Smoothies are not only healthy and nutritious but also can help you lose weight. Knowing what is the best time to drink a smoothie for weight loss is necessary because different times of consumption have different impacts on the body and learning these timings to achieve particular goals can prove to be very beneficial.
So, what is the best time to drink smoothies for weight loss? In the morning as a replacement for your breakfast, or you can replace your lunch with a smoothie. But make sure that you are not doing both, for that can ultimately lead to deficits of important nutrients. We should also make sure that our smoothies are well balanced in terms of nutrition. It is also important to remember to keep our smoothies sugar-free and unsweetened. For getting a sweet-tasting smoothie you can simply add in fruits that are naturally sweet.
It is important to remember that including smoothies in your diet is a way to switch up things and to have fun. You can always play around with the ingredients. You can add berries, fruits, nuts, veggies, etc. You can also add other additives like matcha, protein powder, maca, etc. Remember to keep experimenting by switching up the recipes every once in a while. Doing so will keep the experience interesting, which in turn will make sure you stick to your journey to better the health of your body.
Table of Contents
Foods To Boost Your Metabolism
Here is a list of food you can add to your smoothie to help get a better result and boost your metabolism and burn fat
| Food | Benefits |
| Nuts | Almonds, walnuts, pecans.
Provides good fats and protein |
| Berries | High in fiber
High in antioxidants Helps burn fat |
| Tea | Gives a natural boost of energy
Antioxidants in tea may help accelerate fat-burning by aiding the liver in converting fat to energy |
| Chili pepper | Capsaicin, the compound found in pepper helps the body in converting food to energy and accelerate abdominal fat loss, also works as a natural appetite suppressant |
| Grapefruit | High in phytochemicals that stimulate the production of the hormone adiponectin which helps the body break down fat |
| Leafy greens | Full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber |
| Whole grain | Like oats and brown rice
High fiber Slow-digesting to keep you fuller for longer and fuel the body |
| Avocado | Healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins |
| Flax seeds | High in omega-3 fatty acids |
| Dark chocolate | 70% or more cacao content is an important part
Cacao contains high concentrations of polyphenols that push the body to burn fat |
Things To Keeping In Mind While Making A Smoothie
How To Make Your Smoothies Healthy
Smoothies can be made with almost anything, it mostly consists of liquid, fruits or veggies, some seeds, nuts, you can top it with some chocolate, granola, coconut crisps and you can also add some supplements like matcha, protein powder, maca. But the key to making it healthy is all about the right balance of everything.
Let’s start with a good protein source like nut butter, chia, flax seeds, hemp, or yogurt. You can also go for nut milk like almond milk. Fat is another important factor which also is the key factor in a smoothie, a good fat source can be sesame, hemp, chia, flax or flax oil, coconut meat, full-fat yogurt, and coconut yogurt. For an additional nutrition boost, we can add some matcha, acai powder, cacao, and herbs like parsley or cilantro, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and turmeric.
Don’t forget to try something new, try mixing up the ingredients, experiment with flavors while also keeping an eye on nutrition intake. If you use some berries, matcha, and coconut this week, try veggies, pineapple, hemp the next week.
Can Green Smoothies Be Healthy?
In one word, Yes. Green smoothies consist of leafy veggies like spinach, kale, parsley, swiss chard, which provide calcium, fiber, and vitamins like A, C, and K while also packed with powerful phytochemicals.
Green smoothies are also a great way to meet the daily recommended amount of vegetables, research shows that plant-based diets reduce the risk of chronic disease and cancer, so there’s another reason to add greens to your smoothie. Leafy vegetables, in particular, are linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and also slows the age-related cognitive decline. A hand full of greens will usually add to the smoothie taste better.
Can Fruit Smoothie Be Healthy?
While adding fruits to your smoothie has a lot of benefits like high anti-inflammatory benefits and added antioxidants. You can balance that extra sweetness by adding some veggies like spinach, kale, swiss chard. Which provides calcium, fiber, vitamins, and proteins also keeps blood sugar in check and helps control cravings and hunger.
