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Looking for healthy smoothies for weight loss? Look no further! We got them all here. Smoothies are literally the perfect weight loss meal.
They’re easy, filling, and full of good-for-you nutrients like fiber and antioxidants.
And did I mention that they’re delicious to drink?
At least these smoothies here!
But not all smoothies are created equal.
Depending on the ingredients, smoothies can be either healthy or unhealthy.
Many stored bought smoothies are loaded with sugar and unwanted fat, even if they taste good. The best way to make sure your smoothies contain healthy ingredients is to make them yourself.
Take smoothie king for example!
Their healthy Hulk Strawberry smoothie contains 73 g of sugar and a total of 850 calories. While this contains some whole fruits like banana and strawberries — but still this smoothie is loaded sugar and calories. It will not help you lose weight. In fact, you’ll probably gain weight with all that sugar and extra calories you ingest.
If you ever wonder which smoothies are good for weight loss? this not it. There are a lot of healthier alternative fruit smoothies and shakes to lose weight.
Healthy smoothies on the other hand like the one in this list are loaded with healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids protein and fiber. These nutrients are known to quell hunger, increase satiety, and boost your health.
Let’s take a quick look at what makes smoothies good for weight loss.
Are Smoothies a Good Way to Lose Weight?
Smoothies are a good way to lose weight when they are made with wholesome ingredients.
The word ‘smoothie’
sounds healthy, right? Images of leafy greens, organic fruits, and yogurt come
to mind. But, more often than not, people mistake a blender for an excuse to
get their chocolate, banana, and PB fix. In this case, your healthy snack is
more shake than a superfood.
This type of smoothie
strategy will only leave you gaining weight and hungry an hour later. However,
when made properly, smoothies can be low in calories and great for weight loss!
In fact, the
healthiest smoothies are low-carb and full of antioxidants and fiber. Both of
which help you to lose weight.
Are Smoothies Healthy?
Like a smoothie for weight loss, you can make smoothies healthy by packing the right ingredients. A smoothie loaded with good-for-you nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and minerals without the calories and sugar can boost your health.
It can even serve as a metabolism boost if it’s filled with ingredients like protein, cayenne pepper, caffeine, and others that are known to benefit one’s metabolism.
A protein smoothie with clean protein powder can be a great meal replacement post-workout to help your body recover from the vigorous activity and nourish your body with muscle repairing protein. It’s one example of health benefits the correctly made smoothie can offer.
A good place to start is to load up your drink with wholesome ingredients like fresh and frozen fruits, dark green veggies, and natural liquid base like coconut water.
And aim to sweeten your smoothie with whole-some ingredients like fruits. Fruits like banana, pineapple chunks, and green apples bring enough sweetness that you can forgo any added sweeteners. It’s one way to maintain the nutritional value of your smoothie.
It’s also essential to know what not to use to avoid turning your smoothie into a delicious disaster, an equivalent to a sugary milkshake. Common smoothie ingredients like condensed milk, syrup, and artificial sweeteners are just some to omit. They add mounts of sugars that may lead to insulin spikes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and even diabetes.
Below you will find a guide to the best superfoods to include in your smoothies. In addition, you’ll find a few of the best diet smoothies to lose weight — starting with breakfast!
The Best Smoothie Ingredients to Help You Lose Weight
The most important aspect of weight loss smoothies is the ingredients that go in them.
With these healthy and delicious homemade smoothie recipes, you can give your body specific nutrients that suppress hunger, fight fat, and shed some pounds quickly.
Weight loss smoothie recipes are filled with ingredients that’ll boost your metabolism, curb your appetite, and bring satiety.
Here are some of the best ingredients:
- Kale – the star of the superfood show! Despite being very low-calorie, kale is full of antioxidants. This can help with inflammation, and ultimately aiding weight loss.
- Spinach – with its mild taste, there’s no reason not to add spinach to every green smoothie recipe. It has tons of vitamins, fights cancer, and supports bone health.
- Blueberries – eating berries in the morning controls your appetite later on. Aside from this reason alone, blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels.
- Strawberries – more Vitamin C than oranges (who knew?!), but with less sugar!
- Greek Yogurt – choose this as your base and you’ll get a high protein with half the carbs.
- Cucumber – almost entirely water, cucumbers still act as a powerful detoxifying ingredient.
- Lemon and Lime – your first smoothie hack comes in the form of this citrus! Besides its detox-abilities, it reduces the bitter taste of greens.
- Banana – perfect for breakfast smoothies, bananas fight bloat, and help with digestion. For all that sweetness, you’ll feel full longer, and get a nice boost of potassium to boot. Bananas are of the best fruits to eat for weight loss.
- Turmeric – aside from its cool, burnt-orange hue, it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Add that to its antioxidant capabilities and distinctly yummy taste and you’ve got a great smoothie add-in.
