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These tasty smoothies for weight loss include low-calorie green smoothies and filling protein powder blends to burn fat and supercharge your metabolism. I’ve used scientifically-proven ingredients in each smoothie recipe to decrease body fat and reveal a healthier and leaner body.
Sign up for my Smoothie Challenge to get a comprehensive smoothie plan, weekly grocery lists and tasty recipes that are low in calories and get you results, naturally. If you wanna go even farther, try our Plant-Based Cleanse with daily smoothies and plant-based snacks and meals.
Table of Contents
Why Smoothies Help You Lose Weight
I started drinking smoothies for weight loss when I was in my 30s. I had two toddlers and was having a hard time losing the last 10 pounds after my second kid. Didn’t help that I was stress eating after a cross-country move and always felt too tired to work out. Something had to change.
I swapped my go-to breakfast (plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese) for a weight loss smoothie loaded with vitamins, hydration and fiber. My goal was to replace a bad habit with good one— and it worked. The energy boost from the natural sugars and minerals was almost immediate and the weight loss started that weekend. No joke.
- Fiber keeps you full: Blend a variety of fruits (banana, strawberries, oranges) and leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard) together to create a high fiber drink that’ll keep you full and satisfied.
- Simple portion control: Measure out the ingredients you add to the blender to make portion control easy.
- Proper hydration curbs false hunger cues: Use 1 cup of liquid (almond milk, water, coconut water) to hydrate your cells, curb hunger and help your body function properly.
- Ideal meal replacement: Using a combination of plant-based protein (chia seeds, protein powder, etc) and healthy fats (superfoods, nut butter, coconut milk) to create an ideal meal replacement.
- Burns fat: Use ingredients that are packed with nutrients and scientifically proven to burn fat.
I started having one of these healthy smoothies for breakfast every day. I was never hungry thanks to all the fiber. It took five minutes a day. And I loved how it tasted. I became obsessed with smoothies (that’s what led to me becoming a food blogger). Now I get to teach you how to blend a smoothie to achieve your weight loss goals.
10 Fat-Burning Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss
These fat-burning smoothies are low-calorie recipes that’ll nourish your body while boosting the metabolism. I can’t wait for you to see just how tasty and simple weight loss can be. These fat-burning smoothies are a great place to start if you want to eat more plants and nourish your body from within. Which one will you blend first?!
Meal Replacement Smoothie
343 calories | 10 g protein
This high-protein, high-fiber smoothie has an unexpected combination of oats, almond butter, banana and low-sugar blueberries to keep you full for a very long time. This is truly a filling and satisfying weight loss meal replacement on the go!
Creamy Banana Smoothie
364 calories | 18 g protein
Is it a dessert or a smoothie? This creamy, banana smoothie is healthy, tasty and packed with protein thanks to the raw cashews and homemade cashew milk.
Best Green Smoothie
203 calories | 6 g fiber
This is the best green smoothie on the internet (and for good reason). Our tropical treat is infused with spinach, yet no one can taste it— including our kids. Add a scoop of plant-based protein powder and you’ve got the tastiest weight loss smoothie.
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
155 calories | 9 g fiber
Beets are one of the best ingredients to blend when dealing with inflammation, which keeps our bodies from reaching their full potential. Fight inflammation head-on with this citrus-packed smoothie recipe.
Peanut Butter Smoothie
497 calories | 14 g protein
Plant-based nutrition is all about combining nutrients with flavors that make you wanna keep consuming it. This yummy chocolate-filled smoothie that uses frozen bananas has natural energy and helps burn fat, too.
Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie
371 calories | 26 g protein
If flavor is your jam, this tart vanilla smoothie is what is missing in your life. Pair it with frozen peaches, which are low in sugar and you’ve got yourself a high-protein, probiotic smoothie for breakfast.
Apple Celery Smoothie
275 calories | 19 g fiber
The green smoothie is a what you’d find celebs sipping at a 5-star wellness resort in Costa Rica. Fresh squeezed lemon juice, low-sugar green apples and fresh ginger root are all included for weight-loss benefits.
PINEAPPLE GINGER SMOOTHIE
263 calories | 9 g protein
If Venus Williams can drink this, we can too. If stronger and leaner is on your health goals, then sip this fresh ginger smoothie blended with naturally sweet pineapple.
Vanilla Matcha Smoothie
370 calories | 17 g protein
This high-protein (thanks to the addition of raw cashews), fat-burning, energy-boosting smoothie will satisfy your sweet tooth and can all be made in under 5 minutes.
What to Put in Smoothies for Weight Loss
Focus on blending ingredients that are scientifically proven to burn fat and boost metabolism, which leads to weight loss. It’s important that the calories we consume are quality calories, especially if we’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just improve our overall health.
ingredients proven to burn belly fat
- Soluble fiber: Soluble fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, oats and legumes, absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system. This helps keep you full, so you naturally eat less. Plus.
- High-protein: Observational studies show that people who eat more protein tend to have less abdominal fat than those who eat a lower protein diet. Adding a plant-based protein powder or unsweetened greek yogurt to your smoothies can be a great way to do this. If you’re doing HIIT workouts, using smoothies as a post-workout protein shake is highly effective in burning belly fat and promoting muscle recovery.
- Low-sugar foods: Using fruit as your natural sweeter is a great way to cut down on sugar (and avoid the highly processed refined sugars which contribute to belly fat). Using a combination of natural sugars and high fiber foods helps stabilize your blood sugar levels, which helps with weigh control.
- Green tea: Using chilled green tea as your smoothie base can help boost your metabolism and energy levels, thanks to the natural caffeine and antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate. According to one 10-year study, people who drink green tea regularly have nearly 20 percent less body fat than those who don’t. And EGCG, the unique ingredient in green tea, can deactivate the genetic triggers for diabetes and obesity.
ingredients to avoid when trying to lose weight
- Fruit juice: Avoid using any kinds of fruit juice in your smoothie because it adds extra sugars without the nutrients found in whole fruits. It’s much better to blend an apple, than to add apple juice to your smoothie wen trying to lose weight.
- Dairy: Milk, yogurt, protein powders that contain dairy can cause inflammation in the body… making it harder to lose weight and burn fat. We avoid these in all of our recipe below.
- Added sweeteners: Avoid honey, maple syrup, sugar, monk fruit, and stevia in your smoothies because they are high in calories and low in nutrients. Plus they can spike your blood sugar levels and train your taste buds to crave high sugar foods throughout the day.
Ingredient Combinations to Promote Weight Loss
According to studies, there’s certain food combinations that can help burn belly fat and lead to overall weight loss. We use these combinations in our healthy smoothie recipes to get the best weight loss results.
- Green apple and nut butter: Apples are chock-full of fiber, a nutrient that can help reduce visceral fat, paired with a healthy dose of nut butter can keep you feel full and aid in vitamin absorption.
- Avocados and spinach: This leafy green that can help you slim down by filling you up and giving you a healthy dose of vitamins K and A.
- Green tea and grapefruit: Blend grapefruit into your smoothie along with a chilled green tea, which contains pectin and polyphenols. Both of which have been proven to help people feel fuller and lose weight, according to a study published in Journal of Medical Food.
- Cacao and almonds: Packed with flavanols, cacao can prevent people from gaining weight, according to a study published in BMJ, and may increase energy expenditure.
- Oats and blueberries: Oats are high in fiber, helping you stay full. Toss in some berries and it’s a power combo! A study out of the University of Michigan found that rats who had blueberry powder mixed into their meals had less abdominal fat than rats on a berry-free diet after 90 days.
Weight Loss Smoothie Recipes FAQs
Swapping a meal for a smoothie can be a great way to lose weight. You’ll want to make sure your smoothie is packed with fiber, low in sugar and under 500 calories to help with portion control. Don’t add any sugars or sweeteners and choose a liquid base that is unsweetened. To keep you full, make sure your smoothie has healthy fats and protein to make it a complete meal replacement.
Look for a smoothie recipe that contains grapefruit and green tea to help burn fat. My fat-burning smoothie has these specific ingredients that boost the metabolism, plus healthy fats that are necessary for your body to break down carbs and protein.
A good smoothie with protein, healthy fat and whole-food carbs is a great combo for a healthy snack or meal that can promote weight loss. These weight loss smoothies contain a variety of spinach, mint, celery, green tea, grapefruit, pineapple and avocado.
Look for grapefruit, pineapple, mint, celery, leafy greens and herbs to help burn fat, especially around the belly. Try blending then together into a delicious smoothie to consume them easily and effectively.
The best way to get weight loss results is being consistent— and a daily meal replacement smoothie is perfect for that. Swap you typical breakfast for a fat burning smoothie to kick start your weight loss goals. This high fiber low sugar recipe is truly a healthy smoothie in 5 minutes or less.
Juicing and blending can both help with weight loss, yet only one is sustainable for the long run: smoothies. We believe committing to drinking 1-2 fat burning smoothies as a meal replacements is the most effective way to hit your weigh loss goals and maintain them for life.
Fat Burning Smoothie for Weight Loss
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 4 leaves fresh mint
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- ½ cup green tea cooled
- ½ grapefruit peeled and seeded
- 1 cup pineapple frozen
- ¼ avocado
- dash cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place spinach, mint, celery and green tea into blender.
- Puree until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Blend again. Best when served chilled.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- The pith and peel of the grapefruit are extremely bitter but are beneficial in small amounts. To lessen the bitterness of the grapefruit, remove the fruit from the inner membranes as well as peel before using.
- Drink 1-2 smoothies a day as meal replacements to get the weight loss benefits you’re looking for.
- Adding homemade protein powder is a great way to add high-quality protein that won’t affect the delicious taste of the smoothie.
Made this everyday for 5days. I had to mix things up because I didn’t always have the ingredients. Used banana 4xs this week but avocado today. I like it better with avocado. The first 2days I used grapefruit after that was oranges. The first 3days was spinach, last 2days was kale. The rest of the ingredients were the same, mint, pineapple, celery and tea. I liked how it tastes, the celery makes it interesting. I’m a breast cancer survivor and needed something to kick start my diet. People usually lose weight on chemo but I gained a lot of weight. I’m a eater, I’ve always celebrated my life with food so it’s hard for me. They removed my ovaries and I’m on estrogen blockers which doesn’t help when losing weight. Anyways, did this smoothie 5days this week as a lunch substitute. I still drank my coffee every morning on my way to work. Then had my usual dinners. I also walked 2 miles everyday this week. Started at 241 now I’m 237. Lost 4pounds this week! Hope this helps anyone who wants to try it.
Hi Deborah! Congrats on kicking cancer’s butt! (My mom is a survivor, also.❤️ ) Sounds like you’re doing great on your journey to wellness. Green smoothies + moving your body is an awesome way to get yourself on track! Keep up the awesome job, we’re cheering for you! 🙂
When you say 1 stalk of celery do you mean the whole thing? Or 1 piece of celery?
Hey Blanca. There are roughly 8-9 stalks in one bunch of celery. This recipe calls for just one of those stalks. You can also watch Jen make this smoothie + explain all the ingredients. It’s in the video below the recipe. 🙂
Can you pre make these smoothie up minus the tea with all other ingredent chopped, measured and ready to blend and then freeze them?
Kale yeah you can, Lauren! 😀
We love to prep our smoothies ahead of time. Makes things so much easier when it comes time to blend. Here’s an article that talks all about smoothie prep: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-prep-smoothies
Thank you! I would love to try this next time i go grocery shopping!
YAY! We can’t wait for you to head to the grocery store, Akina. Make sure and reach back out and let us know what you think!
Hello
Thanks for the recipe. I can’t tolerate pineapple, it upsets my tummy. Can you suggest an alternative please.
Olivia,
Not friends with pineapple, we hear you! Some of my favorite swaps are oranges, mangoes, and peaches. Happy blending!
Thank for the information you have provided so that I can lose weight
You’re welcome, Michelle!
This receipe above sounds great but the problem is…….if you are taking meds for cholesterols — you can not have grapefruit, or too much grapefruit. It affect the liver. So…….what can you use to sub the grapefruit?
Thank you
Hi Helen! You can sub an orange for the grapefruit. 🙂
The 7 day smoothie plan is the smoothie in place of a meal?. If Not does it matter what time of day you have the smoothie?
Can you have the smoothie at 3pm before going to the gym . Then eat dinner at say 5:30.
Hey Karen! You can drink the smoothie in place of a meal, with a meal, or as a snack. As long as you are drinking at least one green smoothie each day. The time of day doesn’t matter, do what works best for your schedule. You could have it before going to the gym although I don’t recommend drinking it immediately before beginning a workout. Happy blending! 🙂
I would love to try your recipe.
But my medication for blood pressure states … definitely NO grapefruit ..
Is there any alternative I could use please .
Thank you
Hey Mosie, sub an orange in place of the grapefruit. 🙂
Can I still use a whey protein powder before and after workouts in conjunction with your smoothie?
Hey Pete, you definitely can. We prefer to used plant-based protein powders, and we sell one that’s *amazing* but if your go-to protein powder is whey, then go for it! 🙂
Hello, can you substitute the grapefruit with beetroot in this?
Thanks
Maria
Sure, Maria. You can tweak this recipe to fit your tastes and what you have on hand. 🙂
Hello i tried it and it is good! , but is there a recommendation on how many times a day we should drink it ? and one more question does it work for you does it actually burn fat?!!!
Hey Gracie, many folks in our community usually drink 1-2 smoothies a day. Some have one for breakfast and one for lunch or dinner and some will drink one in the afternoon as a snack. There’s nothing set in stone about how many or when to drink them. 🙂
What’s the shelf life of the smoothies? Could I make them overnight in advance?
Hi Michelle! You can def make them in advance. Green smoothies will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator and a week+ in the freezer. Many in our community make their smoothies the night before; if they have to get up super early, don’t want to wake up the rest of the household with a loud blender, or just want to grab and go on the way out the door.
Store your pre-made smoothie in an airtight container and make sure to leave a bit of room at the top if you plan to freeze it. Obviously, it will be ready immediately if you store it in the fridge and if kept in the freezer, it will thaw in about a day after moving it to the fridge, less if you put it on the counter or in your lunch bag, etc. Either way, make sure to give it a good shake before you drink it. Separation will occur and it’s ok that it does (there are no gross additives or preservatives in it to prevent separation but that’s a good thing!!).
Happy blending! 😀
Hi,
I’ve been doing this fat burning smoothie for a week now …. do you have any more recipes for fat burning?
I bought your book but it’s got everything but fat burning smoothies.
Hi Rose, we have a few other recipes for smoothies that specifically help with weight loss. Type “weight loss” into the search bar on our Recipes page. The Chocolate Weight Loss Smoothie is pretty tasty. 🙂
Looking forward to trying this. Lesley UK
Let us know what you think!
M gna try this nice.. Thank u!
You’re welcome!