Green Weight Loss Smoothies
Popping into a juice bar for a cold cup of extruded kale juice may be all the rage, but when it comes to both nutritional impact and weight-loss power, juices can’t hold a candle to smoothies.
- First, most commercial juices use apple juice, which is a high-sugar, low-nutrient base.
- Second, juicing strips all the natural fiber out of produce: the rough stuff is what makes it good.
- And third, juices lack fat and protein without these crucial elements, you’re getting no fat-burning, metabolism-boosting benefits.
Next time you want to drink your veggies, blend up one of these seriously nutritious recipes from the book Zero Belly Smoothies.
All recipes make one serving.
Slimming Smoothie: Peaches And Cream
You might imagine weight loss smoothies being a thick green sludge with absolutely no sugar. This, of course, could not be farther from the truth.
This recipe tastes like peaches and cream but is packed with ingredients that help you burn calories and feel fuller longer. Coconut oil has been studied for its effects on boosting the metabolism and helping you burn through more calories every day.
Additionally, adding protein powder is perfect for anyone limiting their carb intake, and helps you feel full throughout the day. The best part is, you do not have to give up the sweet, candy-like flavor you love.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup of peaches
- ½ cup of pineapple juice
- ½ frozen banana
- 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
- 1 scoop of protein powder
Directions: Simply add all of the ingredients into your blender, adding water or ice cubes if you feel it is needed, and blend until you have reached a smooth consistency.
Whey Protein Powder For The Dinner Smoothie For Recipe For The 17 Day Diet
The recipe calls for vanilla flavored whey protein.
Many flavored protein powders will contain either sugar, artificial sweetener, or a combination of the two.
I highly recommend using a non-flavored whey protein. I use Jarrows unflavored whey protein.
Jarrows also carries a grass fed whey protein for those who prefer an even cleaner source.
When youre using an unflavored powder, youre not only eating a cleaner processed food, but youre also able to control the flavor of your smoothie.
Read Also: Banana Blueberry Smoothie With Milk
Examples That Show That A Smoothie Can Replace A Meal
Here we share some delicious and nutritionally comprehensive recipes for preparing smoothies:
- Green smoothie: avocado, baby spinach, ripe banana, and a rice drink
- Red smoothie: strawberries, cooked beets, raisins, macadamia nuts, sunflower oil and cranberry juice
- Orange smoothie: papaya, beet greens, pine nuts, dried apricots, almond oil, creamed oatmeal and wheat germ
- Yellow smoothie: pineapple, nuts, dates, sesame oil, apple juice and bee pollen
Free Green Smoothie Online Class
Green Smoothie Detox.drop a whole dress size in one montheat on the go natural ingredientssimple and quick to makedelicious
Can you spare 2 minutes to have your own healthy meal replacement shake that is bursting with nutrients and your body is going to love you for?
Yes?
Heres how you do it
6 steps to making your own healthy meal replacement shakes
Step 1
Grab your blender and add 1 cup of dairy free milk such as almond milk. This is what makes your shake creamy and delicious.
Step 2
Add 1 large handful of leafy greens such as spinach to your blender. This gives your skin a stunning glow and fills your body with a crazy amount of energy.
Step 3
Add 1 cup of fruit or 1 whole fruit such as 1 banana or 2 small apples. This gives all of your cells the nourishment they need to lead a healthy life.
Step 4
Add cup of unsalted unroasted nuts or seeds. This is a natural protein source and helps to keep you fuller for longer.
Step 5
Add either ½ cup of oats, or ½ avocado or 1 banana or 1 small sweet potato. This is what I call a filler. This turns the shake into a meal replacement because it fills you up enough to keep you going until your next meal. But just the right number of calories to help you lose weight.
Step 6
Add cup of dried fruit such as dates or raisins. These make your shake taste deliciously sweet without any refined sugar. Once you taste how good this shake is, youll never want to drink anything else.
My Transformational Health & Weight Loss Journey
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Vanilla Banana Smoothie Recipe
Making a low-calorie banana smoothie is simple. Three ingredients make a smooth and creamy treat that provides fewer than 130 calories . You need only a medium-sized banana , skim milk or non-fat soy milk and a splash of vanilla extract or another flavoring of your choice . The amount of milk you need depends upon the desired consistency. Less milk will yield a thicker smoothie. Start with just ¾ cup or so of milk and add up to 1¾ cups. Blend until smooth and creamy. This recipe serves two people.
What Should A Balanced Diet Contain
To keep your appetite satisfied and suppress hunger soon after eating, you need to provide your body with the necessary amounts of nutrients in each meal. The following foods should be included in smoothies:
- Fruits and vegetables: raw and dried fruits, leafy greens
- Proteins: in this case, they will be of vegetable origin: nuts, cereals, avocados
- Starches or cereals: whole-grain products, bananas
- Healthy fats: oils of first cold press, nuts, avocados
Every smoothie you make should contain, to a greater or lesser extent, one of the ingredients from each of these categories. You can further adapt this list to your particular needs in terms of age, weight, daily routine, and the time of day.
