Pond Water Smoothies: Inside Princess Kate's Favorite Green Drink

It’s no secret that Catherine, Princess of Wales follows a healthy diet. Over the years, multiple reports have claimed that she eats predominantly vegetarian foods, including salads, berries, tabouleh, and soups. But one particular meal comes up a lot: green smoothies, or, as many publications have referred to them, “pond water” smoothies. 

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The princess isn’t alone. A-listers, including Reese Witherspoon, Kylie Jenner, and Gwyneth Paltrow swear by green smoothies. Catherine’s sister-in-law, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is also a fan, and even once said green juice was her favorite fast food (“That’s fast. And it’s food”). Each has their own recipe; here’s more about what goes into Catherine’s.

How to make a pond water smoothie fit for a princess

Per The Sun, the “pond water” green drink is a simple blitz of dark leafy greens, matcha, berries, and a type of algae called spirulina.

All of these ingredients are packed with nutrients. Leafy greens, like kale, romaine, and spinach have been described as a “powerhouse of nutrition” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Per 100 calories, they supply 10 percent or more of the daily value of 17 different nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C. 

“The darker the leaves, the more nutrient-rich the lettuce,” states the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “For example, romaine has nine times more vitamin A than iceberg lettuce.”

Blueberries are also high in nutrients and antioxidants, and multiple studies have suggested that matcha can help promote heart, liver, and brain health. Algae is also a rich source of minerals, including iodine, as well as protein and fiber. In fact, all of the ingredients in Catherine’s smoothie are rich in fiber.

Fiber is crucial for gut and digestive health. It helps to keep bowel movements regular and helps to support a healthy microbiome. Carmen Fong, MD, FACS told VegNews that the optimal fiber intake is around 25 to 30 grams, per day. The pond water smoothie will certainly help you reach that target, but Fong warns about eating too much fiber too quickly.

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“I usually counsel people who are fiber-naive to start slow with 10 grams a day, then add another five grams in the form of a supplement every week. [This is so] that they don’t get bloated from not being used to digesting all that fiber and then rejecting fiber supplements entirely,” she said.

As well as smoothies, Fong notes that cooked vegetables are a good source of fiber. “They’re easier to digest and you can actually consume larger amounts, stay fuller, get more fiber, and still be low-calorie,” she noted. “My favorites are broccoli, spinach, lentils, corn, and sweet potatoes.”

What does the pond water smoothie taste like?

The princess’ smoothie is undeniably nutritious, but it hasn’t been described as tasty. “My first reaction was that it looked remarkably similar to pond water,” journalist Becky Pemberton wrote for The Sun, as she detailed her experience eating like Catherine for one day. “For me, it needed something to sweeten it up, and I improved the taste to finish my glass with a few squirts of agave nectar.” 

Pemberton isn’t the first to give Catherine’s go-to green smoothie a try. Just recently, the New York Post described it as “royally disgusting.” 

In 2022, lifestyle journalist Georgia Brown also tried the recipe for Hello Magazine. After drinking the smoothie every morning for one month, she claimed her sleep improved and she had better energy levels. However, she was warned by nutritionist Jennifer Hanway before trying it that “it might taste like you’re licking the inside of a fish tank.”

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Hanway had a few suggestions for improvement in the taste, including adding vanilla protein powder and almond butter and removing the spirulina. “I have a smoothie every morning with the same benefits as what’s in Kate’s, but it’s absolutely delicious,” she said. “There are always other ways of getting nutritional benefits into our diet than drinking green juice.”

For healthy recipes that we guarantee are also tasty, check out our extensive recipe database. There, you’ll find recipes for everything from the energizing Minty, Creamy Vegan Matcha Chip Smoothie to the the produce-rich Green and Fruity Farmers’ Market Smoothie made with coconut water, and the Lean Green Tropical Smoothie. The latter is similar in color to Catherine’s, but it combines leafy greens with frozen mixed berries, apple juice, mango, and kiwi for a delicious fruity flavor. 

Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.