Healthy Weight Loss Smoothies
An oft cited rule of weight loss is to avoid drinking your calories. Therefore, it is important that a weight loss smoothie isnt simply a drink, but more of a filling meal or snack.
A nutrient-rich smoothie allows you to cut back on calories to lose weight, but provides your body with sufficient vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients important for good health.
This will help the weight loss process too. If you are nutritionally deficient, youre more likely to be tired, struggle with food cravings, feel sluggish, or suffer outright ill health.
Goal: A healthy weight loss smoothie should be low in calories, high in nutrients, and filling.
So, lets get into how to make a weight loss smoothie in detail.
Step-by-Step
What Are The Best Ingredients To Look For In A Protein Shake
You can use a plant-based protein powder or an animal proteinpowder , depending on your tastes, but make sure it’s free from hormones, additives, fillers, and ingredients you can’t pronounce, he says, adding that organic is best.
Don’t like protein powder? “That’s fine,” says . “But then there has to be a food source of protein in there, like peanut butter, almond butter, plain greek yogurt, a little cottage cheese, or chia seeds,” Shalek says.
The next most important ingredient for weight loss is fiber, Dr. Abraham says. It also helps keep you full, nixes cravings, and keeps your gut healthy. Fruits and veggies are the best source of fiber and nutrients.
What you don’t want: added sugars and other empty carbs. “Contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to add a lot of sweeteners to make a shake taste good,” he says. “If you use high-quality ingredients, it will taste good on its own.” It’s okay to add a sprinkle of stevia, monkfruit, or erythritol as these natural calorie-free sweeteners won’t mess with your blood sugar, but take a hard pass on artificial sweeteners, he adds.
It’s also important to keep in mind that smoothies and shakes should not be used as consistent meal replacements. Shalek sets a max of one meal a day, and even then, she suggests using your smoothie or shake as an “at-the-ready” alternative to other easy access processed foods . It’s good to have a smoothie or shake nearby for those close calls.
Use Chia Seeds To Feel Fuller
To reduce hunger and help avoid snacking between meals, heres a cool smoothie trick to feeling fuller for longer:Chia seeds have this fun feature that they swell when soaked in water for a few minutes. What you can do is add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds into your smoothie before drinking it.Chia takes about 20 minutes to fully swell, so it will happily swell up in your stomach and leave you feeling full for hours.As a big added bonus, youll enjoy Chias exceptional health benefits:omega-3, protein, fiber, calcium, and super high in antioxidants.
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Grapes And Almond Butter Green Smoothie
The green smoothie is one of the best smoothies for weight loss.
But green smoothie with healthy fats is even better.
Its a common misconception that all fats are unhealthy and will make you fatter.
The point is to eat healthy fat moderately that is essential for your metabolism and that will, no matter how paradoxically this sounds, help you shed pounds.
Thats why almond, peanut, sesame, or pumpkin seed butter is an excellent choice.
Other ingredients that are high in vitamin E and antioxidants are great for your skin, which is always important, but especially when its warm and everyone shows some skin.
Moreover, these ingredients are high in zinc and selenium that will nurture your skin, tan, and your facewill look stunning.
Can You Drink This On Your Diet
Many diets are strict about the type of food that can be included within their plan. Many diets restrict carbs, calories, fats, or sugars. However, in moderation, each one of those things is still ok, it is more about what you are eating rather than how much. This recipe only includes an apple, grapefruit, and water, yet is delicious. While apples do have sugar, it is a natural sugar. Carbohydrates are the biggest issue with apples, but that only applies to Keto, so this drink is safe on all other diets.
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Sweet Potato Bake Shake
Sweet potato casserole is the ultimate comfort food, but it’s also a calorie bomb. This shake has all the flavor, but without the marshmallows and sugar crash afterward. “This smoothie has slow-releasing carbohydrates combined with lots of fiber from the sweet potato to stabilize blood sugar and kickstart your metabolism in the morning while curbing cravings later in the day,” says Charlotte Press, nutritionist at Press Start Nutrition. A single shake will score you everything you need at for the first meal of the day.
Recipe: Blend 1/2 cup milk of choice, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup sweet potato puree, 1-2 Medjool dates, 2 tablespoons tahini, protein powder of choice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Nutrition: 513 calories, 53 g carbohydrates, 30 g protein, 20 g fat
Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake
Want something decadent but not looking to waste the calories? No problem. This strawberry cheesecake protein shake from Fit Foodie Finds recipe is one of those sweet-tooth shakes that Shalek recommends having in your back pocket when you’re craving something sweet. Plus, the smoothie calls for both food and powder protein sources, making it double hitter.
Recipe: Blend 1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen sliced banana, 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder , 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk.
Nutrition: 206 calories, 19 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat
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What Is Protein Powder
Protein powders are nutritional supplements that are helpful for those of us who arent getting enough protein from whole foods or want a convenient way to take protein on-the-go. There are many different types of protein powders that can be used for everything from smoothies to baking to cooking.
