35+ Healthy Smoothie Recipes {plant based friendly!} • Fit Mitten Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest thing to put in a smoothie? ›

Vegan smoothies can indeed be spectacular and a healthy part of your plant-based diet. Here are some guidelines to creating healthy plant-based smoothies. And if you're not up for rules, just try one of our eight heart-healthy smoothie recipes.

This can be milk, or a dairy-free alternative such as soya or almond milk, natural or flavoured yogurt, fruit juice, or for a tropical flavoured smoothie, low-fat coconut milk or coconut water. It's important to add the liquid to your blender before adding the fruit, as this will prevent the blade from getting damaged.

For those who want to consume smoothies with bananas, or other high PPO activity fruits and vegetables such as beet greens, the suggestion is to not combine them with flavanol-rich fruits such as berries, grapes and cocoa.

We know from previous studies that flavanols can be broken down by polyphenol oxidase. The extent of the effect from adding a single banana was still very surprising – it had enough polyphenol oxidase to destroy the vast majority of flavanols found in the berries.

The new study found that smoothies combining bananas with berries proved to decrease in flavanols (a key nutrient in berries) after being blended together. Considering the health benefits of flavanols, this presents a problem.

In conclusion, smoothies can be a great way to increase intakes of fruit and vegetables in our diet, which would have many health benefits. However, they may contain large amounts of added or natural sugars, which can contribute to dental problems and obesity.

Smoothies are high in sugar.

Free sugars include any added sugars (including honey and maple syrup) and are the kind we should all be cutting down on to protect our teeth as well as lower our energy intake to help maintain a healthy weight.

Can I drink veggie smoothie everyday? ›

Many people have found that adding smoothies to their daily routine helps to curb their cravings for unhealthy foods. Smoothies that contain green vegetables like kale and celery provide many health benefits. Here is some information about why drinking a green smoothie a day is good for your mind and body.

While they provide several health benefits, drinking too many smoothies can negatively affect your health. They can add a lot of unforeseen calories, especially when a smoothie is simply a beverage with a meal.

"Nutrient-packed, well-balanced smoothies can contribute to a healthy weight loss strategy, contingent upon the ingredients used, the macronutrient composition, and the satiety they offer,” said Routhenstein.

Add natural sweeteners: If you want to avoid added sugar, there are plenty of natural sweeteners you can add to your smoothie instead, such as honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. Start with a little bit and add more to taste until you find the perfect balance of sweetness for you.

Additionally, yogurt provides more protein than milk and can contribute to a smoothie's healthy, filling qualities. On the other hand, a smoothie with milk will be lighter and more fluid, but may lack some of the richness and tang of yogurt.

Adding vegetables is a great way to get in more vitamins and minerals. They're loaded with fibre and a variety of nutrients for all sorts of health benefits. Vegetables like kale, spinach, beets, and carrots are commonly used in smoothies. For extra hydration, cucumbers or celery work wonders.

In two separate research studies using berries, the berries plus other fruit when blended resulted in a lower blood sugar response compared to eating the fruit whole. In another study, consuming blended apple and mango led to a similar blood sugar response compared to eating the fruits in their whole form.