Healthy Smoothies: Best Smoothie Ingredients & 10 To Ditch

Best Smoothie Ingredients

Find out the healthiest smoothie ingredients and 10 to ditch.

Whether you enjoy smoothies for breakfast, a snack or even dessert, they’re a great way to increase your daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

But depending on the ingredients they’re made with, smoothies can quickly turn into unhealthy calorie-bombs filled with sugar and saturated fat. The healthiest way to enjoy a smoothie is to make your own so you know how much of and what foods you are getting. Wondering how to make a smoothie? A good smoothie should contain a blend of ingredients with protein and fiber to help keep you full and provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Best Smoothie Ingredients

Best High-Protein Smoothie Ingredients

• Nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt

• Nonfat or low-fat plain milk

• Nonfat or low-fat plain kefir

• Tofu

• Natural peanut butter

• Almond butter

• Plain soymilk

• Plain high-protein almond milk

Best Fruits for Smoothies

Best Fruits for Smoothies

Use fresh fruit, frozen fruit or fruit canned in water or its own juice.

• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)

• Mango

• Pineapple

• Peach

• Banana

• Apple

• Melon

• Cherries

• Apricot

Best Vegetables for Smoothies

Best Vegetables for Smoothies

Use raw vegetables.

• Carrot

• Kale

• Spinach

• Avocado

• Cucumber

Healthy Smoothie Additions for Flavor and Additional Nutrition

Healthy Smoothie Additions for Flavor and Additional Nutrition

• Flaxseed

• Chia seed

• Old-fashioned oats

• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)

• Vanilla extract

• Coconut water

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Smoothie Ingredients to Ditch

Smoothie Ingredients to Ditch

To keep your smoothie as healthy as possible, avoid adding these ingredients, which provide a lot of calories in the form of sugar and saturated fat, with little or no fiber or other nutrients.

• Sugar-sweetened fruit juice or concentrate

• Full-fat dairy products, such as milk or yogurt

• Flavored yogurt

• Whipped cream

• Ice cream

• Sorbet

• Sherbet

• Chocolate syrup

• Full-fat coconut milk

• Canned fruit in syrup

Healthy Smoothies: Best Smoothie Ingredients & 10 To Ditch