Kristen Fleming holds a Master of Science in Nutrition. Over her 8 years of experience in dietetics, she has made significant contributions in clinical, community, and editorial settings. With 2 years as a clinical dietitian in an inpatient setting, 2 years in community health education, and 4 years of editorial experience focusing on nutrition and health-related content, Kristen's expertise is multifaceted.
Our weight loss smoothies, when incorporated into a healthy diet, might help you achieve your desired goal the next time you are on the scale. It’s okay to doubt whether smoothies are good for weight loss because it’s true that many smoothies are calorie-loaded. How can you be sure to drink only healthy, low-calorie smoothies?
Weight loss smoothies include the right blend of ingredients, a maximum calorie count, and the fiber your body needs to shed pounds. Let’s start by sharing some smoothies that will wet your taste buds, before showing you tasty options with two weight-loss meal plans.
Are Smoothies a Good Way to Lose Weight?
Weight loss smoothies can help you lose weight with the right ingredients and nutrients. Here are five random smoothies from the coming weight-loss selection (11, 22, 15, 20):
Cherry Berry Oatmeal Smoothie
Peanut Butter Strawberry Kale Smoothie
Super Spinach Banana Smoothie
Unicorn Smoothie
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
But first, let’s help you understand what makes a smoothie healthy and good enough for weight loss.
What Can I Put in My Smoothie for Weight Loss?
A fat-burning, weight-dropping smoothie should combine well-balanced ingredients to create the desired effect. An unbalanced smoothie blend won’t provide the nutrients you need nor keep you full. The balance you need requires the following:
Protein: Protein is critical to staying full between meals and maintaining a healthy weight (7). Unsweetened yogurt, protein-fortified nut or oat milk, nut butter, and protein powder are some healthy options.
Fiber: Fiber reduces your appetite and slows digestion (21). Some fiber-rich ingredients include chia seeds, flaxseeds, fruit, vegetables, and legumes.
Healthy Fat: Healthy fats are essential in a balanced diet (10). Some healthy fats to add to weight-loss smoothies include nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Natural Sweeteners: Strawberries, peaches, blackberries, lemons, limes, honeydew melon, oranges, and grapefruit are flavorful natural sweeteners (17).
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3 Easy Weight Loss Smoothie Combos
Some ingredient combinations are tasty ways to lose weight with smoothies. Use these examples as inspiration to make low-calorie weight-loss smoothies with the ultimate combos.
Grapefruit & Green Tea: Eating half a grapefruit before meals has been associated with weight loss (26). Green tea contains catechins that may also help with weight loss via various mechanisms. It’s a heavenly combo that tastes delicious with nuts or seeds for protein and fat.
Almonds & Cacao: Cacao is rich in flavonoids, and a diet high in flavonoids has been associated with long-term weight maintenance (9). Adding baby spinach, flaxseeds, and coconut milk will make you want this smoothie every morning.
Blueberries & Oats: The blueberries add fiber and sweetness, while the oats provide whole grains and more fiber (1, 16). Add almond milk and nut butter to provide protein and healthy fat.
5 Weight Loss Smoothies for Belly Fat Secrets Unveiled
Smoothies to lose belly fat fast can include some of the following ingredients:
North Carolina researchers found that higher soluble fiber intake reduced the rate of visceral fat accumulation over 5 years (16). Aim for high-fiber smoothies with plenty of fruits, veggies, oats, barley, and legumes.
Oklahoma scientists found that quality protein intake was inversely associated with the percentage of abdominal fat(19). Add enough lean protein, including whey protein, nuts, and plant-based milk.
Yale University researchers found that women with higher waist-to-hip ratios secreted more cortisol in response to a stressful situation (24). Try cashews, spinach, berries, cacao, avocado, yogurt, oats, matcha, beets, and turmeric for potentially stress-relieving ingredients (1).
Boston researchers found that whole-grain intake may be associated with lower visceral belly fat (28). Oatmeal, flaxseeds, and quinoa add whole grains with healthy protein and more soluble fiber.
Iranian scientists found that added sugar in beverages may increase belly fat in diabetics (25). Try using whole fruits to sweeten smoothies.
What Not to Put in a Smoothie for Weight Loss
Weight loss smoothies to lose weight shouldn’t lack nutrients or have high calories.
Fruit juices already sweetened with added sugars(4).
Avoid adding sugar because it adds extra calories (13). This also includes raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar.
