I’ve been making and drinking smoothies since childhood, but I have to admit it had never occured to me to add greens to the mix. But, before the green juice craze started, I was talking to a neighbor and she mentioned that she always adds a handful or two of spinach to smoothies for her kids, because while it can turn the smoothie a pretty gnarly shade of green, you can’t taste it.

I tried it then, and it turns out that she’s right: You really can’t taste a handful of greens in a fruity drink.

Now, I add spinach or kale to smoothies whenever I can. This version is creamy and tropical like a non-alcoholic pina colada, which makes it a great dreaming-of-summer kind of drink, with the added bonus of good-for-you spinach. I didn’t add any sweetner because I think it works with just the fruit, but you can certainly add a little honey or agave if you want a little extra sweetness.

Greenya colada (makes one)
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen pineapple*
1/2 cup coconut milk (or almond-coconut milk)
1-2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, rinsed (about 1 packed cup)
1 overripe banana (frozen or fresh)

Throw everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.

*You can use fresh pineapple instead of frozen, but you’ll probably need to add some ice cubes and/or make sure to use a frozen banana if so, for temperature and consistency purposes. Feel free to use mango in place of some of the pineapple, too, if you’d prefer that.