I wanted to talk about this wonderful Coconut Green Smoothie. I love young coconuts- and I have virtually lived off them when traveling through SE Asia, French Polynesia and certain countries in the Carribbean and Central/South America.
When using them in smoothies, be sure to use both the meat and the water. The water is full of potassium and electrolytes, and is extremely hydrating and balancing.
The soft meat is full of natural beauty fat, which is cholesterol-free and contains beneficial Lauric Acid, which supports our thyroid. It is easily digestible and all around great for the skin!
The Coconut Green Smoothie is great for athletes and when you want something a little denser – as it has all that beauty fat. I recommend drinking this after a workout, occasionally when we want a heavier breakfast, or a liquid lunch.
To be clear, this smoothie in NO way replaces our regular Glowing Green Smoothie®, which contains non-fat fruit and celery, etc., and is much more cleansing and created for daily use.
Coconut Green Smoothie!
Ingredients
- 1 young coconut
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
Step 1: Crack open your young coconut with a cleaver. Many people like to "shave" the top off, but I like to make the traditional "box" opening that I saw hundreds of times in Asia. Look here! I did it in 4 clean swipes. I wanted to brag just a tiny bit, to make up for my rather abysmal young coconut opening demonstration video! :) If you want to see, check it out HERE.
Step 2: Pour the coconut water in your blender. Spoon out the meat and add to the blender as well. Because of the shape of coconuts, you may want to get a spoon with a handle on a diagonal like the one I have here. I love this spoon! This one did make it back all the way from Thailand with me one trip. :) But they sell them in Asian markets and I've seen them in Chinatown for $0.70. Very useful!!!!
- Step 3: Blend the coconut water and meat on its own until smooth.
Step 4: Add 3 cups of baby spinach, or 3 huge handfuls.- Step 5: Blend and serve! That is it! Young coconut and spinach. It needs nothing else at all. I love simplicity sometimes. There is no need to complicate this smoothie or add anything else.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
It is absolutley YUMMY!!!!!!
This is a wonderful smoothie to add to your repertoire! Happy Blending!
Love,
Kimberly
I make one for breakfast every morning! But the Young Thai coconuts are a treat because my Whole Foods is the only place I can find them and they are so pricey! Enjoy your trip.. and smoothie! :)
Yes Lauren – the young coconut is double the price when purchased from a natural food store. If possible, go to an Asian store where you can buy the young coconut at about $1.50 each. You buy a box of 9 and the price goes down to $1.45. Last weekend, I got a box of young coconut that was just flown in from Thailand! Delicious, refreshing and nutritious.
That’s a wonderful idea. Thank you for the suggestion! They are an insane $3.25 each at Whole Foods.
I just paid $5.99 for my coconut. I need to find an Asian store on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio.
Lisa,
I also live on the West side of Cleveland. There is an Asian market on E.30 and Superior and I found this one on Google in Strongsville:
https://phunghoangmarket.com/Home.php
hi kimberly, i wish we could have coconuts delivered to finland as well! i guess i have to move to asia for a while to be able to enjoy them.. (not a bad idea at all actually) :)
been wondering one question a lot and that is how old you are. you’ve done so much already in your life, but don’t seem to be a lot over 20! or is it just the raw food…..? :D
have fun in atlanta.
peace&love.
Wow..I finally get the craze over coconuts now! This is so so so delicious. I had to work for it though. After I finished hacking the top off, which took me a good 15 minutes, I got a bloody finger trying to scrape the meat out of the shell! I’ll be on the lookout for the spoon! All in all…totally worth it! Thank you Kim!
HI Love! Get the spoon in the basement of Pearl River, on Broadway near Grand street I think. :)
Sounds delicious! I came across your blog a few days ago and have read almost every past entry! I was wondering what your thoughts are on raw cacao and agave. I’ve heard that cacao is basically toxic and can kill animals if ingested as well as things like it contains toxins that overburden the liver and can brain dysfunction. I’ve also read that agave contains more fructose than high fructose corn syrup. I use both and am torn on whether to give them up or not! Thanks for your time :)
Hi Krystal! There is some toxicity in cacao for sure, but in limited quantities and with moderation, I still believe it can be enjoyed, as I consume it. There is more and more harmful info coming out on agave. I personally have been using stevia more, and experimenting with Liquid Stevia to replace agave where I can! xx Kimberly
Good stuff! I am definitely trying this one soon. Thanks for the recipe, Kim.
