The best green smoothie recipes for weight loss are not only packed with nutrients, but they can also help to curb your appetite, prime your body for weight loss, and can boost the metabolism. Nutritionists recommend at least six to nine servings of veggies daily in order to prevent diseases, diabetes, and cancers. The recipes I’ll cover here can be used as a low-calorie meal replacement or a nutrient-packed snack that can help you combat cravings.
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The Benefits of Green Smoothies Recipes
Green smoothies are drinks that have a leafy green veggie base, with added fruit that’s designed to play down the bitterness of certain green veggies. These drinks can also be a great way to flush the body of toxins, which will prime your body for nutrient absorption.
Green smoothies offer a variety of unique health benefits. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so they’re a great way to enjoy a fast and easy meal that will offer maximum nutrition and satisfy your hunger. However, if you don’t have a good smoothie blender, then you’ll run into some issues with consistency, chunks of the leaves stuck in the blades of the blender, or overheating. So, if you don’t currently have a blender, make sure you choose one that’s specifically designed to handle leafy green veggies, easily, such as the Nutri Ninja blender. A blender that’s this powerful can easily make short work of any type of leafy green veggie, tough root veggies, and softer fruits.
If you’re drinking a smoothie as a meal replacement, make sure you carefully track your fruit intake, since fruit is high in natural sugars. If you’re not careful, you can easily make a smoothie that’s too high in sugar, which can hinder your weight loss efforts.
In terms of nutritional value, leafy greens are a great non-dairy source of calcium, vitamin C, and magnesium. Since they contain carotenoids they can also help to protect you from developing age-related macular degeneration later on in life. They can also guard against certain cancers and heart disease.
Creating Your Own Green Smoothie Recipes
As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to be careful regarding how much fruit you add, since fruit is high in natural sugar. When you’re whipping up a smoothie, focus on a ratio of sixty percent greens and forty percent fruit. While fruit can provide nutritional value, for a green smoothie, fruit is used to help minimize the bitterness of the leafy greens.
Since greens contain fiber, they will aid in digestion and can help to promote bowel regularity, while boosting the metabolism. Unlike juicing, you’ll get the whole veggie, leaves, stem, and all. When you juice, a juicer will remove the fiber portion of the plant, so you’re missing out on your daily recommended serving of fiber. When you make a smoothie, the blender pulverizes the entire veggie, which provides you with twenty to thirty percent of your daily fiber intake with just one glass. If you’re hesitant to try a green smoothie because many do have a powerful, earthy taste that some people don’t like, I recommend beginning with a milder tasting green veggies such as spinach. Over time, you can decrease the spinach content and replace it with other leafy greens such as chard or kale. Berries, bananas, and even mango will mask the bitterness of the greens and will give your drink a smoother, creamier texture.
Fortunately, these smoothies are very simple to make. Aside from a blender, you won’t need any special equipment.
Below, you’ll find several popular smoothie recipes, each of which has a low-calorie content and can work to curb your appetite.
Kickstart Your Metabolism Smoothie
This is a spinach based smoothie that will blend perfectly with oranges and strawberries. The almond milk will help to boost your metabolism and makes an excellent source of lean fats and extra protein. It will also give the smoothie a creamy texture. The protein content in almond milk can increase the thermic effect of food since more calories are needed to digest it. This will cause your metabolic rate to increase.
To make, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of almond milk
- One cup of freshly washed spinach
- A quarter cup of strawberries
- Half an orange
Detox Smoothie
This smoothie recipe contains broccoli, which like spinach, has a mild taste compared to other green veggies. Broccoli is also high in iron, potassium, fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Surprisingly, it’s also high in protein, compared to other veggies, which will provide a metabolic boost.
For this smoothie, you’ll need the following items:
- One cup of almond milk
- One cup of broccoli
- One tablespoon of honey
- A quarter cup of pineapple
- A half a cup of strawberries
Antioxidant Smoothie Recipes
This is another spinach-based smoothie and it’s loaded in antioxidants that can help to flush out your system. As you probably know, blueberries are another popular superfood and one that’s loaded with antioxidants. The sweetness of both the strawberries and blueberries can also help to satisfy your sweet tooth. Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, which can help to naturally increase your metabolism. These berries are also anti-inflammatory, which makes this smoothie a great choice as an after workout snack since these berries can help to minimize muscle soreness and can reduce bloat.
For this smoothie, you’ll need:
- One cup of water
- Half a cup of vanilla Greek yogurt
- One cup of spinach
- A quarter cup of blueberries
- Half a cup of strawberries
Green Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipes
If you’re new to making green smoothies, then this is another great green smoothie recipe to start with. The banana and strawberries nicely mask the taste of the spinach, giving it a milder flavor. You’ll notice that you mostly taste the fruit, with just a hint of vanilla. Bananas are loaded with potassium and can aid in digestion, weight loss, and promote heart health. However, bananas are very high in sugar, so you will want to limit how often you make this smoothie. It’s a great choice first thing in the morning, as a meal replacement, or it can make a great after workout snack.