Below are some different ways to combine these ingredients into a smoothie.
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Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
There are dozens of low-calorie strawberry-banana smoothie recipes available on the Internet. The ingredients of each may vary. If you like, you can stick to the above recipe, omit the vanilla extract, use less milk and a bit of plain, non-fat yogurt or light strawberry yogurt and toss in a handful of fresh strawberries . If you use a large banana, 10 large, frozen strawberries, 1 cup of skim milk and ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt you can serve 2. Each serving provides about 160 calories.
Vanilla Pumpkin Pie Shake
Tired of the same old fruit smoothies? Try one that tastes like pumpkin pie. The pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes, skin, and immune system, St. Pierre says.BLEND THIS:12 oz water, milk, or yogurt2 scoops vanilla flavored protein powder¾ cup of pureed pumpkin1 tbsp of walnuts1 tbsp of ground flax½ cup of uncooked oatsCinnamon and vanilla extract to tasteIce as needed535 calories, 60 g protein, 13 g fat, 45 g carbs, 13 g fiber
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Choose Your Protein Aource
Adding a protein supplement to your shake is really going to add substance to your shake. Protein is known to keep you feeling fuller for longer, curbs cravings, and replenishes your muscles with essential amino acids that boost recovery! For this recipe, we used SkinnyFit Super Youth which is actually a multi-collagen peptide blend! Super Youth is odorless and flavorless which is perfect for a meal replacement shake recipe because it allows you to get creative with the rest of your ingredients! I cant tell you how many times Ive used a unique flavored protein powder that just tasted awful with the rest of the ingredients I used. WARNING: Chocolate does NOT go with everything .
One: Fruits & Veggies
It goes without saying that most of your plate should be fresh fruits and vegetables. So when you are building a power-packed smoothie, try filling your blender with as much nutrient-dense produce as possible. These will act as the complex carbohydrates of your meal.
Choose 2 or 3 from this list, or get creative with your own ideas:
- Banana
- Berries
- Mango
- Swiss Chard
I always have frozen fruits and greens at home for this exact purpose.
Tip: you can usually find frozen spinach nuggets for lot cheaper than fresh spinach. This seriously increases the nutrition bang for your buck, and lets you save your fresh greens for salads.
Also Check: Cucumber Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss
Chocolate Peanut Butter And Banana Shake
Youd never guess that a cup of spinach is hiding in this delicious chocolate and peanut butter shake.BLEND THIS:12 oz water, milk, or yogurt2 scoops chocolate flavored protein powder1 banana2 tbsp of natural peanut butter1 tbsp cacao nibs or dark cocoa powder585 calories, 59 g protein, 22 g fat, 38 g carbs, 8 g fiber
Are Smoothies Good For Weight Loss
Smoothies are often touted as a diet food and a way to detox the body. But when it comes to the idea of a detox, most experts agree that smoothies arent the solution and that the human body has its own resources to cleanse itself naturally. Theres also no solid scientific evidence to suggest the idea of a detox for overall health or well-being.
As for weight loss, instead of focusing on dieting and what foods might be a part of that diet its best to consider all of the behaviors that support a healthy body, says Andrews. Drinking smoothies could fit as one of those weight-loss behaviors, along with eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of physical activity, ensuring adequate sleep, building social connections and practicing stress management. But its not the only part of the puzzle.
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Meal Replacement Shakes : What Is A Meal Replacement Shake And What Are The Benefits
Meal replacement shakes, also called weight loss shakes, are meant to replace one or more meals. The key is that the shake will contain fewer calories while providing you with all the necessary nutrients as compared to your regular meal.
While there are limitless grab-and-go store-bought weight loss/protein/meal replacements shakes available, the best bet is to roll up your sleeves and make your own.
Many store-bought weight loss shakes are full of artificial sweeteners that spike your blood sugar levels or even contain unsafe levels of contaminants. Your body will thank you for putting that little extra effort and making your own healthy homemade shake.
You can start with our recipes. We have made sure they all are packed with vitamins, minerals and some healthy fats, protein and carbs. As long as you include enough protein, fiber and fat, you wont have to worry about feeling full. Plus, a shake is easy to make your own!
Top Meal Replacement Shake Rules:
Can I consume meal replacement shakes on a Keto Diet?
YES! Most meal replacement shakes will fit right in with the Keto diet as they can easily be made keto-friendly by avoiding high carb fruits like bananas, pineapple, mango and others.
Go for leafy greens, avocado and berries.
Can I consume weight loss shakes while doing Intermittent Fasting?
Yes! Many intermittent fasters struggle with overeating when having their first meal after breaking the fast.
Why Smoothies Make Great Meal Replacements
In many cases, skipping meals is a very unhealthy thing to do. It is not healthy to deprive your body of much-needed nutrients and it will most likely lead to over-eating later in the day.
Smoothies are not quite meal replacements. Instead, they are healthy meals in their own right, with all of your major food groups combined into one easy drink.