As the name reveals, protein powders consist of powdered protein from sources like soy, pea, whey or casein. They come with or without carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients like fat metabolizers. Since protein is an essential macronutrient that helps build muscle, repair tissue, and make enzymes and hormones, protein powders can help you lose weight and tone your muscles!
Week Three: 3 Smoothies A Day For 3 Days
Monday Morning smoothie, noon smoothie, evening smoothieTuesday Morning smoothie, lunch, evening smoothieWednesday Morning smoothie, noon smoothie, evening smoothieThursday Morning smoothie, noon smoothie, evening smoothieFriday Morning smoothie, lunch, evening smoothieSaturday Morning smoothie, lunch, dinnerSunday Morning smoothie, lunch, dinner
In the example above, you drink smoothie for breakfast and dinner every day, while only on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you replace all three meals with healthy smoothies.Since your taste buds are probably a bit more used to greens now, in between the smoothies you can snack on fresh-cut veggies like cucumber, carrots, and celery with nuts or nut butter. Some low-sugar fruits like berries or peaches would also be good. > > See here for tropical smoothie recipe! < <
On the weekend, enjoy some healthy cooked meals and maybe a dinner out with some nice wine same as week two.Youre going to be looking and feeling better than ever, so make sure to get out and enjoy life while making healthy choices.
Which color of fat burning smoothie would you like today?
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Berry Green Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
I love adding spinach to breakfast smoothies, it has virtually no taste and is packed full of calcium, potassium and best of all it naturally boosts metabolism!
The flavor of the spinach is completely masked by the berries, and the color is masked as well, no one will ever know this is a green smoothie!
These detox smoothies for weight loss are ideal for the Lose Weight By Eating Detox Plans!
Ingredients For Weight Loss
While many of the traditional ingredients in healthful smoothies support a healthy weight, some are better than others. There are certain things you can put in your smoothie that will boost your weight loss by different means.
Avocado: Alligator pears are the preferred weight loss smoothie thickener or ingredient that provides that signature smoothie creaminess. They supply ample healthy fat, which will keep you satiated and satisfied until your next meal and an array of health-promoting vitamins and minerals.
Berries: Any kind of berry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry, for instance, add a ton of flavor to a smoothie without adding very many calories or sugar. Additionally, they are high in fiber, which helps to keep you full, and antioxidants for your overall health.
Cayenne pepper: This spice not only adds a kick to your smoothie, but it also boosts your weight loss capability. The compound responsible is called capsaicin. Research has shown that adding it to breakfast reduces the consumption of fat and carbohydrates later in the day. In other words, consuming a little cayenne pepper will curb your appetite.
Cinnamon: The popular spice helps regulate blood sugar levels by improving the metabolism of glucose. This results in a reduction of the amount of excess blood glucose that can be stored as fat. Abdominal fat, studies have shown, is more sensitive to the effects of cinnamon than fat from any other part of the body.
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How To Make Ahead And Store Smoothies
Fat burning smoothies can be blended 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight glass container in the fridge. I like to use mason jars to store smoothies.
Keep in mind that the texture of this smoothie will seem pulpy because they include more greens. Give the mason jar a shake before drinking it.
My favorite way to prep smoothies ahead of time is to prepare smoothie freezer kits. Place all of the ingredients except the liquid into a quart-sized freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months.
When youre ready to make the smoothie dump the ingredients into a blender, add the liquid, and blend.
Try The 3 Day Detox Smoothie Diet Plan Here:
If youre looking for a longer weight loss breakfast smoothie plan, try out our FREE 7 Day Detox Diet Plan Youll get to enjoy more smoothies, and youll have a gentler ease into smoothie heavy days.
This 7 Day Detox Smoothie Diet Plan incorporates the above healthy breakfast smoothies for weight loss, as well as several more detox smoothie recipes.
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What Is A Detox Smoothie
Detox smoothies are an easy and delicious way to flush your body of toxins and help lose weight fast. They usually contain fresh vegetables and fruit, and can be made with an ordinary kitchen blender or Vitamix machine.
The typical weight loss smoothie recipe is full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and other healthful nutrients giving your body a detoxifying flush. They also contain large amounts of water, which helps to hydrate your body and boost metabolism.
The idea here is to inundate your system with pure nutrition, to eat as we did as hunters and gathers well, with blender at least. So nuts, veggies and fruits are all key.
Eating this way will not only reset your system, but your taste buds too! After 3 days on a smoothie diet, you will start to crave healthier food. And if you eat processed or fried food you will feel it, youll feel sluggish and bloated. Listen to your body, it will tell you what it wants to eat by how it feels 30-60 minutes after you eat.
