Goji berries are a delicious addition to green smoothies. They add a blend of cranberry and cherry flavor notes.
However, the main reason I add these berries to my smoothies is for the super boost of nutrients and protein they provide. They are ideal for making meal-replacement, protein-rich green smoothies that will fuel your body for hours.
Goji Berry Nutrition and Health Benefits
Goji berries are rich in beta-carotene with 283% RDA of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) in just 1/8 cup! You’ll also get 4 grams of protein too! Goji berries are also a good source of iron, with 1/8 cup providing 2.2 milligrams, as well as calcium at 6% RDA.
Goji berries are famous for their antioxidant and phytonutrient content. They are said to have “anti-aging” properties, likely attributed to their antioxidant activity.
Goji berries are calorie-dense, which is a GOOD thing! They pack a lot of calories into a small package, so you can make a proper meal-replacement or weight loss smoothie without adding a lot of bulk. Just 1/8 cup contains 112 calories (about the same in a medium banana), and it won’t make your smoothie much bigger. Goji berries also are low in sugar with only 4 grams in 1/8 cup.
I usually add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dried goji berries to my green smoothies to make a super smoothie meal that will keep me active and energetic all morning long.
Green Smoothie Recipes with Goji Berries
Coconut-Citrus With Goji Berry Green Smoothie
Here’s a delicious green smoothie recipe that blends the familiar flavors of banana and citrus with goji berries and smooth, tropical coconut. Oh, and you’ll get 45% of your daily value of plant-based calcium from this recipe!
Curly kale is my favorite kale variety. I love the texture and the flavor. However, if you are new to kale and struggle with the bitterness, I recommend trying baby kale, which has a much more mild flavor. You can also use any other leafy green you’d like in this green smoothie recipe.
- 2 tablespoons goji berries
- 1 medium banana, peeled
- 1 orange, peeled and deseeded
- 3 cups fresh curly kale, packed
- 8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (or use meat and 8 ounces of water from a young, Thai coconut)
Calories: 369 | Fat: 6g | Protein: 12g | Carbohydrates: 76g | Calcium: 45% | Iron: 5.5mg | Vitamin A: 393% | Vitamin C: 454%
Cherry-Goji Berry Green Smoothie Recipe with Strawberries and Cucumber
This smoothie is great for summer! Fresh bing cherries are one of my favorite fruits. Removing the pits can be a pain, but you can get an inexpensive cherry pitter online. I have one made by OXO and it works great.
You can also use frozen strawberries and cherries when they are out of season. A cost saving strategy is to buy up strawberries and cherries when they are on sale and in season, then you’ll have them later in the year. I really like to buy a few extra pounds of cherries and strawberries in the summer and freeze them for use in the winter time.
- 1 cup cherries (fresh or frozen), pitted
- 8 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 small banana, peeled
- 4 tablespoons goji berries
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach (or romaine lettuce)
- 8 ounces of filtered water
Calories: 354 | Fat: 2g | Protein: 10g | Carbohydrates: 84g | Calcium: 14% | Iron: 5.1mg | Vitamin A: 343% | Vitamin C: 145%
How To Use Goji Berries In A Green Smoothie Recipe
Goji berries are perfect for making weight loss and meal replacement green smoothies. Just 1/8 cup of goji berries contains 112 calories with 4 grams of protein. That sounds like a lot, but when you are transitioning to drinking a daily green smoothie meal, these berries really come in handy.
Usually, a 20 ounce green smoothie only contains about 200-250 calories – not enough to be a meal. In order to make a proper meal replacement smoothie, you’d have to almost double the size of the smoothie (32-40 ounces) to get to a proper 400-500 calories. But if you add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of goji berries, your green smoothie will only be slightly larger, but with enough calories to meet your body’s calorie requirements.
Since goji berries are a great source of protein and extra calories, I like to use them in my post-workout green smoothies.
In a high speed blender (see my blender recommendations), you can add dried goji berries and blend them up with your fruits and greens. In other blenders, I recommend soaking them for about 20 minutes or so to soften them up before blending.
Goji berries blend well with cacao and other fresh berries.
How To Select And Store Goji Berries
Goji berries can be purchased at natural food markets and online. They are most often available as dried berries, but sometimes as a powder or juice. I recommend purchasing and using dried berries over refined powders and questionable “juice” supplements.
It is extremely important to only purchase certified organic goji berries AND to look into the grower/distributor to ensure that the “organic” label really means that the berries were grown organically. Just about all goji berries are grown in China (even the ones that say “Himalayan” on the package), and organic standards in China are sometimes not enforced.
Also, look for goji berries that are raw, which means they have been dehydrated at low temperatures rather than “baked dry”, as most dried fruits are. Brands I use and trust include Sunfood and Navitas Naturals.
Browse more green smoothie recipes.
