The Best Smoothie Ingredients to Help You Lose Weight
The most important aspect of weight loss smoothies is the ingredients that go in them.
With these healthy and delicious homemade smoothie recipes, you can give your body specific nutrients that suppress hunger, fight fat, and shed some pounds quickly.
Weight loss smoothie recipes are filled with ingredients that’ll boost your metabolism, curb your appetite, and bring satiety.
Here are some of the best ingredients:
- Kale – the star of the superfood show! Despite being very low-calorie, kale is full of antioxidants. This can help with inflammation, and ultimately aiding weight loss.
- Spinach – with its mild taste, there’s no reason not to add spinach to every green smoothie recipe. It has tons of vitamins, fights cancer, and supports bone health.
- Blueberries – eating berries in the morning controls your appetite later on. Aside from this reason alone, blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels.
- Strawberries – more Vitamin C than oranges (who knew?!), but with less sugar!
- Greek Yogurt – choose this as your base and you’ll get a high protein with half the carbs.
- Cucumber – almost entirely water, cucumbers still act as a powerful detoxifying ingredient.
- Lemon and Lime – your first smoothie hack comes in the form of this citrus! Besides its detox-abilities, it reduces the bitter taste of greens.
- Banana – perfect for breakfast smoothies, bananas fight bloat, and help with digestion. For all that sweetness, you’ll feel full longer, and get a nice boost of potassium to boot. Bananas are of the best fruits to eat for weight loss.
- Turmeric – aside from its cool, burnt-orange hue, it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Add that to its antioxidant capabilities and distinctly yummy taste and you’ve got a great smoothie add-in.
- Ginger – a digestion super-helper, ginger also boosts immune function. Fresh ginger also brings freshness and mask the bitterness of other ingredients like baby spinach and collard greens.
- Herbs – fresh herbs like mint, parsley, and cilantro can bring more than refreshing taste. They are a great source of vitamin A, C, and iron.
- Chia seeds, Hemp + Flaxseeds – when you need all the Omega-3-rich fiber without the carbs, reach for these.
- Protein powder – not all protein powders are equal, but some are cleaner than others. Besides whey protein, there are many variations to plant-based proteins. Choose one that’s void of artificial flavors, added sugars, and any unhealthy fats. Flavor-wise, stick to vanilla protein powder to have the maximum versatility. My favorite brand is the Garden of Life.
- Cocoa – or more accurately cacao powder is full of health-boosting nutrients. From reducing inflammation to managing glucose levels, a dash of cacao can add an array of health benefits. It’s a healthy way to make a decadent chocolate dessert smoothie and goes with many other superfood ingredients like ground chia seeds. It’s a healthy swap contender for your chocolate syrup.