If you despise the taste of anything green try starting with baby spinach in all your weight loss smoothies, it has virtually no flavor and will naturally boost your metabolism. You wont even know its in your smoothie, all you will taste is the fruit. As you become accustom to the spinach try swapping half of it for kale or chard, adding more of the new greens and less of the spinach until your taste buds start to enjoy your new food.
Healthy Pineapple Smoothie With Banana
Pineapples are excellent in boosting your immune system and suppressing inflammation. Its loaded with antioxidants that can help fight off diseases while its enzymes help to ease digestion.
This pineapple smoothie recipe is pretty simple! It includes 5 ingredients which are fresh-cut pineapple fruit, carrot, banana, orange juice, and water.
If youre looking for a healthy breakfast drink that can help you lose weight, this is the perfect choice for you! Quick, easy, and super healthy!
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Green And Lean Shamrock Shake
Most minty shamrock shakes are drool-worthy, but not at all diet-friendly. Quench your cravings and stay on track with your health goals with this creamy, fresh shake from Felicia Romero, nutrition and fitness expert on Lifetime’s From Fit to Fat to Fit. “The peppermint is refreshing and has been shown to reduce sugar cravings and the healthy fats give it a creamy texture while keeping you full,” she says.
Recipe: Blend 1/2 banana, 1 cup spinach, 2 drops peppermint oil, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 scoop protein powder, and ice.
Nutrition: 257 calories, 16 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein, 8 g fat
Meal Replacement Green Smoothie
Shalek isn’t super big on replacing meals. But if you’re going to do it, make sure you’re limiting the meal that’s being replaced to just one a day. “I have a bunch of clients that work a night shift or work crazy hours, so in some instances it’s appropriate,” she says. And smoothies like this green smoothie from Simple Green Smoothies will load you up on good-for-you foods. Oats for example, have fiber that can help keep you feeling fuller, longer, not to mention it will also keep your blood sugar stable, Jessica Cording, RD previously told WH.
Recipe: Blend 2 cups fresh kale, 2 cups almond milk , 2 cups berries, 1 banana, 2 tablespoons almond butter + ¼ cup rolled oats.
Nutrition: 320 calories, 8.3 g fiber, 8.6 g protein, 12.6 g fat
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Is A Whole Food Diet Boring
Absolutely not! The beauty of this way of eating is that there are barely any recipes that are off-limits. If you can make it yourself using natural ingredients, then it counts. So, dig out your recipe books and get familiar with your spice cupboard.
Heres my advice if youre just starting: stock up on coconut milk and canned tomatoes. Youll use them all the time in sauces.
The Fewer The Ingredients The Better
The more processed an ingredient is, the harder it is to keep track of what youre actually putting into your body. A good rule of thumb here is if you cant pronounce the ingredient, its better to be safe than sorry and not consume it . Artificial sweeteners and processed healthy snacks can be filled with ingredients that you wont find in a Smoothie King smoothie.
Again, whole foods are always best. Oats, natural peanut butter, fruits, kale, spinach, lemon, and plain Greek yogurt are all fantastic whole-food ingredients to blend in smoothies to support weight loss.as part of a regular diet and exercise program.
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Avocado Banana Green Smoothie
“You have to be mindful of portion sizes if you want to make smoothies a part of a weight-loss plan,” Shalek says. “People tend to use way over the serving size of avocados especially and it tends to add up calorically.” But this avocado banana green smoothie from Minimalist Baker sticks to the recommended serving size, combining half an avocado with four other protein and fiber-rich ingredients to create the perfect smoothie to help you stick to your weight-loss goals.
Nutrition: 146 calories, 6.9 g protein, 18.2 g carbohydrates, 5.3 g fiber
Creamy Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie
Part of the struggle with trying to lose weight and create healthier habits is the struggle of having to give up some of your favorite foods, like chocolate. Say no more. This chocolate mint smoothie is the perfect blend of protein and chocolate to satisfy your cravings for good! Why avoid what you love when you can indulge the healthy way?
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Weight Loss Smoothie Recipes To Slim Down Quickly
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Are you looking for healthy weight loss drinks? Smoothies are the perfect way to get all the nutrients you need while keeping you full and energetic!
Theyre super easy to make and can be done under five minutes. All you need is a blender and just throw the ingredients in. No fuss, no muss!
If youre planning on replacing meals with smoothies, its super important to make sure youre getting a healthy, balanced diet. These weight loss smoothies will help to provide your body with the important nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and effectively lose weight.
We highly recommend that you always pair your smoothie plans with a good exercise regimen. That way youll be trimming your waistline and losing your belly fats in no time!
To save you the time and risk of blending yucky smoothies , weve carefully sifted through and gathered some of the best weight loss smoothie recipes for you.
Below is a list of all the delicious weight loss smoothie recipes that you can try! One new smoothie every day for 15 days to boost your energy, lose weight, and feel all-around good.