade ice cream, Affogato is an absolute dream come true. It’s the perfect blend of hot and cold, as the warm espresso meets cool ice cream.

Because the ingredients are not mixed or blended, you end up with a wonderful range of colors, textures, flavors, and temperatures in this recipe. Eating it is such a treat, because each bite is a slightly different experience.

What is an Affogato?

If you’re wondering “What is an affogato?”, it’s really quite simple. Affogato is simply a shot of espresso poured of a scoop of gelato or ice cream. That’s it. No stirring required, just start eating.

The hot and bitter espresso is cooled and sweetened by the ice cream, while the freezing cold ice cream is softened and warmed by the espresso. Together, they become something more, something magical.

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