When buying bottled smoothies keep in mind that you lose control over the nutrients and taste of the smoothies also the quality and quantity of the ingredients can vary from your likings. These smoothies have preservatives and artificial sweeteners, fruit concentrates, and a large number of unhealthy fats. Generally packed with sugar and calories from sweetened dairy products or fats which may take you off your goal of losing weight.
If it’s about once in a while then it is not that big of an issue but if you jump regularly to your supermarket for a smoothie then it will come with more to lose than benefiting your health.
Is A Meal Replaceable By A Smoothie?
Having a smoothie as a meal replacement could be a healthy option but in order for that, you need a proper balance of nutrition. It is very important to make sure that your smoothie contains a mix of food that is similar to a meal. If you just blend some fruits it’s not a proper meal replacement, but if you add some seeds, nuts, some matcha or protein powder, veggies, then it’s a great meal replacement.
A well-balanced smoothie will have a cup or two of fruits, 1-2 spoons of fat, some veggies, a cup of protein, You can experiment depending on if it’s a snack or a meal. Remember no smoothies right before bed.
Smoothie is a great and healthy breakfast or snack option, it boosts you with energy and may disrupt your sleep, which is not a good idea for a bedtime meal or dinner replacement.
Blending The Best Smoothie
Consumption of calories depends on various factors like a person’s age, height, weight, hormones, levels of activity every day, etc. Most people do just fine with snacks that contain less than 200 calories. It is also advised that an adult should consume breakfast ranging from 300 to 450 calories. Below are some tips which will help you blend up perfect smoothies without being heavy-handed on the calorie front.
Fruits
Use 1 cup of fruits like bananas, strawberries, pineapples, blueberries, mangoes, cherries, peaches, etc for a thick consistency as well as a delicious taste. You can use either frozen or fresh fruits, both will taste the same.
Vegetables
Although adding vegetables to your smoothie can turn it green, it is a great way to boost up your smoothie game by a few levels. You can fill up your smoothie with antioxidants by simply adding some spinach or kale to it. These will also contribute to the creamy thick texture of the smoothie. If you are worried that your smoothie will end up tasting a little weird or funky, be assured that when a small serving is paired alongside fruits, the taste is almost unnoticeable.
Protein
There are two ways to incorporate protein into your smoothie. One is to add in naturally occurring sources of protein like yogurt, some tofu, or legumes like chickpeas or some cottage cheese. Adding these will increase the body of your smoothie and make it more creamy in nature. The other way to go is to use protein powder. In that case, you should be aware of what the protein powder consists of, what its ingredients are, and do your own research.
You must also make sure that they don’t have any artificial sweeteners added to them. While adding protein keep in mind other diet-related rules that you generally follow, like not consuming any dairy products in which case you can use almond protein, peanut protein, soy protein, etc.
Plant-based Fats
There are many healthy plant-based sources of fats like nut butter, seeds like chia, flax, hemp, etc, avocados, and many more which will help you make your smoothie more fulfilling and can also add a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids to it. But remember that using these alternative sources of fats will also make the overall calorie count of the smoothie rise prominently. Hence it’s best to use them in moderation. You can add in a tablespoon of any one of the nut butter or seeds or you can opt for a quarter of a perfectly ripened avocado to maintain the calorie count.
Liquid
Choosing the right kind of liquid for your smoothies is a big part of your smoothie game. You can choose between milk, plant-based/non-dairy milk, coconut water, fruit juices, iced tea, or iced coffee. If what you are looking for is a boost of protein, then it is preferable to go for milk. But if you already have a few other sources of protein then you can use coconut water or nut milk instead. Adding a bit of juice, which is not infused with artificial sweeteners is a great way to add some sweetness and flavor to your smoothie.