Hi Kim,
I hope you’re doing great. This is a challenging idea but luckily it’s something I’m actually itching to try now. The fact that you’re still standing and appear to have a genuine smile on your face does inspire confidence, too.
I saw two absolutely adorable little girls today but noticed they seemed unable to smile. Perhaps when I’m in a philanthrophic mood I’ll drop a ticket to Thailand by their feet and hope they take action on it, since the children there emanate that precious childlike joy… even through a photo… on the net.
I wanted to ask what your opinion on EMFs are and how they fit into your holistic approach. Thanks!
Esop
Enjoy Atlanta!
I love this recipe because I have recently discovered that I can give my Tibetan Mastiff rescue pup whole coconuts to chew. So I can take out what I need for my smoothie and then give the rest to him so that he can play with it!
I have been wanting to ask you something about the Green Smoothie. Is it OK to put protein powder in it? If it is OK, is there a non-soy protein powder you’d actually recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Julia! It is certainly not necessary, and I don’t do it myself. If you are interested in protein powders, I like the Ruth’s brand hemp protein. :)
Sounds delicious Kim. We love our young coconuts too! :)
This smoothie is great! I have made this with the coconut meat and without. It’s a really great quick meal solution and I love the taste :)
You’ve mentioned that your cookbook is coming out soon. Any idea when? I would love to buy it!
HI love! It is a whole health book with some recipes…and it comes out early 2011! :) Stay tuned. :)
Hi Kimberly!
I just came across your website and LOVED it! I’ve always been fascinated by all things organic, health etc. Your passion is just great! I love it if you could answer some questions for me! Thanks so much! Ok so…
What do you recommend for breakfast besides your smoothie? Going through nursing school and money’s a little tight! What about quinoa?
Are there any yoga videos you recommend?
What do you use on your skin? It’s gorgeous by the way! And lastly What are some cheap staples besides fruit that I could use for in a pinch times?
Thanks a bunch! Mollie
Hi Mollie! Glad you like the blog!! If you can’t do the smoothie for breakfast start with fruit. Then 20 minutes if you are still hungry you could have a little quinoa or even gluten-free toast. Fruit first though! One day my yoga video will be out. :) But I certainly like Shiva Rea and Rodney Yee is great for beginners. I use a good natural cleanser and moisturizer every day, and I also try to exfoliate once a week at least, which I’ve found really does wonders to brighten your skin!
You should check out my travel blogs for staples- but I travel a lot with avocados, avocado sandwiches, gluten free crackers, veggie sticks and salsa, dried figs. :)
Come visit me again! xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly!
I love this smoothie! Quick question…
My brother is a physical trainer and we were talking one day about nutrition. He said that I should really be getting in a good dose of easily accessable protein after my workouts (which consist of yoga, running, and walking on the days that I dont do the former). I am usually not very hungry after my workouts so this smoothie would be perfect. Would it be a good idea to add the hemp protein to it? If not, could you offer some better suggestions? I am still not really sure what the best options are (mainly in the form of smoothies) to add the hemp protein too.
Thanks fo your feedback! Super excited about your upcoming book!
Hi Ashley! There is a ton of amino acids in greens, which are the building blocks of protein in all the green drinks. I never use protein powder and have gotten quite toned just from consuming tons of greens, the way the gorillas do! Gorillas are the strongest animals on earth and eat 98% fruit and greens. Trainers are always conditioned to think we need protein powder to build the actin and myosin muscle fibers- and many people ask me about that.
If you would like to add the hemp protein, I would to this drink as it has the coconut, which has fat and is not as fast moving as the other fruits in the Glowing Green Smoothie. Remember never to eat unless you are hungry!!
xx Kimberly
I’m curious-what amino acids are found in greens? Greens are fiber source-have some carbs in them but Dr. Weil says they aren’t a good amino acid source..,now I am confused…
Hey Kimberly! I love your blog, very informative! I made this smoothie but it tasted really bad, whats the difference between a young coconut and a regular one? The water inside the coconut does not taste good and i have tried several. Thnx!
