Back on Track Green Detox Smoothie (Gluten, Dairy & Banana Free!)

Back on Track Green Detox Smoothie is gluten, dairy, and banana free. The perfect healthy snack or breakfast recipe for resetting after over indulging!

Hey everyone, welcome to a new week – I hope your Thanksgiving was fantastic! Any good stories? Did the turkey turn out? Share any news (two Thanksgivings ago is when Ben and I told my family I was pregnant with Lincoln!) Get anything good on Black Friday?

We had a fun, family-filled day full of good eats (my Mom had Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole with some toppings when we walked in the door,) mimosas, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, push up contests (?), and general Thanksgiving merriment!

We also had a gumbo cook off this year! So, back story, my Dad’s been making his famous gumbo for decades and finally gave my brothers and me the recipe maybe 5-7 years ago. Bad idea. Since then we’ve all been ribbing each other over how much better our adaptation is so we decided to put up or shut up and have a gumbo off this Thanksgiving!

Each of us cooked a batch of our gumbo at home the day before (my Dad made his original recipe, my little brother’s is spicier, my older brother smoked his own kielbasa, and I went the traditional route with the addition of chicken thighs, andouille sausage, and a dark roux,) then brought a bowl of it to my parent’s house to have an impartial judge, aka Ben’s little bother who was celebrating Thanksgiving with us, taste everything and declare a winner once and for all.

We “blindfolded” the poor guy then he tried nearly each bowl twice and made his decision…

Victory was mine!!! I was so excited! I’m not a competitive person, but when it comes to my brothers – hello – there was no WAY I was going down without a fight. Seriously so jazzed. I’ll share the recipe if you like – it’s not light or healthy by any means so let me know! :)

The rest of the weekend was low key but so fun. I met my girlfriends Lindsey and Laura, and Laura’s new baby whom I smooched and smooched between bites of fajitas, for lunch on Friday, had brunch with a friend and her husband on Saturday, then had a friend + baby get-together on Saturday night. Phew! Felt like I was back in college again with all awesome reunions. Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks were always my favorite time of the year to see everyone and swap stories.

Between Thanksgiving, lunches and brunches out, get-togethers, and a few special meals at home, I felt like the hungry caterpillar after his Saturday binge fest by Sunday. Indulging in mimosas, mashed potatoes, Buffalo Cheddar-Ranch Chex Mix, bacon-wrapped shrimp and parmesan grits, fajitas (twice!), wine, apple crisp pie, brunch buffets and more left me craving a nice green leaf, aka my Back on Track Green Detox Smoothie!

This gluten, dairy, and banana-free smoothie recipe is packed with good for you, detoxifying ingredients including baby spinach, orange, carrot, ginger, chia seeds and pineapple, which I used instead of a banana to thicken and sweeten the smoothie. Throughout the years of posting smoothie recipes with bananas here on IGE I’ve learned that many people are either allergic or can’t stand the taste of them. Who knew?

Well, banana haters, this smoothie’s for you!

With ingredients that have benefits ranging from boosting metabolism to removing toxins, reducing inflammation and aiding in digestion, this smoothie will make you feel fantastic after a weekend full of indulging. Most importantly, it tastes great!

This smoothie recipe is actually based off one of my all-time favorite juice recipes, which I make at a feverish pace after the holidays. (You can read about my juicing back story here >) It includes spinach, carrot, orange, and ginger. Since a juicer isn’t a common find in most people’s homes though, I thought I’d adapt it for the blender and throw some other blender-friendly ingredients in. The result is a smoothie that’s so healthy I can hardly even stand it and, even though it’s packed with vitamins and minerals, it actually tastes like a drink you’d get at a tropical resort on account of the pineapple and orange.

Lincoln and I have been making smoothies maybe 3-4 times a week in the morning and it’s honestly the highlight of his day (check out his genuine reaction when I handed one over the other morning. I can’t.) I gave him a taste of this Back on Track Green Detox Smoothie and he went wild…literally. We were reaching tantrum level when his portion ran out so I turned the whole thing over to him and he sucked it down in about 3 minutes flat.

Hey – whether you’re a toddler or an adult, this smoothie is a great way to feel great!

I find that smoothies blend best when the liquid goes in first, so start by adding 1/4 cup almond milk to your blender, followed by 2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach, 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple, 1 peeled then chopped medium-sized carrot, 1 peeled clementine (a winter staple in my house) or 1/2 an orange, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon microplaned or minced fresh ginger – which is optional.

I know a lot of people are on the fence about ginger but I really love it in this smoothie. It’s kind of like squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice into a savory dish – just adds a hint of bright, zingy flavor.

Blend the smoothie until VERY smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup more almond milk (I used about 5 Tablespoons total,) then add 6 ice cubes and blend again until smooth.

By the way – I wanted to show you real quick how easy it is to chop an entire pineapple at home vs buying it pre-cut from the grocery store which sells it at a PREMIUM. Look for a pineapple that’s more yellow than green, which indicates it’s ripe and sweet, then slice the top and bottom off.

Next, cut the rind off in strips, going deeper than you think you should to get all the tough eyes off. That said, you can go back around after you’re done to clean it up a bit.

Slice the pineapple into quarters then place each quarter cut-side down and slice the core out on an angle. Slice into strips then chop. That’s it!

Another note, I used chia seeds in this smoothie not only because they help thicken it up without having to use a banana but also because they are nutritional POWERHOUSES full of fiber, protein, calcium, and iron. I love adding them to Lincoln’s smoothies especially because he can’t eat dairy and I’m always looking for good calcium sources for him. Chia seeds are usually in the health market section of the grocery store. I got this big bag recently for $6.99 and it will last me forever!

Pour the vibrant Back on Track Green Detox Smoothie into a glass then immediately reap the rewards!

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Enjoy this smoothie as a great way to start your day, a post workout recovery drink, or anytime you need a boost!