A bright, two-minute spirulina lemonade
By the PBC team · July 2026
New to spirulina? Start here. Lemon does two lovely jobs in this glass: it brightens spirulina’s bold, savoury note, and its vitamin C helps the iron absorb. Two minutes, four steps, one glass. No blender, no fuss, no special kit.
What you need
- 1 level teaspoon (2g) spirulina powder
- ½ a fresh lemon — juicy ones make the glass
- About 300ml cold water — properly cold, straight from the fridge
- 1 teaspoon maple or date syrup, if you like it sweeter
- A few ice cubes
That’s everything. A tall glass and a spoon do the job, and a shaker bottle works even better if you have one around.
How to make it
Measure
One level teaspoon straight from the pouch: that’s the full 2g serving. Trying it for the first time? Start with half; the flavour grows on you faster than you’d think. That deep blue-green is completely natural. It’s phycocyanin, spirulina’s own pigment.
Stir into cold water
Cold is the trick. Spirulina turns silky in cold water and clumps in warm, so pour the water first, then the powder, and stir briskly for twenty to thirty seconds. Watch the streaks swirl away as the glass turns a deep sea-green. In a shaker: lid on, ten good shakes, done.
Add the lemon
Squeeze in the half lemon and don’t be shy. The citrus is what turns “green drink” into lemonade. Have a taste, and if you’d like it sweeter, stir through a teaspoon of maple or date syrup. The lemon is more than flavour, too: its vitamin C helps the iron in spirulina absorb.
Enjoy
Drop in the ice, hang a wedge of lemon on the rim if you’re feeling fancy, and enjoy it fresh, while the colour and flavour are at their brightest. Two minutes, start to finish, and hardly any washing up.
“Cold water, a real lemon, and a bright green glass.”
Make it yours
- Sparkling: swap still water for chilled soda water on warm afternoons. Mix the powder into a little still water first, then top up gently
- Smoothie: blend the same glass with a frozen banana for something creamier
- Minty: a few torn mint leaves with the ice make it properly refreshing
- For kids (5–12): halve the spirulina and keep everything else the same
Good to know
Make it fresh rather than in a batch. Spirulina settles as it stands, and the glass is nicest before it does. If it sits for a few minutes, a quick second stir brings it back. And if this pouch’s green looks a shade different from your last one, that’s normal: it’s a natural plant powder, so the colour can vary a little.
Try the complete range
All five greens · a week to rotate through