To make this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One teaspoon of natural vanilla extract
- One cup of almond milk
- One cup of spinach
- One ripe banana
- A quarter cup of strawberries
Green Apple Smoothie Recipes
This is a nutrient-dense smooth that’s loaded with fiber. This smoothie has a very unique taste due to the vanilla, spices, and apple. This is a great smoothie for the fall, since it tastes just like apple pie. As you probably already know, apples are very high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. Because of this, this smoothie is very filling.
For this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of water
- One teaspoon vanilla extract
- One tablespoon chia seeds
- One cup of spinach
- Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
- Half a teaspoon of nutmeg
- A quarter cup of blueberries
- One Granny Smith apple, cored and peeled
Energy Boosting Green Smoothie Recipes
This smoothie is loaded with vitamin C due to the orange and pineapple content. Pineapples are an excellent source of folate, manganese, and vitamin C. they also contain bromelain, which is linked to a variety of health benefits including improved gut health, faster workout recovery, cancer-fighting properties, and an improved immune system.
To make this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of almond milk
- One cup of raw spinach
- Half an orange
- Half a cup of pineapple
Sweet Pea Smoothie Recipes
This smoothie is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Peas are high in fiber and contain protein. This will leave you feeling full, while also working to boost your metabolism. The high fiber and protein content will help to curb your appetite, aiding in weight loss.
For this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One teaspoon of honey
- One tablespoon of chia seeds
- One cup of almond milk
- Half a cup of blueberries
- Half a banana
- One cup of sweet peas
Cucumber and Mango Smoothie
This fruity tasting smoothie has a nice creamy texture and a sweet, mellow flavor. It’s also loaded with antioxidants and is low in calories. Since mangoes contain a wide range of antioxidants and soluble fiber, you’ll be left feeling full and energized. Mangoes are also an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A.
For this smoothie recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of spinach
- One tablespoon of flaxseeds
- One cup of water
Tropical Smoothie
This smoothie has a subtly sweet flavor, that’s slightly tart. It’s also rich in vitamins and antioxidants. This smoothie also contains carrots, which are high in beta-carotene, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin K, and fiber. Studies have shown that carrots can improve eye health and lower cholesterol levels.
For this smoothie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of water
- One tablespoon of flaxseeds
- One cup of spinach
- One peeled carrot
- Half an orange
- Half a cup of pineapple
Kale Smoothie
This smoothie includes blueberries and cherries, both of which are high in antioxidants. Additionally, kale is considered one of the most nutritious and healthiest greens around. It features a low-calorie content and it’s also high in calcium and vitamin C.
For this smoothie recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- One cup of almond milk
- One tablespoon of honey
- One cup of kale
- Half a cup of blueberries
- Half a cup of cherries
Tips on Making Green Smoothies Recipe
- Start off slow. You don’t want to overdo it with a high leafy green content. Not only will this result in a smoothie that overly bitter, but it can also cause indigestion. Remember, a green smoothie should consist of sixty percent greens and forty percent fruit. Shoot for one to two smoothies a day for weight loss, as a meal replacement or snack.
- Be creative. Don’t be afraid to try new veggies and combinations. Add ingredients based on your weight loss goals, how active you are, your current weight, and be sure to include foods you enjoy. For more smoothie recipe ideas, click here to read my guide on avocado smoothie recipes for weight loss.
- If you’re new to green smoothie life, make sure you start with leafy greens with a milder flavor, such as spinach. Spinach is very versatile and can be blended with a wide range of fruits and veggies. Cucumbers are another type of powerful veggie that offers a milder taste compared to kale and chard.
- Add nut milk for a creamier texture. Almond milk is a great choice since it contains healthy fats and is an excellent source of protein. Avoid using fruit juice since it’s high in sugar. Almond milk is also a great choice if you want to try making thick smoothie bowls since it can help thicken a smoothie and provides the type of texture that’s perfect for that type of frozen treat.
- Keep fresh and frozen fruits and veggies on hand. Using fresh produce can quickly become pricey. Buy in bulk when you see a sale and freeze whatever you won’t use for the week. This also applies to buying seasonal fruits and veggies in bulk.
Final Thoughts on Green Smoothie Recipe For Weight Loss
As you can see, making your own green smoothie can be a great way to eat healthy get your daily recommended servings of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and other nutrients, and it can help you make better food choices, especially if you think ahead and keep a prepared pitcher of your favorite smoothie in your fridge, ready to go.
Making the best green smoothie recipes for weight loss can help you reach your weight loss goals, if you’re careful about the sugar content and use a smoothie as a meal replacement or in place of an unhealthy snack. Green smoothies in general are very versatile. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative in the kitchen and create new combinations of fruits and greens, nut milk, and toppings for a bigger boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients.