Best Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss

Can you drink a smoothie while intermittent fasting? Absolutely. As long as you’re within your eating window, you can eat and drink whatever healthy foods you want.

Will smoothies help you lose weight? That’s a tougher question. While there are plenty of healthy smoothie recipes for weight loss, a word of caution is in order. 

In recent years, smoothies have acquired a near-mythical status as a health food, and it’s true that they can be a healthy addition to your diet, depending on what ingredients you use. They can also be high-carb calorie bombs that sabotage your weight loss goals while hiding behind a healthy halo, particularly if you drink the commercial variety.

As with other liquids, it’s easy to overindulge and drink far more calories than you intend to with smoothies, especially if you use unhealthy ingredients. If you want to lose weight, homemade weight loss smoothies, where you’re in control of the ingredients and the calories, are your best option — but use your head. Avoid sweetened non-dairy liquids or anything with added sugar, and leave the sugar on the table. So what are the best smoothie recipes for weight loss?

Smoothie recipes for weight loss

If you practice intermittent fasting and follow a keto diet, you’re in luck — the recipes below are all keto. And if you substitute unsweetened almond milk for dairy, they’ll also comfortably fit into a paleo diet. And, if you are looking for a weight loss program that will fit well with your diet, take our quiz and find a program that will work best for you. Now without more ado, here are five easy weight loss smoothies we think you’ll love.

Strawberry-Avocado Breakfast Smoothie

(Makes approximately 5 cups)

If you’re looking for breakfast smoothies for weight loss, we recommend this simple recipe. If your berries are fully ripe your smoothie will be naturally sweet; it’s also packed with healthy fat to keep you full longer. And because it’s keto, it will help keep you in fat-burning mode even though you’ve broken your fast.

• 1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries*
• 1 ½ C unsweetened almond milk**
• 1 big avocado

Blend all ingredients till smooth.

*If you use fresh berries, make sure they’re chilled and add 6 – 8 ice cubes before blending.

** For a slightly thicker and much creamier shake, substitute ½ C. heavy cream for ½ C. of almond milk.

Creamy Chocolate Smoothie with MCT Oil

(Makes one serving)

Complement the flavor of this decadent chocolate smoothie with a pinch of cayenne or cinnamon.

• ½ C coconut milk (make sure it’s full-fat) or heavy whipping cream
• ½ avocado, peeled and seeded
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• ½ C ice
• 1 Tbsp MCT oil (optional; can be replaced with coconut oil if you don’t have MCT oil)
• Non-caloric sweetener of your choice to taste

Blend all the ingredients except the ice until smooth; if needed, add water by the tablespoon until you reach a suitable consistency. Add ice and blend till creamy.

LCHF Green Protein Smoothie

(Makes one serving)

If a sweet, fruit-based smoothie doesn’t appeal to you, this green nutritional powerhouse might be just the ticket. Packed with vitamins, trace minerals, healthy fat, and protein, it’s one of our favorite smoothies to break intermittent fasting with.

• 1 C. packed fresh spinach leaves
• ½ avocado, peeled and seeded
• 1 ½ tsp lemon juice (fresh-squeezed is best)
• 1 scoop low-carb protein powder
• 1 Tbsp MCT oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp flax seeds or flaxseed powder
• ¼ C. heavy cream*
• About ¼ C water — adjust as needed
• 4 – 5 ice cubes

Combine all the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth.*if you don’t eat dairy, you can substitute unsweetened almond milk

Keto Cinnamon Smoothie with Protein

(Makes one serving)

While the protein powder in this simple smoothie helps build muscle, the cinnamon has antioxidant properties and may even help balance your blood sugar.

• 1 C. unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp MCT oil powder
• 1 scoop low-carb protein powder
• 3-4 ice cubes (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. For a thicker, creamier (but higher-calorie) smoothie, replace ¼ C of the almond milk with ¼ C heavy cream.

Super Simple Blueberry-Coconut Smoothie

(Makes one serving)

The blueberries in this naturally sweet smoothie are chock-full of antioxidants to help protect against free-radical damage, while the coconut milk and MCT oil keep you feeling full.

• 1 C. full-fat coconut milk
• ¼ C. fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen berries will produce a thicker smoothie)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp MCT oil (or substitute coconut oil)
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional)

These simple smoothies are delicious, super-fast, and only contain a handful of ingredients. And because they’re made with full-fat ingredients, they’re also some of the best smoothies for intermittent fasting.

Feel free to share your favorite smoothie recipes in the comments below.

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