Smoothies can be a great tool for weight loss —but only when done right. Put the wrong ingredients in them, and they can be just as calorific as eating your favourite ice cream! When you add a nutrient-dense smoothie to your daily diet, it can help stop excess snacking by keeping hunger levels at bay, which can lead to weight loss.

What types of smoothies are good for weight loss?

The best smoothies to support weight loss are filled with fruit and have minimal sugar content. Essentially, they are smoothies that you make yourself. While store-bought smoothies taste delicious, they contain lots of fruit juices and extra calories, which can lead to weight gain rather than weight loss.

If you want a healthy breakfast smoothie that will keep you satisfied until lunch and support you in losing weight, then you need to ensure you have the following components in it:

Protein

When you consume a smoothie as a meal, you want to ensure it satisfies you. The best way to do that is to ensure it has at least 20-30 grams of protein. Adding a protein source such as Greek yoghurt or protein powder helps make the smoothie more filling so that you aren’t tempted to reach for the snack cupboard come mid-morning.

READ MORE: High Protein Smoothies that are Good for Weight Loss

Liquid base

The type of liquid base you use for your smoothie is also essential. Fruit juice may satisfy your sweet tooth, but it’s loaded with sugars that can cause your blood sugar to spike and leave you feeling sluggish. Instead, you should opt for low-fat or dairy-free options such as coconut or almond milk.

Healthy fats

Healthy fats are also essential to add to your smoothie. Foods such as unsweetened nut butter, hemp seeds, and avocado are excellent fat sources and can help balance the macronutrients in your smoothie. They also help to give your smoothie a more creamy texture, making it feel like you’re having a milkshake rather than a smoothie!

Low-sugar fruits and vegetables

Adding low-sugar fruits and vegetables to your smoothie recipes is a great way to add natural sweetness without the added sugar. As a rule of thumb, I recommend sticking to one or two cupfuls per smoothie.

Are smoothies healthy to drink every day?

There are plenty of benefits to drinking smoothies. Not only do they help with fibre intake, but they also contribute to our 5-a-day, help with long-term weight control, and help us get lots of essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to thrive. However, there is that old saying, ‘There’s too much of a good thing,’ and that’s the same with smoothies.

While smoothies can be incredibly healthy, when we blend fruit, we break down the cells, exposing the fruit’s natural sugars. This can cause blood sugar spikes, lead to dental decay and result in us consuming more calories. This is why nutritionists typically advise limiting the number of smoothies you consume weekly.

READ MORE: Helping Women with Menopause Weight Gain

Are green smoothies healthy?

If you struggle to eat enough vegetables, smoothies can be a fantastic way to do so without compromising flavour. Adding leafy greens to your smoothies helps you get Vitamins A and K into your diet and fibre. But rather than adding green veggies, frozen cauliflower and sweet potato can be just as good.

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Weight Loss Smoothies for Busy Women

Busy women barely get time to take care of themselves. Whether you’re a mother, busy professional, or both – women are always busy doing lots for others. We will share some weight loss smoothie recipes for you so you can also keep track of your body and diet.

Avocado Kiwi and Spinach Smoothie

As a working mom, we brought you these three ingredients to help you get rid of toxins from your system. Avocado and spinach are full of fibre and vitamins while Kiwi has various health benefits.

1/2 Avocado

1 cup spinach

1 kiwi

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/4 frozen banana

Oatmeal, Banana, and Strawberry Smoothie

Oats are available in every household and are nutritious, make a great smoothie for weight loss, and are high in soluble fiber. Add them with banana and strawberries in the blender and make a meal replacement smoothie for yourself.

• 1/2 cup (150g) blueberries, frozen
• 1/2 medium bananas, ripe
• 4 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. almond butter
• 1 cups (240ml) almond milk, unsweetened
• 2 medjool dates
• 1 scoop (25g) vanilla protein powder

Coconut milk and Pineapple Smoothie

No more skipping meals, this smoothie helps with weight loss and boosts your immune system. Blend them well and add 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of lemon juice, you can add half a cup of fresh strawberries as well.

• 4 tbsp. oats
• 1 cup (240ml) almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 cup (100g) pineapple chunks
• 4 tbsp. desiccated coconut
• ¼ cup (30g) walnuts

Do smoothies make you gain weight?

Yes and no. Smoothies will only contribute to weight gain if you lace them with the wrong type of ingredients or if you are not eating them correctly. If you’re trying to lose weight by consuming smoothies and are finding the scales going the other way, you might be making some common mistakes, including: 

Your smoothie contains too many refined sugars and artificial sweeteners

If your smoothie tastes sweet, you can bet that it’s laced with sugar. Believe it or not when you make a smoothie and pile it with fruit it can end up with just as much sugar as fizzy pop! While sweet smoothies might satisfy your taste buds, excessive sugar can cause a crash soon after and put your hormones out of balance.

To avoid this, make sure you add more vegetables than fruit to your smoothie and remember don’t add more than two fruits to your smoothie!

You’re drinking your smoothie rather than eating it

Drinking your smoothie too quick can spike your blood sugar and leave you craving something else an hour later. A lack of sufficient protein and healthy fats can also mean that you’re reaching for the snack drawer sooner.

To avoid this, slow down. Try putting your smoothie in a bowl with some whole fruits as this will make it last longer. When you sit down to a meal, rather than a drink, your body produces hormones that help increase how full you feel and the addition of proteins and fats can increase this. You can sprinkle some chia seeds on your smoothie bowl and this will help with your dietary fiber which will help keep you fuller for longer too.

Your smoothie has too many ingredients

You might think that adding plenty of low-calorie foods to your smoothie is fine, but every ingredient adds up! Many smoothies purchased from the store can contain additional sweeteners such as maple syrup, heavy cream, sweeteners and even ice cream that can lead to a spike in calories.

If you have to buy smoothies from the store, consider looking at the nutritional information. See how many servings it contains and make sure you only have one. Alternatively, make your own smoothies and stick to 2 portions of fruit and veg, a liquid source, protein source and healthy fat source and you should be able to keep the calories at bay.

You’re consuming your smoothie at the wrong time of day

Believe it or not, your body can handle sugar better at different times of the day. The more active you are, the better your body can deal with sugar. When your body absorbs sugar quickly, it means that your sugars won’t spike as much and you won’t be left feeling cranky and hungry an hour later.

Instead of consuming a smoothie on your way to work in place of your breakfast, consider having your smoothie after you exercise or during a part of the day when you are more active as the body can digest it quicker and use it more.