• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tea for Turmeric

Authentic South Asian Cooking for the Modern Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Type
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Instant Pot
    • Gluten-Free Flatbreads
    • Main Dishes
    • Dessert
  • Shop
    • Food Items
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Kitchen Organization
    • Utensil and Gadgets
  • About Me
  • Contact

February 10, 2017

Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie

Share198
Pin955
Tweet
Flip
Yum1
1K Shares
Jump to recipe Jump to video

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy here.

This iron-boosting orange green smoothie combines iron-rich ingredients with vitamin C to help enhance iron absorption.

Iron Boosting Orange Green Smoothie in a glass mason jar topped with a slice of orange.

Did you know that vitamin-C-rich foods such as oranges enhance iron absorption?

…You did? Okay.

BUT did you know fermented foods such as yogurt also increase the availability of iron? Even though calcium inhibits iron absorption, fermented foods seem to do the opposite.

And many of us could use a little boost. According to the World Health Organization, 2 billion people – more than 30% of the world’s population (!!!) – are anemic. (Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia.)

Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie ingredients.

You know what that means? It means you need this iron-boosting orange green smoothie in your life!

Especially if you are a woman, pregnant (or both), a child or a cute baby.

Which reminds me of why I created this smoothie in the first place…

Spinach leaves, chia seeds, yogurt and slice of orange next to a glass mason jar filled with Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie which is topped with a slice of orange.

Like most moms, much of my life revolves around my baby’s food intake. It’s an obsession, really.

“Is she eating enough?”

“Is she getting all the nutrients she needs?” 

And since iron stores start to deplete at 6 months, “Is she getting enough iron?” This one especially plagues my mind.

I offer her iron-rich foods, but since she’d much rather see said foods splatter on the floor or decorate the walls, and is currently eyeing anything in my cup/glass/mug, I thought of the perfect solution — green smoothies!

I set out to create a smoothie with foods that provide iron: spinach and chia seeds, and pair them with foods that enhance iron absorption: orange juice and yogurt…and Viola!

The creamy base of banana, the refreshing taste of citrus with the slight tartness of the yogurt….This smoothie is packed with nutrition and a treat for everyone, iron deficient or not.

Close up top view of Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie in a glass mason jar topped with a slice of orange.

More Vegan/Vegetarian Iron-Rich recipes:

Easy Spinach & Potato Curry (Aloo Palak)

Red Lentil Curry (Masoor Dal)

Baked Honey Lemon Sweet Potato Fries

Curried Kale & Potato Green Soup

Actually Good Kale Salad

Need dinner inspiration? Grab your FREE Top 10 Dinner Recipes E-book!

10 of my most-loved, fan favorite recipes! Download this printable E-Book and surprise your family with a tested-and-perfected dinner tonight!

Thank you!

Please check your email for your free E-book!

.

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe! If you do, let me know in the comments below! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!

Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie

Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie

Izzah Cheema
The creamy base of banana, the refreshing taste of citrus with the slight tartness of the yogurt….This smoothie is packed with nutrition and a treat for everyone, iron deficient or not.
4.92 from 23 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1/2 ripe banana previously frozen
  • 1 tangerine or small navel orange around 125-135 grams, peeled
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)*
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 ice cubes
  • 1/2 Medjool date (optional – add if needed)

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients except the date to a blender and blend until smooth. Add a half of a Medjool date if more sweetness is desired and blend again. Add additional ice cubes as necessary to thicken and cool. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

*Calcium is said to block iron absorption. However, I have still included yogurt in the recipe because of the low quantity, and because of studies have indicated probiotics help increase iron absorption. And of course, because I think it tastes better.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 83mgPotassium: 1167mgFiber: 9gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 6534IUVitamin C: 107mgCalcium: 255mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Iron Rich Smoothie, Iron-Boosting Orange Green Smoothie
Did you try this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bri says

    December 9, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    What blender are you using? If I use frozen spinach, can I put it in the fridge the night before so it becomes less frozen and then soak with water to defrost? or do I loose nutrients with that? My blender is not strong enough to blend the frozen spinach directly from the freezer. Thank you.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      December 9, 2020 at 10:29 pm

      Hi, Bri! I use a Vitamix which is a high-speed blender. I haven’t tried using frozen spinach but I believe it should be fine if thawed first. I don’t think you need to soak in water.

      Reply
  2. George says

    October 15, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    Would it be possible to use frozen spinach instead as I always have it in the freezer?

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 15, 2020 at 7:10 pm

      Hi George! Yes, that’d be fine. Though I haven’t tried it so I can’t say how it’ll affect the taste!

      Reply
  3. Justin says

    October 8, 2020 at 12:10 am

    5 stars
    In the ingredients, I don’t have Medjool date, so I use honey to make my smoothie slightly sweet. Thank you for your sharing!

    Reply
  4. Kaleb says

    August 22, 2020 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    They look so yummy! I am so going to try this

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 22, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Thanks, Kaleb!

      Reply
  5. Nan says

    August 21, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    Great recipe! From experience, the raw greens, have oxalates and messed with my thyroid, so now I steam the spinach

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 21, 2020 at 3:49 pm

      Great tip. Thank you, Nan!

      Reply
  6. Diya says

    July 6, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    5 stars
    Love this idea, can’t wait to try a smoothie bowl for my next smoothie!

    Reply
  7. Erika says

    July 2, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    I really loved this recipe. I have also struggled with low iron and excited to try this supplement too. I love your beautiful pictures on your site as well.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      July 8, 2020 at 11:34 pm

      Thanks so much, Erika! Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  8. ROBYN says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    5 stars
    I make it 2 a week. So good for health, Thanks for your recipe!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      July 1, 2020 at 11:09 pm

      You’re welcome, Robyn!

