Green Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss And Fat Burning
Robyn Openshaw – Updated: September 4, 2020 – – This Post May Contain Affiliate Links
Green smoothies are perfect fuel to burn fat and lose weight, and not just because a well-balanced smoothie is a low-calorie meal.
A green smoothie for weight loss wont rob your body of key nutrients , and will include the right kinds of ingredients to support your body in shedding pounds and keeping them off.
In this post:
Before I share some smoothie recipes for weight loss and fat burning, lets talk about how weight loss works.
Will Smoothies Keep Overnight
My personal preference is to prep the ingredients for smoothies and then blend them when youre ready to enjoy.
All of these smoothie recipes can be made ahead of time if your mornings are pretty crazy like ours. Simply place the solid ingredients into a labeled clear resealable bag and store them in the freezer. Then in the morning, choose the smoothie flavor you feel like having that morning.add liquid and blend.
Lemon Kale Protein Detox
Putting lemon in your blender is like taking out a nutrition insurance policy for your smoothie. That’s because a significant percentage of the antioxidant polyphenols in any food or drink break down before they reach your bloodstream. But researchers at Purdue University discovered that adding lemon juice to the equation helped preserve the polyphenols.
- ½ lemon, peeled and seeded
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 scoop plain plant-based protein powder
- 3 ice cubes
- Water to blend
NUTRITION: 254 calories / 7 g fat / 20 g carbs / 5 g fiber / 10 g sugar / 30 g protein
You May Like: Great Tasting Smoothies For Weight Loss
Healthy Smoothies For Summer And The New Year
With the start of summer and the beginning of the new year, most of us are looking to include more clean and healthy recipes after all the heavier meals and desserts over the holidays!
Nothing helps to kick start your morning like some delicious breakfast smoothies. Smoothies are one of my familys favorite way to start the day especially during the summer when you want something cold and refreshing.
Making smoothies at home is one of the easiest things since you can use whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. I love how versatile these healthy shakes are. You can easily swap in your favorite fruit, vegetables and other spices and add-ins you like.
How To Make A Detox Smoothie
Detox smoothie recipes are really easy to make:
Step 1 add all ingredients to blenderStep 2 blend until smoothStep 3 enjoy
If you want to make the weight loss smoothie cold, you have two options:
1. Freeze the fruit, or buy frozen fruit.2. Add 1/2 a cup of ice.
I recommend you use fresh ingredients, but you can also use frozen fruits and vegetables if fresh isnt available. Just be sure to get organic both in frozen and fresh produce, if youre cleansing your body you dont want to be adding in pesticides while you do it!
Making detox smoothies to shed belly weight are very simple. Its just a matter of blending all the healthy smoothie recipe ingredients together, and serving.
For 10 green detox smoothie recipes, keep scrolling!
Recommended Reading: Types Of Blenders For Smoothies
Why Does A Liquid Fast Work
We hear a lot about bacteria in our GI tract these days and for good reason. Each of us has 3040 trillion of these single-cell organisms inside us, and a growing mountain of research shows that the right bacteria help effortlessly control blood sugar, normalize blood pressure and cholesterol, boost immunity, prevent countless diseases and more. And theyre so key to fat burning, scientists can tell with 90 percent accuracy if someone is lean or heavy just from their gut bacteria! Dr. Haas was thrilled when a 2017 UCLA study found that three days on a plant-based liquid diet cause good bacteria to surge by up to 450 percent.
Why such a boost? He says plant-based liquids typically have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that feed good bacteria but very little of the sugar, starch and fat that allow bad bacteria to thrive.
Heres the even cooler part: Juices, smoothies, and soups seem to prime our systems for the biggest transformation possible, reveals Sofia Kirke Forslund, PhD, who led the German study. That means when we switch to eating solid healthy fare, these good bacteria stick around, working magic.
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.
Don’t Miss: Chia Banana Boost Tropical Smoothie
Difference Between Oatmeal Varieties
If youre standing in front of your grocery shelf, youll find a wide range of different oatmeal varieties. Ill shortly explain the different varieties and tell you which type I prefer using in weight loss smoothies.
The main difference between the three varieties is how much the oat groat has been processed. This gives them different textures and health benefits as well.
Instant Oats -Youve probably grown up with Quacker. Instant oats are also known as quick oats. This variety is the most processed of the three varieties. They are cooked, dried, and then pressed. Quick oats, as the name suggests, require less cooking time than other varieties. They should also be the least desirable when it comes to nutritional content and health benefits. Theyre thinner and have a softer texture than rolled oats. Their taste is mild and they work out well in smoothies.