Choose your dairy additives wisely. The American Heart Association recommends low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt (8). Plant-based dairy is often even lower in calories.
2 Smoothie Diet Plans to Lose Weight You Must Try!
Try the 7 or 21-day challenge, depending on how committed you feel. The first diet plan is simple for beginners. The second plan requires more commitment. The recipes in both diet plans are courtesy of Eating Well, Eat This, Simple Green Smoothies, and Women’s Health Magazine (11, 12, 22, 29).
You should aim to reduce your calories by 500 daily to lose 1-2 pounds per week (6). So, these smoothies are under 400 calories to allow for two other meals and snacks, even if you’re cutting daily calories to 1,500.
7-Day Smoothie Weight Loss Diet Plan
Here’s a healthy breakfast smoothie for weight loss plan for each morning to get your day-kicking macros. The idea is to have a smoothie for breakfast and then the rest of your meals and snacks according to your individual calorie goal.
Let’s start you off easily with a strawberry banana protein smoothie for breakfast. It’s a high-protein smoothie packed with fiber and healthy fat from flax meal, non-fat yogurt, and nut butter.
Macros: 1 serving, 359 calories, 46 g carbs, 14 g fat, 19 g protein, and 10 g fiber
The cherry berry oatmeal breakfast smoothie is ideal for losing weight while starting your day with low calories and high nutrition. It tastes like a dessert smoothie while providing protein, whole grains, and a quick fiber fix.
Macros: 3 servings, 121 calories, 21 g carbs, 4 g fat, 3 g protein, and 3 g fiber
Pineapple’s tangy taste is ideal with fresh ginger, and this smoothie introduces the combo to high-fiber kale and chia seeds. It has plenty of natural sweeteners from the pineapple and oranges. Also, the high-protein smoothie is a healthy starter for the day.
Macros: 1 serving, 263 calories, 46 g carbs, 8 g fat, 9 g protein, and 11 g fiber
A green breakfast smoothie also starts the day with a well-balanced meal replacement. However, you can add more protein powder to increase the nutrients. Also, substituting the banana with nut butter could reduce the carbs and increase the healthy fat.
Mixing fresh fruit with low-fat yogurt makes an incredible breakfast smoothie. Note that the sugar content is high here. If desired, you can replace the fruit juice with water or plant-based milk to slash the carbs much lower and add nuts for healthy fat.
Macros: 1 serving, 279 calories, 56 g carbs, 2 g fat, 12 g protein, and 7 g fiber
Day 7: Peanut Butter-Strawberry Kale Smoothie (11)
Blending peanut butter, strawberries, and kale makes a well-balanced breakfast smoothie to end your 7-day diet plan. The soy milk increases the protein more, and you can skip the honey to reduce your added sugar. The smoothie will be sweet enough without honey.
Macros: 1 serving, 321 calories, 40 g carbs, 12 g fat, 12 g protein, and 6 g fiber
What is the 21-Day Smoothie Diet for Weight Loss?
We have a version of the 21-day challenge you can try. The original Drew Cougas 21-day smoothie challenge suggests eating two smoothies, one well-balanced meal under 200 calories, and two low-calorie snacks daily (23). Also, your total daily calories on that challenge are recommended to be less than 1,500, but you may need to increase that based on your individual requirements.
With this in mind, let’s give you 7 days’ worth of double smoothies with 350 or fewer calories each to allow leftover calories. Cycle through the 7 days 3 times to complete the challenge. Additional recipes here are courtesy of Hurry the Food Up and Running on Real Food (15, 20).
The meal replacement smoothie for weight loss uses blueberries, almond butter, almond milk, banana, kale, oats, and protein powder to give you a well-balanced treat.
Macros: 1 serving, 343 calories, 50 g carbs, 14 g fat, 10 g protein, and 9 g fiber
A simple blackberry smoothie has plenty of nutrients to keep you full and includes a dessert-like taste. The blackberries and bananas provide enough sweetness. Drop the honey to cut down on sugar, and use fat-free yogurt.
The anti-inflammatory smoothie uses beets, kale, oranges, berries, pineapple, ginger, water, coconut oil, and chia seeds for the meal replacement smoothie. This weight loss smoothie requires no changes to fit a healthy diet.
Macros: 2 servings, 155 calories, 28 g carbs, 5 g fat, 4 g protein, and 9 g fiber
Green smoothies are plentiful, but this meal replacement smoothie for weight loss has it all. It packs a blend of grapes, water, kefir, spinach, lemon, avocado, ginger, cilantro, collagen powder, salt, and cucumber. It’s gut-healthy!