I made it too-it was so bad tasting- not sure how anyone could drink it. Also I worry about oxalate stones-so everything in moderation!
Hello Kim, You are gorgeous. I love your website everything is so informative. I live nearby the NY area and was wondering if you knew of any places where I can purchase non chemical young coconuts. I have seen them in my local whole foods store but I read they dip them in chemicals. I would love to find a source for a more organic coconut if you know any places or websites. Thanks. And you are one lucky gal to be able to get them flown in from thailand, i’d kill for that lol.
Hi Danielle, Thank you! There are always rumors about dipping young coconuts in paraffin and chemicals. In fact, I served something with young coconuts at a dinner party the other day and someone was saying that he wouldn’t eat coconuts for that reason…. yet he was about 80 pounds overweight and eats dairy and meat! :) So ironic. Oftentimes people focus on the complete wrong thing.
The overall picture is what matters. In my opinion, young coconuts, when you can find them, are of the greatest gifts of nature! Of course I love eating them off the tree in Bora Bora and Thailand, etc. :)
xx Kimberly
I’m curious-where do you recommend getting protein from since you hate dairy and meat so much. I was lucky enough to attend an internship with Dr. Weil and he recommends fish-wild of course. Greens, fruits are excellent for you but contain zero protein.
Hi Kimberly,
It’s been wonderful reading your blog!!! I recently discovered your blog while I was researching green smoothies. I also recently came across a natural health rememdy book that strongly recommends salba… Just wondering your thoughts. Thanks!
Nicolette
Hi Nicolette!
I like salba and I use it sometimes. There are certain alkaline-forming grains, seeds and foods which are important, and salba is a good one.
However, the most important foods to eat every day are greens and veggies!
xx Kimberly
I was wondering is blending the coconut juice and meat similar to coconut milk from a can? Could I use coconut milk from a can?
No love!!! NOT the same thing! Coconut milk comes from mature coconuts and in a can is pasteurized and not alive anymore. Young coconuts are completely different foods altogether!
I have read the last question but is there anything else close to young coconuts that can be used in order to save time of cutting up the coconuts everytime?
Thanks for this step i will use this step
Kimberly,
I have just finished reading your book and loved it! I am so excited to start changing my diet. I am curious about any advice or additional information you have for athletes. My husband and I are both switching our diets but we train for triathlons. This means 8-10 hours of fairly intense exercise a week. Do you have any recommendations for pre-workout snacks? Any info would be helpful.
Thank you so much!
Wow, this is the first green smoothie I have ever made. Still reading your book and trying to eat better. Found young Thai coconuts in a store and had some spinach. Drink tastes pretty good, hope my body doesn’t go into shock from all the vitamins and such! Can’t wait to read more good info and start doing it.
With regards to coconut oil I have one strange phenomenon – I take on weight. Even though most people report it let’s them shed pounds. With me it is the opposite. Yet, strange enough I love almond, hazelnut and cashew butter and eat nearly a jar each week and do not take on weight. I feel it calms me down – as I am an energetic thinker it seems to be my special brain food. Yet, there is so much contradictory information out there – and I am unsure if I should stop this – One part of writers seem to support vegetable fats others seem still to think the body should not take on more than the absolute minimum of natural oils and fats. Can you explain this a bit more? Are there some types of body types which need more fat then others or is there a general rule from your experience. Thanks!
Hi Danae, every body works differently. If you do well with nut butters that is great for you- though I would recommend almond butter over cashew better b/c almonds are a healthier choice. Raw vegetable fats are important in the diet, but should still be consumed in moderation. I don’t recommend spooning coconut oil straight, for instance, but I do cook with it in tiny amounts (1/2- 1 Tbs.). I love avocados, but I don’t eat more than 1 a day. If your body sheds weight easily, more healthy fat is allowable. xx
Hello, Kimberly. I would love to post this recipe on my smoothie site, with your permission. It would be nice to see your recipe alongside this one: https://www.smoothieweb.com/healthy-green-coconut-smoothie
Hi Kimberly, in Malaysia we can now buy Coconut juice in 1 litre bottles. It contains a preservative but is a great drink. I have it in smoothies every morning or neat after sport. It comes from Australia n is branded as Bickford’s Coconut Juice.