If you are trying to eat healthier, smoothies are a great option because:
- They are made from all-natural ingredients.
- They can be a great source of fiber.
- Plant-based ingredients are great for your body .
- Natural sugars and carbohydrates are better for your body than processed foods like pasta and white bread.
- Many smoothies are high in protein this is key for making you feel full, and you can add protein powder in cases where your ingredients are not already protein-packed.
If you are not already sold on the idea of smoothies as meal replacements, check out these recipes, each of which is as filling and nutritious as they are super tasty:
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Ingredients In This Meal Replacement Smoothie:
- Greens you can use pretty much whatever type of greens that you like. Im also a big fan of spinach but whatever you have on hand works well. Even a mix of several different things is great!
- Almond milk as mentioned above, you can use pretty much any liquid here. Almond milk, oat milk, or even just water is perfectly fine.
- Frozen fruit as written, this recipe calls for frozen banana and frozen blueberries. Really any fruit works here but I do highly recommend FROZEN fruit as it provides a much nicer and creamier texture. If youre wanting to cut back on the sugar and calories a bit, you can sub or all of the fruit for frozen cauliflower.
- Oats I love that this bulks up the smoothie a bit and provides some substance. I find that the addition of the oats makes it so that I stay fuller longer and it helps make this a great meal replacement smoothie.
- Nut butter this provides a bit of protein and healthy fats to the smooth. I really like almond butter here but really any nut/ seed butter would work well.
AND thats pretty much it for this smoothie. Super simple and versatile. Its definitely one of my go to smoothies and Im pretty sure that I could have one of these every single day and not get sick of it 😀
Do you have a go to smoothie recipe that I should try!!? PLEASE please let me know in the comments! Always looking for new smoothie flavor combos to try!
How To Make A Healthy Smoothie
1.Start with liquid. Water, juice, non-dairy milk, milk, and even green tea or coconut water are all good low-calorie, low-sugar options.
2. Add protein and fat for staying-power. Nut butter, garbanzo beans, yogurt, silken tofu, and avocado are all great choices for flavor and texture.
3.Pack in vegetables. Add kale or spinach, parsley and beet greens, and maybe cucumber and celery for some fresh flavor. Love veggies? Check out these veggie smoothies and green smoothies.
4. Add fresh or frozen fruit. Almost any cut fresh or frozen fruit is delicious. When a smoothie recipe uses fresh fruit, add ice cubes to the blender along with the fresh fruit to give it better texture.
- To freeze bananas, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the slices on a baking sheet to freeze and then transfer the frozen pieces to a resealable freezer bag to store.
- To freeze fresh berries, spread on a baking sheet, freeze, and store in resealable freezer bags. Check out more tips on How to Freeze Fruits.
5. Don’t forget a flavor booster! Herbs, spices, and other flavorings such as mint, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla extract or cocoa powder can help create a custom flavor. For an extra hit of nutrition, add ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or wheat germ.
6. Blend until smooth and enjoy. To make clean-up easier, rinse out the blender right after you use it and re-blend a few cups of water with a few drops of dish soap to clean it out.
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Greens To Add To Your Shakes
Always make sure youre adding in some greens such as a big handful spinach to every smoothie.
This will help to give your body a lot of powerful nutrients by simply adding in these superfood greens. It also helps to keep your stomach feeling fuller for longer so you dont get any hunger pains.
Make sure you add in a healthy fat such as coconut oil or avocados to your smoothies to make them a true meal replacement.
You can check out more of my favorite healthy fats that actually help you burn fat .
I love adding frozen berries to my smoothies to help sweeten things up. Theyll also give your body a good dose of powerful antioxidants.
Ill usually pick up some organic blueberries at the grocery store and stick them in the freezer. Theyll last a lot longer than buying them fresh.
Then Ill mix up the berries into my smoothies. Since they are frozen they all help to make your meal replacement smoothie colder.
Pure Protein Meal Replacement Shakes
3.9 out of 5 stars1,700+ Amazon customer reviews
With more than 1,000 reviews on Amazon, its clear these shakes are a crowd favorite. And for good reason: The typical bottle offers 35 grams protein for only 150 calories and one gram of sugar. However, these drinks are low in both fiber and fat, so you may want to sip on one with a snack on the side for a complete meal replacement. Still, if youre craving something sweet, they come in satisfying flavors like cookies and cream, peaches and cream, chocolate, vanilla, and more.
“Love this! Great amount of protein with better taste than most others. I love that Pure Protein is actually accurate with their nutrition facts unlike many other companies. Plus you really cant beat that price!” an Amazon reviewer writes.
Make it a meal: If youre grabbing this shake for breakfast and know you need to keep hunger at bay until lunch, drink this shake after you nosh on a slice of multi-grain bread topped with 1/4 of an avocado. Youll boost your meal by 150 calories, 6 grams of filling fiber, and about 8 grams of healthy fats.
Nutrition info: 150 calories, 1 g fat , 1 g carbs , 150 mg sodium, 35 g protein
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