Low Calorie Smoothie Recipes

Benefits of a Healthy Low Calorie Smoothie. Healthy low calorie smoothie recipes will make you one of the most nutritious — and delicious — meals on earth. Healthy low calorie smoothies are loaded with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes that come in a whole-food form.

The fruits and vegetable blended together in healthy smoothie recipes provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber that will do wonders for your health — and strengthen your body’s defenses against disease.

In addition, when fruits and vegetables are blended, the plant fibers are broken down just like when you chew them; the blender literally does most of the “chewing” for you. And chewing food more thoroughly means that you'll absorb more of the nutrients.

Healthy Smoothies Detoxify Your System. Healthy low calorie smoothies retain the fiber from the fruits and the vegetables you use. The fiber works to improve digestion and helps your body naturally rid itself of toxins. Fiber also helps you feel more satisfied, and maintains that feeling longer.

Best Ingredients to Use for
Low Calorie Smoothie Recipes

Most smoothie recipes use ingredients from 3 primary categories: a liquid base, fruits and vegetables.

Water can be used as a starter for your low fat smoothie; it has the lowest amount of calories — zero. Then there's low-fat milk, yogurt or some type of dairy-free milk substitute such as almond milk, soy milk, rice milk and others. These typically have between 70 and 150 calories per 8oz. serving; check the nutritional label on the package.

The table to the right lists the calorie, carb and fiber content of the most common ingredients used for making smoothies. Use it as a guide when creating your own low calorie smoothie recipes.

Stevia — the No-Calorie Sweetener.
If you want to sweeten up your low calorie smoothies, the best sweetener to use is stevia.

Stevia is an herbal extract that's 300 times as sweet as sugar. It comes in powder, liquid or tablet form and has no calories. Stevia also does not raise blood sugar levels and is safe for diabetics.

If you need a good source for stevia products, iHerb.com has over 70 to choose from! And at iHerb, you'll get $5 off your first purchase!

Chilling Your Low Calorie Smoothies

Is there's anything more satisfying than a cold, creamy smoothie? There are two ways of chilling your healthy smoothie recipes:

• Ice Cubes — a good way of thinning down a smoothie that's too thick and chilling it at the same time.

• Frozen Fruit — has the advantage of not diluting the taste, and also giving your healthy smoothies a creamier texture. It's very easy and convenient to create a stash of frozen cut-up fruit, so you always have some on hand.

Optional Ingredients
for Your Low Calorie Smoothie Recipes

Optional ingredients for any healthy smoothie recipe that will increase the nutritional value, protein and fiber content of your smoothie include:

Superfoods such as chlorella, spirulina, acai, goji berry and others give your smoothies extraordinary antioxidant content and other nutritional benefits. Superfood products require very small portions — and have incredible high nutritional value. Check the nutritional labels for specific calorie content per serving.

Hemp Protein Powder adds protein, healthy omega-3 fats and fiber to your smoothie. Nutiva makes two excellent hemp protein products that add just 120 calories per serving.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves have higher concentrations of antioxidants than any fruit or vegetable, and add their warm spiciness to your healthy smoothie recipe.

Low Calorie Smoothie Recipes

You can use any of the recipes listed on this website to create your own low calorie smoothie recipe. Most of them are already low in calories, since fruits and vegetables are the primary ingredients; use the chart above to select your ingredients and just use a liquid starter that's low in calories, too. Click on the link for the specific type of smoothie you're interested in.