Low Calorie, Low Fat Smoothie Recipes
If you’ve ever been on a diet, you’ve probably heard and read everything there is to know about the benefits of a diet that’s low in fat. After all, fat is where most of our food’s calories come from, and we all know that eating more calories than we use throughout the day leads to weight gain. But maintaining a healthy, low fat diet is not that easy. For many of us, the temptation to eat something sweet and tasty is too great, even when we know we shouldn’t. Fortunately, there are some ways to give in to these temptations without sacrificing your figure. Low calorie smoothie recipes are a great way to do just that.
Low calorie smoothies are one of the best additions you could make to your diet, especially if you’re trying to control your weight. They provide you with lasting energy and essential nutrients such as fatty acids, various minerals and vitamins, fiber and some carbohydrates as well. You should also be using fresh ingredients – fresh fruit and vegetables – in your smoothies rather than powders and juices from concentrate. It has long been well known that fresh ingredients are high in health benefits. Some have even been show in studies to reduce illnesses and prevent disease. This is evidence for the power of low calorie smoothies to boost your immune system with their assortment of vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients.
What’s in Low Fat Smoothies?
An absence of fat comes hand in hand with the absence of calories. You could often think of them interchangeably. Your low fat smoothie recipes will be very similar, if not identical, to the low calorie ones. A common misconception about low fat foods is that you won’t feel as full when you eat them, as compared to foods that are high in fat. This is generally not true. Take, for example, a typical low fat smoothie. In a well made smoothie, you will use several types of vegetables, some fruit juice, maybe a little non fat milk and a banana. There’s very little fat in that combination, if any at all. But imagine eating all those ingredients on their own, all in one meal. It would certainly be a filling meal, especially given that fruits and vegetables are mostly made up of water, and water is quite filling. The other benefit of these ingredients is that they’ll keep you feeling full longer than fatty foods do. Because they travel through your digestive system more slowly, you won’t get hungry as quickly.
As you can see, there are many benefits to working low fat smoothie recipes into your diet, both nutritionally and practically. They’re good for your health, help you keep your weight down, help reduce and prevent illnesses and even keep you satisfied for longer. So the next time you’re tempted to eat something high in fat calories, try making a delicious low calorie smoothie instead. You’ll be glad you did!
How to Make Low Calorie Smoothies
Low calorie smoothies are just as easy to make as regular smoothies. Try some of the examples below!
Strawberry Banana Non Fat Smoothie
This is a low-calorie take on the classic Strawberry Banana Smoothie. It’s just as delicious and even more fun when you know it’s good for you!
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 8 fresh strawberries
- 1 cup yogurt (non-fat)
- 1 packet sugar substitute of your choice
- 2 cups crushed ice
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together and blend them until you’ve got a delicious, creamy smoothie. You know how it works – just press the button, wait 30 seconds and enjoy your healthy drink.
Low Fat Wheatgrass Smoothie
When you think of wheatgrass, don’t you just “healthy”? This is an excellent smoothie recipe that is both low in calories and high in healthy goodness. If you’re not familiar with wheatgrass, we recommend getting the kind made by a company called, Amazing Grass.
Ingredients:
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 4 fresh strawberries
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup wheatgrass
- 1 cup crushed ice cubes
Directions:
Just blend it all together and give it a try. If you’re new to wheatgrass, you may be initially surprised by the taste. But it’s a pleasant taste and it’s very good for you. Wheatgrass helps with brain function as well as cleansing of the digestive tract.
Low Fat Frozen Blueberry Smoothie
Blueberries are always a favorite ingredient in smoothies and they’re healthy too. Aside from being high in antioxidants, they’re low in fat. You’re sure to love this easy recipe.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt (non-fat or low-fat, your choice)
- ½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries
- ½ cup skim or non-fat milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ cup ice cubes
Directions:
Just like most other smoothies, just blend all the ingredients together, adding the ice at the end. Get the mixture to a creamy smoothness and you’re done!