Flavor Boosters
You can add some extra flavors to your smoothie by adding a few sprinkles of cinnamon, cocoa powder, ginger, turmeric, matcha tea powder, etc. These will help you get an extra addition of health benefits along with a flavourful kick.
Grains
You can always add a handful of oats or other fibrous grains along with everything else to enhance the smoothie’s texture and get all the benefits that come along with it.
Ice
Adding a few ice cubes will make your smoothies chilled and refreshing. It makes the process of consuming the smoothie slower and hence more memorable
Common Mistakes While Blending A Smoothie
Starting your day with a delicious smoothie seems like the best way to start off your day. It also seems like the easiest way to get healthy. Just add some fruits, ice, and a splash of milk, and voila! Your smoothie is already. But what we fail to realize is that it is not so simple. Tiny mistakes can wreck your smoothie drinking experience altogether, starting from its taste to its health benefits. Here are some tips and tricks to avoid those mistakes.
Going Too Sweet
Adding sugar is like taking away more than half your smoothie’s health benefits. Consumption of sugar is considered a health evil. If you are using plant-based milk, make sure that it is sugar-free or unsweetened. Instead, you can use naturally sweet fruits like bananas or berries. You can add some dates if you wanna make something that is more of a dessert than a drink. Almond milk is also naturally sweet. If you find your smoothie to be too sweet for your liking, you can always add some lemon or lime juice to create a balanced taste.
Overdoing It With the Powders
Although we get a variety of nutritional powders that can potentially be added to our smoothies, not all of them are necessarily good for us. We shouldn’t blindly trust any and everything from a jar without educating ourselves about the product first. We can do so by reading the ingredients and by doing our own research on them. We can also consult with our doctors on what ingredients are safe and what aren’t. These powders usually have a lot of artificial sweeteners, GMOs, and other harmful ingredients added to them.
Under-Blending
While blending up the smoothie the most important thing is to take enough time to blend everything properly. Smoothies sure are quick to make. Let’s be realistic here, blending it for a couple of seconds isn’t going to do anything to the fruits and other ingredients. Smoothies are to be smooth and silky in texture and free of any lumps. This is why it is necessary to blend the smoothie for at least a minute to achieve a smooth texture. Using lesser time may result in the smoothie being a lumpy mess.
Not Adding a Thickener
A smoothie is to have a thick, creamy, and silky body to it. To achieve the same, adding fruits that have thick flesh is necessary. You can add fruits like bananas, apricots, mangos, peaches, etc. You can also add a few tablespoons of pre-soaked chia or flax seeds which are full of omegas, adding an extra dosage of health into the smoothie. all these will help with the thickening of your smoothie and help get the creamy texture.
Adding the Kitchen Sink
You may be tempted to add all of your favorite superfoods like quinoa, kale, avocados, sprouts, spirulina, berries, etc to your smoothie. But it is advised to pick any three. It is important that we resist the urge to add all of the superfoods for the smoothie may end up tasting a little weird and smelly. Maca powder is an excellent superfood that will go along with the fruits without altering the taste much.
Sticking to a Recipe
It is although important to follow the rules in certain aspects of cooking, smoothies are not those aspects. Here you can let your creative juices flow and experiment with various kinds of ingredients. You can switch out the milk for a different kind of milk or you can add or take away a few fruits or berries. You can make up your own recipes catered to your taste buds. Focusing on what you and your body need and want is important and this is an aspect of food where it is completely under your control.
Using Too Much Ice
We may want to have our smoothie fairly chilled for that kick of refreshment. But what we don’t realize is that by adding too many ice cubes we are restricting the good fats from the nuts, flax seeds, coconut oil, etc from getting incorporated into the smoothie. One solution to this is to add in the ice cubes at the very end after all of the good fats have already been fused with the rest of the ingredients. Another solution is to freeze some of the juice from the fruits and some of the milk that you use to make the smoothie in ice trays and to use them instead of ice. This will help maintain the consistency of the smoothie and give you your well-deserved boost of freshness all at once.
