Ingredients for Healthy Fruit Smoothies
The best low fat smoothie recipes require the right combination of delicious fruits to get the best flavor. Who says healthy food doesn’t taste good?
All of these delicious low fat smoothie recipes are missing one ingredient commonly found in smoothie shops: ICE. When ice gets warm, it turns into water, and nobody wants a watery smoothie. Instead, these low fat smoothie recipes all use frozen fruit, whether it be store bought in the bag or cut up by hand and stored in freezer bags. Leaving out the ice allows more room for fruit, juice, and supplements for a better tasting smoothie. Plus frozen fruit is easier to blend than ice so it will help your blender last longer.
Fruits
- Strawberries – Commonly found in many smoothie recipes, strawberries have an over-powering flavor and should be used in moderation
- Pineapple - A great combination of sweet and tart, pineapple is found in many low fat smoothie recipes as it compliments other flavors nicely
- Peaches - A sweet fruit found in many desserts, we use frozen peaches to replace ice and to avoid added sugar and calories found in the syrup of canned peaches
- Bananas - We use fresh bananas to preserve the flavor and because they provide a good smooth texture to the smoothie, eliminating the need for yogurt in most cases
- Honeydew Melon – Light and sweet, honeydew is a delicious fruit that makes a refreshing smoothie. These will need to be bought fresh, diced into 1 inch cubes, and stored in freezer bags. One small melon provides hneydew chunks for weeks
- Mixed Berries - These come frozen and typically consist of raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Be sure to blend berries a little extra as they typically take longer, and be sure to use extra yogurt for a smooth texture
- Apricots - Also used fresh rather than frozen, Apricots are very sweet and juicy when ripe. Best of all, the one large seed in the middle makes the easy to prepare.
Supplements
- Protein Powder (whey or soy) - Protein is an essential building block of muscle, and is essential for building muscle and post-workout recovery. Whey protein expands quite a bit when blended, so be sure to accommodate by leaving a little room in your blender for it. Be sure to stick to vanilla-flavored protein powder so it does not modify the taste of the smoothie.
- Creatine - Great for muscle recovery, creatine increases muscle energy and enhances your workouts. Creatine is typically available in capsules or powdered drink mix, which makes a great addition to a low fat smoothie.
- Fat Metabolizer - Fat Metabolizers are available in pill and powder form from a variety of places, such as your local GNC. When you start using a fat metabolizer, do not be surprised if you begin noticing a significant drop in appetite.
- Emergen-C - Emergen-C is a great supplement for helping enhance your immune system. Because it is designed as a stand-alone drink mix, it comes in variety of flavors. Choose the right flavor based on what you think will enhance the smoothie you make.
Yogurt
Yogurt helps give smoothies a smooth texture, especially when it does not contain any banana. To keep from altering the flavor of the low fat smoothie recipe, it is best to use Vanilla non-fat yogurt. Non-fat frozen yogurt can also be used to give the smoothie a more milkshake-like texture, and is especially ideal for coffee or mocha smoothies.
Nutritional Drinks
Pre-packaged nutritional drinks are great for making smoothies as a substitute for juice because they can give a smoothie that milkshake-like texture as well. Nutritional drinks are flavored, so stick to vanilla or one that suits the smoothie you are making.
- Boost Nutritional Energy Drink - Available in 3 flavors, Boost provides 26 essential vitamins and minerals in one serving. It provides as much calcium as an 8 ounce glass of milk, but is lactose-free
- Boost High Protein - Boost high protein offers the same value as the original Boost, but with 15 grams of high quality milk protein per serving, which replaces your need for protein powder and makes the smoothie easier to blend
I love these recipes!