Macros: 1 serving, 259 calories, 43 g carbs, 6 g fat, 18 g protein, and 6 g fiber
Cranberries and apples make an excellent combo, but remove the honey to reduce the sugar, if you prefer. Otherwise, the yogurt, water, and cinnamon wrap it up nicely.
Macros: 1 serving, 315 calories, 60 g carbs, 4 g fat, 14 g protein, and 7 g fiber
Are you looking for one of the highest-fiber smoothies for weight loss? You found it! The apple and celery smoothie also includes spinach, fennel, ginger, lemon, chia seeds, and water. It requires no changes for a meal replacement smoothie.
Macros: 1 serving, 275 calories, 52 g carbs, 8 g fat, 8 g protein, and 19 g fiber
The super spinach smoothie has plenty of protein and fewer carbs than most. It uses spinach, bananas, peanut butter, and soy milk. It’s a 4-ingredient super weight loss smoothie to burn fat with high protein.
Macros: 1 serving, 310 calories, 37 g carbs, 14 g fat, 15 g protein, and 6 g fiber
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Apples make some of the best weight loss smoothie blends. This smoothie combines apples, carrots, bananas, coconut milk, lemon juice, ginger, turmeric, and ice cubes.
Beet smoothies are fiber-rich to burn belly fat fast! This smoothie uses plant-based milk, beets, zucchini, oranges, kale, protein powder, and dates to sweeten the deal. It’s perfect for weight loss with only 24 g of net carbs.
Macros: 1 serving, 258 calories, 35 g carbs, 4 g fat, 25 g protein, and 11 g fiber
The unicorn smoothie is a unique weight-loss meal replacement. It uses low-fat milk and yogurt, which you can change to fat-free or plant-based products to cut carbs. It also has blueberries, mangoes, raspberries, bananas, kiwi, star fruit, and chia seeds for color.
Macros: 4 servings, 257 calories, 53 g carbs, 3 g fat, 10 g protein, and 7 g fiber
Vegan smoothies are incredible options for weight loss meal replacements. This smoothie has carrots, almond milk, pineapple, bananas, and cinnamon. It adds protein with a vegan-friendly protein powder.
Macros: 1 serving, 289 calories, 47 g carbs, 3 g fat, 24 g protein, and 10 g fiber
Smoothie 2: Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie (11)
Let’s end your week’s cycles with a chocolate-flavored smoothie for weight loss. It has bananas, red lentils, fat-free milk, unsweetened cacao, and maple syrup.
Macros: 1 serving, 310 calories, 64 g carbs, 2 g fat, 15 g protein, and 9 g fiber
How Much Weight Can You Lose on a 3-Day Smoothie Cleanse?
Californian scientists followed 20 adults on a 3-day juice cleanse, where the participants restricted their calories to 1310 daily and only drank liquidized ingredients (14). The group lost an average of 1.7 kilograms during the cleanse, and they maintained about half of that weight loss after two weeks, however, this is a very short period to draw significant conclusions.
Is Water or Milk Better for Smoothies (Weight Loss)?
It depends on the other ingredients in your smoothie and what nutrients you need the milk to provide, if any. Whole milk provides 8 g of protein but 12 g of carbs per cup (18). Instead, macadamia milk only has 1 g of carbs with 1 g of protein per cup (3). Also, a cup of hemp milk has no carbs and 3 g of protein. Water provides only fluid.
Are Smoothies a Good Meal Replacement?
Well-balanced smoothies can be a meal replacement, but many people find that they don’t feel as satisfied after drinking a smoothie versus eating a solid meal. A well-balanced meal replacement smoothie should include protein, fiber, and healthy fats (7, 21, 10). Natural sweeteners are a bonus to make it taste well-rounded (17).
Are Smoothies High in Calories?
Traditional smoothies can contain hundreds of calories per serving. You’ll also find high-calorie smoothies to gain weight. High-calorie smoothies contain 460 to well over 900 calories per glass (2). Weight loss smoothies should be under 400 calories per serving.
The Bottom Line
Weight loss smoothies might help you shed pounds if you include them in a healthy, balanced, reduced-calorie diet. Start with the 7-day plan that replaces breakfast with smoothies. When you’re ready, embrace the 21-day challenge to enjoy tasty smoothies as part of a diet that helps burn fat and calories.
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