I thought you could use something somewhat healthy after the cheesy grits, pie and milkshakes. This smoothie is easy and has a ton of good-for-you ingredients, but it doesn’t taste chalky or weird — it tastes like pineapple and banana. Yum.

Yeah, I was a little freaked out by the spinach, too. But I swear you can’t taste it. And I think the color is kind of fun. Just close your eyes for the first sip if you’re too weirded out.

I named the smoothie after the Marines — the real “Lean, Green Fighting Machine.” (Marine Corps photo by Matt Epright). I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to run 3 miles in 18 minutes, do 100 sit-ups in two minutes and complete 20 pull-ups after drinking this, though. You’re probably going to need to train for that.

Greek yogurt has a lot more protein than regular yogurt, so I don’t think you really have to put any protein powder or other fancy things in there. But, as with any smoothie, feel free to add whatever you’d like (including other fruits) or to increase the amount of Greek yogurt — just be sure to add it a few tablespoons at a time and taste in between so you don’t throw the flavor out of whack.

LGFM Smoothie (Serves 2)
3/4 cup pineapple chunks (you can substitute mango if you’d prefer, or use a combination of both)
1 medium banana
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
3-4 large handfuls baby spinach
1/3 cup pineapple juice
10-15 ice cubes (fewer if using frozen fruit)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add half the spinach and blend before adding the rest of the spinach, depending on your blender.

Taste and add more pineapple juice if smoothie isn’t sweet enough (or isn’t blending very well), or more Greek yogurt to make smoothie creamier. Serve immediately.