First off – let’s be clear about what we’re calling a cleanse. This is not intended to be a “let’s starve ourselves and live on spicy lemonade for 3 days” type of a deal. You are not to feel dizzy, lightheaded, and like you have the worst case of PMS to ever exist. You are not trying to lost 10 pounds in 3 days. Sorry, kids – that one just doesn’t happen.
What this is about is making your body feel good. It’s more of a reset, but we can call it a cleanse because trust me – all of the fiber from the greens and fruits will make you feel cleansed.
{Read this, on the difference between juicing and smoothie-ing if you haven’t already}
Each smoothie recipe makes about 6 cups, which provide 3 2-cup servings for each day. In addition to this, you should also snack on healthy foods if your body craves it. I did this exact cleanse for 3 days and felt amazing afterward – though I did not stick to only smoothie.
I ate some form of whole grain in the morning – either a piece of fitness bread with raw almond butter or steel-cut oats. Likewise, you could have brown rice at some point in the day or another good, complex carb. For me, one healthy serving of this in addition to the smoothies and maybe a few nuts and additional raw fruits and veggies was perfect. These smoothies are super-filling, and energizing – I happened to do this during a move into a new apartment.
The recipes are really tailorable to your own preferences. You will notice a pattern; each smoothie contains about 3 packed cups of greens, a frozen banana (I always like to add this because it gives good texture), a couple cups of fruit, 1 to 2 cups liquid (use water, almond milk, juice, or any blend of the two), some form of fat (nuts, avocado, flax, etc.), and maybe an extra nutritional and/or flavor boost, like gingerroot, cacao powder, or spirulina. Once you get the formula down, you can get creative and come up with your own combinations!
All of these recipes can be made in a blender, though a VitaMix is the best way to go. (Some blenders are better than others, so you’ll have to do some experimenting to find out what yours can handle. Things like nuts and flaxseed can be purchase ground – almond flour instead of almonds, for example – if necessary.) Each recipe makes about 6 cups, which provides three 2-cup servings. If you try this as a cleanse, be prepared to eat more than just these smoothies – snack on raw vegetables (fruit is okay but the smoothies contain a lot so veggies are better) and whole grains, like steel-cut oats and brown rice, when you’re hungry. This is not about starvation!
Day 1: Everything Green
Between the kale, parsley, and spirulina (an algae powder that’s basically like taking the green of vegetables in its most concentrated form), this is the super-green smoothie. This variety of kale is less bitter than curly, but it’s still pretty bitter so I usually combine it with spinach to lessen the burden. (If you hate it, go for all spinach!) I like throwing in green grapes, an apple, and a pear for even more green goodness – but when I don’t have those on hand, I go for frozen blueberries. Parsley is great for you but you can also try dandelion greens on occasion for an extra detox boost; they are on the bitter side, so I like to add frozen pineapple when I do that to balance the flavor.
- 2 cups (packed) lacinto/tuscan/dinosaur kale leaves
- 1 cup (packed) spinach leaves
- 1 large handful parsley (about 1/2 bunch)
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 green apple, cored
- 1 pear, cored
- 1 cup green grapes
- 2 teaspoons spirulina
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1 to 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 4 or 5 ice cubes
Day 2: Beets ‘n Berries
Without the greens, this would be a gorgeous shade of red – and with them, well, it’s not the prettiest. But it does taste good! Swiss chard is pretty mild, compared to kale, so you can use it on its own or in combination with spinach if you prefer. You can usually find the beets precooked in the produce section at Whole Foods; I’m not gonna lie … without those, I’d probably be too lazy to add them. Be sure to use ground flax if you’re not using a VitaMix. Cacao powder – yes, chocolate! – is packed with antioxidants. More than blueberries, red wine, tea, etc.
- 3 cups (packed) Swiss chard leaves
- 3 cooked beets
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
- 1 to 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 4 or 5 ice cubes
Day 3: Peach/Avocado/Ginger
This might just be my all-time fave smoothie in terms of flavor. I love, love, love the heavy dose of ginger – and it’s perfect with peaches. A little avocado adds your healthy fat for the day, though I like to throw in some cashews, too. Try replacing some of the peaches with frozen mango to switch things up. Maca powder is good for energy and stamina, as well as sexual health for both women and women. Can’t go wrong with that!
- 3 cups (packed) spinach leaves
- 1/2 avocado, pitted
- 3 inches gingerroot, peeled
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 cups frozen peaches
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 teaspoons maca powder
- 1 to 2 cups coconut water (or almond milk if that’s what you got on hand)
- 4 or 5 ice cubes
Ashley- so excited to come across your blog while I was searching for a green smoothie cleanse. I do green smoothies almost every morning, but I needed some inspiration. Plus, I’ve been spending a fortune on BluePrint juice (because I can’t seem to find the time to make the juice myself), but I love the fact that I get more fiber and nutrients from taking in the whole fruits and vegetables. Anyway, stop by and check us out sometime…. hotmoodymess.com.
I did it and it was great! The cleanse introduced me to new supplements and GINGER!! Mad love for that stuff. This was an awesome way for the hub and I to reset and get on a healthier track. The 4 pound loss was a major bonus! Thanks and best of luck on THE TASTE. We are rooting for you!
Amazing, Danielle! So glad you loved it. And it’s good to try maintaining one a day to keep the results going. Great job!
Something to try very soon. Those smoothies look really delicious and so healthy!
These all sound delicious. I had a question about making three servings at a time. How do you store the other servings for later? Every time I have made a smoothie and tried to store it, it turned sort of frothy.
Hi Kayla! I haven’t had that issue. I store them in quart containers or jars. The only thing that I’ve had happen is that the smoothie will thicken up – if that happens, you can just stir in a bit of water. I hope that helps!
Each smoothie make three 2 cup servings so is this cleanse made for 3 people each day or do you just drink one 2-cup serving then save the rest for the other two days?? Sorry, Im just confused…
I eat one batch, 3 servings, per day. Make another batch of 3 servings for the next day, and again. Hope that helps!
Why cooked beets? I use raw beets and was wondering what the value is of making it with them cooked.
Hi Karen, I’ve simply never tried it with raw beets. But yes, I imagine the VitaMix can handle them! I’ll have to give them a try. Thanks for your comment!
Finally some smoothies that I know its worth trying.
Excited to try these… my question is how often does one do the 3 day smoothie cleansing. If you can please answer I would gladly appreciate it.
Thanks.
Hi Jacqueline, I generally eat these smoothie several times a week, but I don’t do the full 3-day cleanse as often. I would guess maybe 4 times per year, or anything you feel like your system needs a reset! (After vacation, holidays, etc.)
Hi Sarah,
I’m going to start this as of tomorrow. I’m so excited to feel cleansed!
Can you make these smoothies the night before so they’re ready in the morning or will they not last overnight in the fridge?
Thanks,
Alyssa
Hi Alyssa, I enjoy leftover smoothie the next day all the time. It might thicken up a bit, but you can just stir or blend in some water or almond milk and you’ll be good to go!
I’m on my first day today, quite excited. Question though, how do you prepare your brown rice or oats? do you eat them plain or with other things? Thank you!
On a normal day, I add things – but for this purpose, I would try and go plain.