Hi Kimberly,
I actually have a couple questions regarding your protein smoothie you posted on Daily Candy.
I’m really trying hard to follow the “food combining” perfectly so my first question is: when making this smoothie I see we are combining fruit with protein (banana & raw hemp protein). In your book you say to eat fruit alone on an empty stomach to prevent a traffic jam. Is this drink an exception to the rule? Will the meal or meals to follow this drink later in the day “get backed up” since we are mixing fruit with a protein?
I’m assuming since it contains protein we eat it as a protein meal and then wait 3 to 4 hours before eating again?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sonya Bossingham
(from Las Vegas)
Hi Kimberly,
I’ve just started to read your book. I’m a breast cancer survivor and eat a predominantly plant based diet. I’ve been told to eat fruit with a healthy fat (almonds, nut butter etc.) to keep my sugar levels from rising since eating a low glycemic diet is important. Can you explain why eating fruit alone won’t cause sugar levels in the body to spike?
Thanks,
Sharon
I don’t believe the last photo, girl! I’ve never been able to drink my spinach smoothies without getting it all in my teeth! :-) Therefore, I always drink mine in secret. ha
Hi Kimberly
I’m from Australia (Sydney) and just awaiting your book after seeing you on Sunrise on Channel 7.
Is this smoothie sweet? It something that doesn’t sound to palatable for me . Would the texture be quite creamy like?
Marissa :)
I live in Miami Beach… Theres coconut trees all over the place… I ‘ve become a coconut hunter! I’ve tried climbing the tree! Impossible for me to do…I hope it’s not illegal, but I been enjoying my coconut smoothies almost for free!
Kim, I just tried this drink and it’s deLicious!!!! Smooth and silky goodness! I love love love your green glowing and chia drunk but this is my utmost favorite! Thank you for being my inspiration and mentor in health!
Marissa
I was always so afraid to try spinach in a smoothie, but tired this the other day & couldn’t believe how amazing it tasted!!! I can’t wait to try it again! Thanks Kim
Ashley – Yes Spinach is a staple of the GGS! Glad you loved it, keep it up.
Hello Kimberly!
Will organic coconut milk from whole foods work instead of an actually coconut?
Hi Kimberley – thanks for all your info and your blog -which ‘i really enjoy. I have tried the young coconut and really enjoy this – it could become addictive but they are not like the ones I have growing here in my garden in Far North Queensland – mine are more brown when they drop. Have made the glowing green smoothie but I think I may have been too generous with the quantities – I have seriously far too much – enough for a glass over 4 – 5 days & need to re-dilute with filtered activated water. I look forward to your comments about the coconuts…BTW I have just returned from Cape Tribulation, Daintree Rainforest where I run a small group tour company so I enjoy lots of really fresh air…Have a wonderful Easter…Mary.
hi kimberly, i recently discovered your website and love every bit of information. i have just recently began making young coconut smoothies daily after my long runs — it is the most refreshing drink, and i never have muscle cramps b/c of this delicious miracle. thanks for spreading the msg!
also, i wanted to ask- do you have any healthy alternatives to gum? gum is my one horrible vice. i tried glee gum, but was not a fan.
Kimberly,
Love the book! I’m starting the Blossoming Beauty phase because I think I may have candida. Is this coconut smoothie okay since it does not contain sweet fruit? (I do have Hashimoto’s disease, so based on what you say about coconut boosting thyroid, I think this may be a great smoothie for me.)
Also, is nutritional yeast okay if candida is present? In the list of foods to avoid, GF pasta is not on the list. Won’t it “feed” the yeast? There is so much conflicting information circulating about candida diets — my head is spinning. Please help!
Namaste,
Dawn
Kimberly:
I live in Los Angeles and based on your work wiith Hollywood assume either you do as well or at the very least spend a ton of time here.
Do you know where in LA I can buy the ingredients and tools for this smoothie, namely the young Thai coconuts and that spoon you love? I don’t believe they are sold in Whole Foods here, I didn’t see them at Erewhon, and I have no idea where else to look.
Thanks!
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Thanks so much Joyce. Appreciate hearing from my readers. Sending you lots of love! ;)