Have you been wondering if smoothies are really that healthy as a snack or meal replacement? How can you make a smoothie that’s truly weight loss friendly?
It’s true that smoothies can be a great way to get lots of nutrients into your day.
However, you do need to be mindful of what you put into them and make sure you’re using the right ingredients, as you’ll see in a minute.
Are you following this Fruit:Veg Ratio?
The bulk of your smoothies should be vegetables, along with some fruit. My ratio guideline is 2-3 types of veggies to 1 fruit.
This provides a range of vital nutrients and antioxidants for good health, without too much sugar from the fruit.
Many fruits and vegetables also contain good levels of fiber, which is great for helping you to feel fuller for longer. Stocking up on fiber and protein in a breakfast smoothie will prevent snacking and set you up right for the day ahead.
The fiber in fruit and vegetables has also been found to reduce your risk of a range of cancers.
Due to the higher water content in whole food produce, most are also low in calories – perfect for using smoothies as part of a healthy weight loss plan. Cucumber, spinach and lettuce are my favorites, and they work really great in smoothies.
A word of warning though – smoothies won’t lead to weight loss, or even help to maintain a healthy weight if you end up turning them into desserts.
However, as you’ll see in the recipe below, it’s perfectly possible to indulge your sweet tooth and still have a super healthy smoothie!
Using fruit will also naturally sweeten your smoothies. If that’s still not enough, you can add a touch of honey or Stevia sweetener.
Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
Love sweet treats?
How about a healthy version of a cinnamon bun?
This breakfast smoothie is the best of both worlds; it has all the great taste of a cinnamon bun but it’s a whole lot healthier.
The spinach leaves might surprise you, but they serve as a healthy nutrient bomb while being almost neutral in taste so you won’t really feel them.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup spinach leaves
- 1 medium cucumber
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- 1 banana (preferably frozen)
- Optional: A few ice cubes to get the right consistency if you’re not using frozen banana.
Directions:
Important! According to the blender experts at Easy Healthy Smoothie, include ice cubes or frozen ingredients in your smoothie only if you’re using a high-performance blender. Weaker blenders are not designed to cope with such tough ingredients.
Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
Depending on the type of blender you have, it could take about a minute to get the consistency just right.