Steel-Cut Oats These oats are sometimes referred to as Scottish oats or Irish oats. Theyre less processed than rolled oats. Although all oats varieties are healthy, steel-cut oats are the least processed and therefore healthiest oat variety out there. They have a chewy consistency and take longer to cook. Steel-cut oats almost look like rice. If you want to use them for smoothies, its best to soak them beforehand.
Now that we know the difference between the most common oatmeal types, its about time for some delicious smoothie recipes.
What Is A Green Smoothie
A green smoothie recipe is a blended drink that mainly contains vegetable greens or fruit, or a combination of both. They are an easy way to flush your body of toxins, get lots of healthy nutrients, and lose weight fast.
Green smoothies are often green or bright green and may not exactly look like the most delicious meal, but if you do it right youll not only love these simple green smoothies, youll crave them!
Similar to a green juice, a green smoothie recipe has lots of veggies and fruit. However, with green smoothies youll get more fiber, and therefor stay full longer.
Green smoothies are a blended mixture of fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. The green vegetables gives it its distinctive color.
Below you will find benefits of a green smoothie diet, plus 10 green smoothie recipes for weight loss
You May Like: Best Personal Blender For Frozen Fruit Smoothies
Avocado And Spinach Smoothie
This smoothie has a secret ingredientpeanut butter! With this recipe, youll be satisfied and full, all while going green. Let us just say, avocados are a true friend. Did you know they help boost the nutrient absorption of everything else you eat? Plus, we know theyre loaded with the good kind fat. Potassium-filled and fiber-rich, they also help to improve lipids and melt fat! We know youll love this one!
To make this avocado spinach smoothie recipe:
- 1 small avocado
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 small banana
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Youre done!
Oatmeal Banana And Strawberry Smoothie
If theres one food item you must have in your house, its oatmeal! Why? Whole oats are great for any weight loss plan. They are high in soluble fiber and are nutritious.
Strawberries are not only mouthwatering but are high on nutrients and treat gout and arthritis.
This is one of those healthy smoothies for dinner that allows you to sleep better without the feeling of hunger. This is because oats and bananas are filling making a good substitute for a heavy dinner.
Ingredients:
You May Like: Things To Put In Smoothies
Avocado Detox Smoothie Recipe
When it comes to healthy foods, avocados are among the top super foods. Avocados are full of healthy nutrients, including Vitamins B, C, K. folate, potassium, and more.
For more information about my green smoothie cleanse and green smoothie recipes, check out my Green Smoothie Recipes article.
Studies have shown that avocados can help improve cardiovascular health, relieve joint inflammation, promote eye health, strengthen bones, and even help with weight loss.
An avocado smoothie provides the health benefits of avocados while hiding the taste of the avocado a little.
Pineapple Banana Detox Smoothie
I love detox smoothie recipes that include strawberries! This pineapple and strawberry smoothie recipe is a great way to get in your greens, while tricking your tastebuds!
This is one of the best smoothies for weight loss as you cant taste anything except all the yummy fruit! Try it with your favorite green smoothie detox plan.
Read Also: Ninja Blender And Smoothie Maker
Is It Easy To Follow A Whole Food Diet
Once youve got your head around having ingredients rather than ready-to-eat things in your kitchen cupboards, its actually very easy. The only issue is the lifestyle and habit changes that come along with it.
It is very likely that for many people, following a totally, religiously whole food diet may be unattainable at least some of the time. For example, there are days where you dont get time to make your lunch or if you want to enjoy social eating. Similarly, people who have young children or who are working more than one job are unlikely to be able to follow a whole food diet all of the time.
Sometimes, we put ourselves under pressure to be as perfect as we can with diets like this, which can lead to an eating disorder called Orthorexia, which is a preoccupation with healthy eating.
This means that following a whole food diet, in principle, can be healthy and accessible for some people but not for everyone. It also means that those with previous disordered eating, as always, need to avoid any form of dietary restriction or rules around their diet.
Fat Burning Foods To Boost Metabolism
Our body needs proper fuel to keep up with the demands of daily activities. Its important that the calories we consume, especially if were trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just improve our performance, are quality calories.