- Ginger – a digestion super-helper, ginger also boosts immune function. Fresh ginger also brings freshness and mask the bitterness of other ingredients like baby spinach and collard greens.
- Herbs – fresh herbs like mint, parsley, and cilantro can bring more than refreshing taste. They are a great source of vitamin A, C, and iron.
- Chia seeds, Hemp + Flaxseeds – when you need all the Omega-3-rich fiber without the carbs, reach for these.
- Protein powder – not all protein powders are equal, but some are cleaner than others. Besides whey protein, there are many variations to plant-based proteins. Choose one that’s void of artificial flavors, added sugars, and any unhealthy fats. Flavor-wise, stick to vanilla protein powder to have the maximum versatility. My favorite brand is the Garden of Life.
- Cocoa – or more accurately cacao powder is full of health-boosting nutrients. From reducing inflammation to managing glucose levels, a dash of cacao can add an array of health benefits. It’s a healthy way to make a decadent chocolate dessert smoothie and goes with many other superfood ingredients like ground chia seeds. It’s a healthy swap contender for your chocolate syrup.
All of which promotes weight loss.
Using wholesome ingredients is how you a smoothie healthy and good for you.
Below I’ll share 5 healthy smoothie recipes for weight loss.
Try these 5 healthy smoothie recipes for nutritious, filling smoothies that will beat bloat, help you lose weight, and keep hunger pangs in check.
5 Health Food Recipes For Weight Loss
1. Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This strawberry and banana smoothie is good for weight loss because strawberries are rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Strawberries or ‘star berries’ are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat. They’re antioxidant-rich and vitamins. One serving of strawberries (about 8 berries per cup) contains more vitamin C than an orange
Banana too is a superfood in its own right. Not only banana adds creaminess to this smoothie, but it also adds the sweet taste. It’s one reason why you can skip on honey in this recipe. It’s one of the foods that’ll fill your sweet cravings and satisfy your stomach. It brings the feeling of fullness that’ll quell the hunger.
Thanks to banana and strawberries, this is one delicious smoothie your kids would love. If you have family members with a nut allergy, feel free to omit the nuts in the recipe and use dairy milk as a substitute. Also, instead of granola, you may use oats to add fullness.
Use frozen banana and strawberries to make this smoothie thicker.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 banana
- 2 tbsp sliced raw nuts (Almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts are all excellent sources of good fats, protein, and fiber)
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1/4 cup granola (choose unsweetened one)
- 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of almond milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
Directions
- Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into glasses and serve. Enjoy!
2. Pineapple Kale Green Smoothie
Green smoothies promote weight loss, Naturally
Green vegetables are rich in many vitamins such as iron, fiber, magnesium, antioxidants, and A, C, E, and B vitamins. No doubt, they are an excellent addition to any detox diets and weight loss meal plans. Adding them to a weight loss smoothie is an easy way to increase your daily vegetable intake and fill any nutrient deficiencies.
In this recipe, we add 2 cups of fresh or frozen raw kale.
Kale, in particular, is an amazing superfood and highly regarded as a nutrition powerhouse. Amongst other plant-based foods, kale is one of the highest in protein content. 1 cup kale contains 3 g of protein while also providing an array of other nutrients like fiber and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.
It’s also rich in vitamins A, K, and C offering health benefits such as preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol and providing bone health. For those wanting to boost immunity, kale is also the vegetable to ingest. Kale is an incredible source of antioxidant flavonoid and carotenoid that improves your immunity.
Kale, a member of the cruciferous family is a source of helpful phytochemicals. They are compounds that protect cells from a range of damages that may lead to health issues like cancer.
But the goodness of this smoothie doesn’t just come from kale. Pineapple is something you want to make it a staple in your weight loss journey. This tropical fruit is packed with vitamin C, manganese and many other compounds that can reduce inflammation.
Pineapple also hosts an enzyme group that’ll aid your digestion and reduces bloating. Since pineapples may not be as easy to find fresh, feel free to use frozen pineapple. Also instead of almond milk, you may substitute it with 1 cup of coconut water.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw kale leaves, stems removed
- 3/4 cup almonds
- 1 cup of frozen banana
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup pineapple pieces
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 to 2 tsp honey, to taste
Directions
- Add all ingredients in your blender.
- Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Adjust liquid to create your preferred consistency.
3. Turmeric and Ginger Tropical Smoothie
Both ginger and turmeric have been shown to help decrease markers of inflammation, relieve chronic pain, reduce nausea, and improve immune function. Turmeric contains an active compound known as curcumin. It’s been linked to brain health, prevention of Alzheimer’s and even cancer.
Ginger too is well-known in traditional medicine and alternative treatment. It has all sorts of health benefits. Ginger may help relieve nausea, period pain, and aid digestion.
