A smoothie without a banana? Believe it or not, you don’t have to include banana in every smoothie you make. Yes, bananas offer sweetness and can help your smoothie achieve a smoother, creamier texture, but they aren’t always necessary. That is especially true if you are trying to watch your sugar intake. You can usually achieve the same creamy consistency by using avocado instead of bananas. This smoothie doesn’t have either of those creamy ingredients, but it does fulfill 273% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C, 62% of calcium, and 273% of vitamin A.

This green smoothie tastes of kale, but not overwhelmingly to the point where it tastes like lawn clippings. The sweetness of the apple and bright lemon juice work well to tone it down. Without the banana, the flavor of the apple really comes through. Plus, the addition of the almond butter adds a nutty, fatty component that takes your focus off the slightly bitter kale flavor. Just make sure that you remove the thick kale stems, or you’ll be enjoying a kale apple smoothie that really tastes like bitter kale.

To make this smoothie, simply add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. The homemade almond milk will do a great job at creating a creamier consistency. It also builds on the nuttiness of the almond butter and does a better job than water at distracting from the kale flavor. We hope you love it!