A protein bar may be high in calories and full of nutrition, but it wont fill you up in the same way a plate of salmon, brown rice, and steamed veggies will. But a high-quality vegan protein bar can give you the energy you need to power through a workout or recover from one.
What does that mean? It means that recipes need to tick off several boxes: healthy fats, protein, complex carbs, vitamins and minerals, and/or a combination of all of the above. A fat burning smoothie, which Ill show you how to make below will take you a long way!
Want to skip a step and add protein + healthy fats to your smoothie in one step?Check out my Protein Smoothie Boost! Clean protein? Check. Healthy fat? Check. Helpful fiber? Check. No sweetness or artificial nonsense? Check! Protein Smoothie Boost is a great partner in your fight to burn fat with this smoothie!
Recommended Reading: How To Make The Perfect Fruit Smoothie
Banana Smoothie: Exquisite And Easy
Another fruit that people use to make specific dishes in some countries is the banana. Banana smoothies are very tasty, nutritious, and great for any time of the day.
Every banana contains a lot of potassium, which means that it has high energy power.
When you mix this fruit with low-fat milk, youll get a light and delicious smoothie that will help you maintain your weight or lose weight, as long as you accompany it with exercise.
If thats your goal, we suggest you dont add whole milk or vanilla ice cream, since some recipes offer this option.
This is because both things can turn your banana smoothie into a drink thats bad for your figure, especially if you drink it frequently.
Chocolate Cherry Awesomeness Shake
Research suggests that cherries can ease soreness after a workout, making this a perfect recovery shake, says St. Pierre. BLEND THIS:12 oz water, milk, or yogurt2 scoops chocolate flavored protein powder2 cups of sweet dark cherries, pits removed1 cups of spinach1 tbsp ground flax1 tbsp cacao nibs or dark cocoa powder530 calories, 56 g protein, 13 g fat, 47 g carbs, 9 g fiber
Read Also: What Do You Put In A Fruit Smoothie
Are Smoothies Healthy Are They Good For Weight Loss
Some are healthy, and some arent.
Smoothies made purely of whole fruits and vegetables, and if desired, a little soymilk or nonfat dairy, are wonderfully healthy and nutritious. But if youre trying to lose weight, be careful.
Can a fiber-rich, no-sugar-added smoothie that’s loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods help you lose weight? Probably not. Find out why.
Smoothie Alternatives For Breakfast
Rather than drinking your calories in a smoothie, start your day with hearty foods that will keep you full for a long time and promote healthy weight loss. Best Breakfasts for Weight Loss
And though home-blending your fruits and vegetables is better than buying these store-bought, refined-fiber smoothies, its likely not as beneficial as eating your fruits and veggies whole, especially if youre trying to peel off pounds.
Explains Gomer: The impact of blended fiber on satiety is almost surely less than if the same fiber is consumed as a solid food.
Read Also: What Is The Healthiest Smoothie To Make
Put Em Together And This Is What You Get
Healthy Fat + Plant-based Protein = Meal Replacement Boosters
Green smoothies are the perfect fast food and adding these boosters will save you tons of time in the kitchen and keep you away from any drive-thru food that will wreck havoc on your body. We want you to be healthy and strong!
Use one of these meal replacement booster combos in your next green smoothie. The boosts are measured to work with our plant-based green smoothie recipes you can find throughout the blog here.
- #1: 2 tbs chia seeds + 2oz silken tofu
- #2: 2 tbs hemp hearts + ¼ avocado
- #3: 2 tbs plant-based protein powder + 1 tbs coconut oil
- #4: 1 tbs almond butter + 2 tbs rolled oats
- #5: 2 tbs chia seeds + 1 tbs coconut oil
You can find all of these ingredients at your local store, or even order a few online. Amazon is a perfect place to stock up on hemp hearts, plant-based protein powders, coconut oil, and chia seeds. Ready to give our Protein Smoothie Boost a try? Youll find it in our Rawkstar Shop.
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.
Read Also: Almond Butter Smoothie For Weight Loss
The Green Flaxseed Smoothie
When it comes to a healthy diet and lifestyle, greens are what dominate everyones mind. This recipe not only contains the essential green foods but has vitamin C as well. The chia seed and flaxseed are weight loss friendly, so here is what you are looking for as well.
What Youll Need?
- ¾ cup almond milk
How To Prepare?
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed. The high speed here is necessary to mash and mix the leaves properly. Add milk if you prefer a smoother, more liquid drink. Always serve this smoothie fresh.