It’s also called a weight-loss food for a number of reasons. Studies suggest ginger helps torch calories and quell the hunger. It also appears in various fat-burning drinks.
The smoothie’s tropical buzz comes from mango chunks. Mango is not only there to add deliciousness to this smoothie but to also help boost its nutritional value. Mango is no doubt an incredible source of vitamins and minerals.
It adds a variety of health and nutrition benefits for very little calories. Moreover, it supplements Vitamin A, C, and E while providing plenty of fiber, copper, and folate. In fact, 1 cup of mango provides almost 70% of vitamin C you need in a day.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ fresh or frozen banana
- ½ cup fresh or frozen mango chunks
- ½ Tsp. each ground turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom
- 1 tsp flaxseed
- 1 tsp honey (optional)
- 1/2 cup ice cubes (optional)
Directions
- Add all ingredients in your blender.
- Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Adjust liquid to create your preferred consistency.
4. Dark Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Looking for a smoothie that tastes like all your favorite desserts in one? Try my top chocolate smoothie recipe that’s loved by everyone with a sweet tooth. It’s not only decadent but also rich and creamy. It’s one smoothie that truly excites your taste buds.
When you are trying to adjust to a healthier lifestyle, it’s essential that you keep a treat substitution list with lots of options you can enjoy. Those healthier alternatives help you stick to your weight loss goal and help manage your stress hormones that can easily lead to binge eating and weight gain.
This chocolate smoothie is a perfect example of it. It’s a weight loss smoothie with a good dose of fiber and polyphenols that help overcome the weight management challenge and treat digestive issues.
Not to mention, spinach adds remarkable nutritional qualities that are on par with many other superfoods like beets. It’s one produce long been known for its ability in increasing energy levels and vitality. Thanks to spinach being a container of iron. Iron plays a key role in the functions of red cells that help circulate oxygen throughout the body.
This green superfood also contains a high amount of vitamin K, a much-needed vitamin in bone health.
All in all, it’s a definition of a healthy smoothie with high nutritional value.
It’s also easy to make it your own. If you are eating a diet low in carbohydrates, you can swap bananas with avocados. You can also add 1 scoop vanilla protein powder to make it into a post-workout protein shake.
Whether you enjoy this smoothie as is or with slight modifications, it’s one smoothie you can count on to keep you full for longer and boost your energy level.
This smoothie recipe in particular is
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup raw spinach
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. honey (optional)
Directions
- Add all ingredients in your blender.
- Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
5. Blueberry Avocado Mango Smoothie
Just because you want to lose weight, you don’t need to always stuff your weight loss smoothie with green veggies. You can have a perfectly healthy berry smoothie full of non-veggie superfoods. This recipe shows you just how to combine ingredients like antioxidant-rich blueberries, healthy-fat laden avocado, and fiber-rich chia seeds.
It’s one summer berry smoothie you want to sip by the pool but without the guilt of drinking one from Smoothie King.
It’s also comforting to know this smoothie can help you reduce your belly fat and aid weight loss. One key ingredient chia seeds are to credit to. Chia seeds despite their tiny size are amazing in nutrition content. It contains three belly fat burning nutrients: fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. Together, they help lower insulin resistance and promote fat loss and weight loss. It’s one food nutritionists love recommending. 1 tablespoon of chia seeds is just enough to add the benefits since they expand in liquid.
I also love that this recipe uses avocado for a change. And it’s a great way to create a rich texture and consistency of cream at the end. As a bonus, you get to cut your carb intake by not having to add 1 banana for the thickness.
As packed as this smoothie is, you can also add additional power boosts. My favorites are 1 teaspoon hemp seeds, less than a handful of blackberries, and 1 scoop vanilla plant protein powder. Also, you can add a teaspoon vanilla extract to bring the aroma and flavor.
There are so many ways you can enjoy this weight loss smoothie without losing the integrity of healthfulness.
Here is the base to start with and try your own combination of ingredients to enjoy the variety.
Ingredients
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mango
- ½ avocado
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp maca powder
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond butter or cashew butter
- 1½ – 2 cups of coconut water
- 1 tbsp raw honey (optional)
Directions
- Add all ingredients in your blender.
- Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid to create your preferred consistency.
Final Take
There you have it!
5 fiercely delicious yet wonderfully healthy smoothie recipes for weight loss.
There are so many other healthy, weight-loss-friendly foods I wanted to include but couldn’t fit into this small list of my weight loss smoothies. For the summer, go for summer produce like peaches, celery, kiwi, and cherries. Combine it with other summer fruits like 1 cup frozen pineapple to make icy goodness you’ll enjoy.
Sipping on these healthy smoothies can definitely help you feel full, reduce your appetite, and calories you take in.
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