      Reply
  9. CRYSTAL HUGHES says

    November 18, 2019 at 11:49 am

    This looks like a fantastic recipe. Excited to try.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 19, 2019 at 10:33 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  10. Maryann says

    October 31, 2019 at 6:03 am

    5 stars
    I recently lost my blood levels due to a lower G.I. Bleed. I needed something to have to help build my levels. I love this recipe. I use Coconut yogurt and throw in one tablespoon of beet root powder. Haven’t tried it with the date, but I’m sure it’s delicious. I also use coconut water instead of the O. J. And just use a larger orange to get my vitamin c up and take a whole food vitamin c with it.
    Thank you for this delicious recipe… oh I also had Tera’s Pumpkin Protein Powder, for additional support to keep me fuller longer…

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 2, 2019 at 11:27 am

      Hi Maryann! Thank you so much for the review and for sharing your additions and subs! I’m sure they’ll be useful to others too. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Laly says

    August 13, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    How much iron is in this recipe 😮

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 13, 2019 at 8:59 pm

      Roughly 3 mg from a quick google search 🙂

      Reply
  12. Brian Evans says

    July 8, 2019 at 9:11 am

    How much iron is in it?

    Reply
  13. Jess says

    July 8, 2019 at 6:20 am

    Hello – will the nutrition in this diminish if I blend this the night before and store in the fridge so I can have in the morning? Thanks,
    Jess

    Reply
  14. Natasha says

    June 21, 2019 at 8:33 am

    I’m pregnant and am anaemic but the iron tables make me really sick and therefore I can’t take them. This smoothie is delicious and I hope it gives me the boost I need.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      June 21, 2019 at 9:09 am

      Thank you! I would consult with your doc to see what other steps you can take!

      Reply
  15. Leah says

    September 22, 2018 at 9:24 am

    Does it have to be a navel orange or will any type of orange work just as well? My son takes clementines to school so we always have those in the house. We’re on a limited budget while I am in college so this seems like it would be healthier(and cheaper) then the boost I have been drinking for breakfast. I love smoothies because I can blend them the night before and get other things done while drinking them.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      September 23, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      Hi Leah! Any type of orange should work! Feel free to add hearty things like oatmeal to make it more filling. I hope you find it to be tastier, too. 🙂

      Reply
    • Connie Woodward says

      December 25, 2020 at 11:21 pm

      I didn’t know calcium interfers with iron absorption and I used almond milk. Should I switch to the juice?

      Reply
      • teaforturmeric says

        December 26, 2020 at 1:56 pm

        Sure! Though there’s a very small amount of calcium in this.

        Reply
  16. Victoria says

    January 22, 2018 at 10:39 am

    3 stars
    Great sounding reciope! I had a sililar one for several months. The only problem is, the yogurt. 🙁 I love yyogurt. BUT, it’s full of CALCIUM– and calcium BLOCKS iron absorption.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 22, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      Victoria,

      I had the same thought initally but after some research (like this article) found that…Per this research: “To ensure a level of absorption that is high enough to improve or maintain iron status, it is necessary to prevent the fortification iron from reacting with the absorption inhibitors that are inherently present in those foods. This can be accomplished by adding absorption enhancers. The most common enhancer is vitamin C. Alternatives would be bovine hemoglobin and NaFeEDTA where iron is in a protected form. Vitamin C can increase absorption of both native iron and fortification iron several folds due to both its reducing power and chelating action [6]”. That’s why I think adding vitamin C (the orange and orange juice) will eventually help instead of hurt the process. Hope that helps. You can try it without the yogurt just in case. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Arizbeth Singh says

    January 13, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this for my kids, 2 and 4, because they eat very little. We eat mostly plant based with very, very little meat and I’m afraid they’ll be iron deficient. It was delicious and I’m definitely making this again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      January 14, 2018 at 12:30 am

      Arizbeth, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that!

      I understand the concern. If you eat goat meat, that’s a wonderful, clean source of iron since it is the least industrialized meat.

      I have many vegetarian, kid-friendly recipes (with high iron) on the blog like red lentils, choc chip nut bars, date bars, and kale soup. Also, not sure if you’re already doing this, but I roast beets with some coconut oil, salt and cumin (lemon juice and green onions before serving) for my daughter (20 months now) and she enjoys them.

      Hope this helps and thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  18. Ambreen says

    August 27, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    This looks like an awesome smoothie recipe! I already make one of my smoothies with spinach and greek yoghurt. This looks like another variation that I’d like to try. Had no idea yoghurt increases the availability of iron. I have to be extra careful with iron intake since I’m a vegetarian so I’m always on a lookout for such recipes.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂
    I came here through your instagram btw. Love your blog so far.. Hope you keep posting!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 28, 2017 at 10:21 pm

      Thank you. 🙂 I’d love to try your smoothie recipe too! Thanks so much.. that’s so sweet and encouraging of you. Let me know if you blog about food too..would love to follow!

      Reply

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating along with your comment. Not only do your reviews make my day, but they help others find my recipe online.

Thank you!
Izzah

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Looking for something?

Izzah tea For turmeric

Hi! I’m Izzah, and I look forward to brightening your day with good food and good vibes. Here you'll find tested & perfected South Asian recipes that are easy-to-follow yet authentic in taste!

More About Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search By Category

Saver Award Finalist Badge

Copyright © 2021 Tea For Turmeric • Privacy Policy

Support by Foodie Digital