Adding All the Liquid at Once
You may think that adding all of your liquid such as the milk and the juices will save your time. But what that will actually do is it will thin out your smoothie. It is better to add some of the liquids, then blend in the solids like the frozen or the fresh fruits, the greens, nuts, seeds, oils, ice, etc. After all of that is well blended, check the consistency, and then add extra liquids if you feel the need for it.
Using Under-Ripe Fruit
You may think that even though fruit is under-ripe to be eaten as a whole, it will blend well into a smoothie and hence it will taste better. This is false. If you don’t like the taste of any fruit by itself or if you think that it needs to ripen more, then it’s best to assume that it won’t taste any better in a smoothie. Your smoothie is better off without it. It doesn’t matter how your smoothie looks, what matters is how it tastes.
Points To Learn Before Understanding What Is The Best Time To Drink Smoothie For Weight loss
Fruits And Vegetables; Fresh Or Frozen
We often tend to assume that fruits or vegetables when frozen become less healthy than a fresh batch of fruits and vegetables. People assume that the nutritional value of frozen items is lesser in quantity as well as quality. What we don’t know is that freezing the produce when it is at its peak ripeness helps it retain most of its nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc, and is also a great way to prevent them from getting wasted. Research shows that some fruits and veggies retain more nutrients when compared to the fresh versions.
A study showed how the vitamin c content in certain fruits and veggies like corn, green beans, blueberries, etc is much much higher in the frozen versions than in their fresh versions. Blueberries get a 29% boost in antioxidants when frozen for 3 weeks whereas fresh blueberries lose phenolic compounds at a greater pace than when frozen. These happen due to the yield sitting out and oxidizing due to enzymes present in them. Freezing them prevents oxidation and ironically, keeps them fresh for longer. We should hence try to find a balance between both fresh and frozen fruits and veggies in our regular diet.
Benefits Of Smoothies Throughout The Day
In the Morning
Sometimes we find it difficult to manage our time in the morning and it becomes next to impossible for us to be able to prepare our smoothie from scratch every single day. Hence it is best to keep all the necessary ingredients required to make the smoothie ready and good to go in the blender cup itself. This way you will not only save time, but you also will see that you are being more regular at cultivating this new habit. This will ensure that you’re beginning your day with a healthy and balanced serving of fruits like bananas accompanied by oats and some greens.
Before Workout
Smoothies need to be modified depending on when you consume them and what benefits you are looking for. A pre-workout smoothie should be able to give you a boost of energy for you to be able to carry on with your workout with ease. It is hence suggested to add ingredients that contain protein and carbohydrates to your smoothie, which will provide you with enough energy to last you for the entirety of the workout session.
Post-workout
Post-workout smoothies’ purpose is to assist the body build and repair the muscles. It mainly focuses on recovery from the workout session. Adding protein to your smoothie can help you with quick recovery and keep you energized even after a tiring session of rigorous exercises.
Lunch On-The-Go
We all have our own busy days. Days when we don’t even get a chance to eat anything. But here comes the beauty of smoothies. It can be consumed with ease and speed even on these busiest of busy days. We don’t have to be miserable and sit through hunger, sacrifice those essential nutrients the entire day without any food. We can just prepare some smoothie in advance and drink it whenever we feel hungry.
Recipes
Green Tea – Pineapple Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of coconut milk
- ½ cup brewed green tea
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 banana
- 1 cup pineapple
- 15 grams of whey protein isolate
- 1 cup ice
Method
- Add Coconut milk, following by fruits and veggies
- Add protein powder and ice
- Blend well and add brewed green tea
- Blend until creamy
Matcha-Mint Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup matcha tea
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup celery
- 1 cup pineapple
- ¼ avocado
- ½ grapefruit
Method
- Add mint, spinach, celery, and matcha into a blender
- Blend until smooth
- Add remaining ingredients and blend again
