I am not sure when, or why, it started but for some reason we have decided that smoothies are the best healthy – go to – option for a meal when trying to lose weight. This can be true, but only if they are made with the correct ingredients. Just having a smoothie as a meal replacement is not going to actually help you lose weight or eat less. In fact, it could cause you to eat more because you are not actually chewing your food. The issue with smoothie arises when we don’t pay attention to the ingredients we add. When we are trying to lose weight, portion size is one of the top areas we look pay attention to. With normal meals, we are can eyeball and SEE how much we are eating. With a smoothie, it all gets blended together and you can’t see the amount of calories you have added because it ends up being the same size. My point here, just because you are having a smoothie for breakfast doesn’t mean it is healthy or that you are eating in a caloric deficit to lose weight.
The other problem with smoothies, and smoothie bowls, is that they are filled with a lot of different kinds of fruit. Fruit has sugar, natural of course, but sugar nonetheless. These 3-4 kinds of fruit, honey, sweetened liquid or other sweeteners is going to add up fast, and can cause a spike in blood sugar. A spike in blood sugar can not only cause a crash a few hours later, but it is also going to leave you feeling hungry again. So, a high calorie smoothie with a ton of sugar, that doesn’t keep you full..this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to losing weight. But have no fear, I am not going to take your smoothies away from you, I am just going to help you create something that is substantial, healthy, balanced and is going to leave you full and focused!
A few tips on creating smoothies that will stabilize blood sugar, and make sure digestion is optimal!
• Only use one type of fruit, if any, and keep the amount low.
• Add in healthy fats (nuts/seeds/nut butter/avocado/ghee)
• Always add toppings, they increase saliva and help with digestion
• Adding in frozen veggies will bulk it up and keep the calories low
• Make sure you steam veggies before steaming them, this makes them easier to digest
So now that we have covered DO’s and DON’Ts of smoothies, let’s chat about 5 low sugar smoothie recipes! A lot of these recipes can actually be beneficial in ways other than just a meal replacement or blood sugar balance. Some of these are packed with probiotics for a gut health smoothie, sugar detox smoothie to get you craving less sugar, green smoothies so you can get in vegetables without tasting it, and not to mention a lot of these smoothies can be eaten for breakfast lunch or dinner!
Table of Contents
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen zucchini (steamed before frozen)
• 1/2 cup cauliflower (steamed before frozen)
• 2 tbsp flaxseed (ground)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 handful spinach
• 2tbsp cacao nibs, or powder
Directions:
• Blend in a high speed blender and top peanut butter and cacao nibs (or anything that needs to be chewed).
Ingredients:
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower (steamed before frozen)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1tbsp powdered cacao
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Directions:
• Blend in a high speed blender and top with granola and cacao nibs
Ingredients:
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 scoops collagen peptides (I use Vital Proteins)
• 1 cup full fat yogurt (I use Nancys)
• 1 medjool date
• 3 Ice cubes
• Cinnamon
• Sea Salt
Directions:
• Blend in a high speed blender and top with coconut flakes and granola
Ingredients:
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1/2 lemon squeezed
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled
• Ice
Directions:
• Combine ingredients and blend! Add some Apple Cider Vinegar for extra benefits!
Ingredients:
• 8oz coffee
• 1tsp coconut oil
•1 tsp grass-fed butter – or ghee
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• Ice (unless you want a hot drink)
• Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
Directions:
• Add ingredients into blender (yes, even hot coffee) and blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower (steamed first)
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• dash of sea salt
Directions:
• Add ingredients to blender and blend well, top with additional chia seeds and a drizzle of almond butter!
Ingredients:
• 1 cup frozen sweet potato (cooked before freezing)
• 1/2 cup frozen zucchini
• 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt – make sure there is no added sugar
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp nut butter – make sure there is no added sugar
• 1 scoop protein powder
Directions:
• Add ingredients to blender and blend for 1-2 minutes – top with cacao nibs and drizzle of nut butter
