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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.
Can lemon be substituted for grapefruit? My medication prohibits eating or drinking grapefruit. thanks.
The recipe sounds really good. I read many comments but didn’t find any that said whether they lost weight. Did anyone lose weight using the Fat Burning Weight Loss Smoothie? If someone did, how many pounds per week?
Hey Jo— if you’re really wanting to lose weight, it’s about consistency. Healthy habits is how you gain momentum and the weight will continue to fall off. So a daily green smoothie just like this one is a great way to go. If you’re wanting more guidance and support, check out our 21 day cleanse which starts with a daily green smoothie, yet adds in plant-based snacks and meals as well. The results are incredible and you learn how to eat in a way that is tasty and heals the body in incredible ways.
It’s not quite that simple, though it does work. Time of day is also crucially important. Eating right before bed for example causes weight gain beyond “calories in calories out” because melatonin (the sleep chemical) naturally causes the body to store more fats
I agree Dean— there’s soooo many reason why we gain and lose weight. Yet embracing a simple healthy habit and doing it consistently does lead to long term results that stick. When you swap a meal with a smoothie just like this one, you are adding is tons of goodness that will help burn fat and feel amazing. Some other things that help are hydration, movement, sleep and mindset. They all play a role in getting our body to function at its best. I love talking about this stuff, so thanks for bringing it up!
What time of the day is best to have this smoothie? I usually like to eat oatmeal in the morning, should I switch it up? Also I have vegan protein soy powder, do you think this could be added into the smoothie? (:
Hi Pasha! Most of us love drinking our smoothies in the morning but really, any time of day that works for you is the right time to have your smoothie. If you want to switch it up you can or you can have your smoothie first and a little later, your oatmeal.
I love this smoothie it is one of the best I ever had and yes the avacado curves my appetite. Thank you for sharing:)
You’re welcome, Drea!
Hi, can a large batch of this be made, so that I can have it pre-made and drink it every morning before work? Or will it spoil after a day? Thanks
Hi Jaime! You can def make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge and/or freezer. It will last 2-3 days in the fridge and a week or more in the freezer. 🙂
Can i use matcha powder instead of green tea? If yes what liquid should i use it with? Also is this ok to drink if im breastfeeding? Im 5 months postapstum and want to loose some weight. I just heard mint reduces milk supply. Please let me know. Thanks.
Hey Tanya. Yes, you can use matcha green tea powder. Just sub water for your liquid base. As far as your other question, we’re green smoothie rawkstars but we’re not doctors and we encourage you to check with your doctor/ob-gyn/nutritionist since they know you, your body and your baby best. Happy blending! 🙂
What are some tasty smoothies with food that people aren’t allergic?
Selina, it just depends on what foods you are allergic to. We have tons of awesome recipes, I’m sure you can find some with ingredients that agree with you. 🙂 https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes/smoothies
Hello, what can I use to replace the mint leaves? Can I use matcha green tea powder instead of the actual tea ? Can I use avocado paste instead?
Hey Keona!
1. There’s not really a good replacement for the mint leaves so if you don’t like them or can’t find them in your grocery store, you can leave them out.
2. Yes, you can. Use 1/2 cup of water for your liquid base.
3. Do you mean homemade or store bought? I think either way, you’ll want to make sure there’s just avocado (plus maybe a little lemon or lime juice) and no other added ingredients.
Happy blending!
Thank you for this recipe! Looking forward to trying it. Is there any liquid additive to this ? i.e. water or coconut water?
Thanks again!
Hey Anabelle! The 1/2 cup of green tea is your liquid base. Plus, the 1/2 grapefruit (when blended) will add a nice amount of liquid.
When is the best time to have it in a day?
Hey Shemeer! You can drink this 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! 🙂
Last question for now lol , so do i have to use more ingredients than i would for a single serving? My blender will make at least 2-3 servings at once.
Keona, we want to help make green smoothies quick and easy for you so keep those questions coming if you need to! (We aren’t Difficult Green Smoothies, after all! 😀 ) Let’s say you want to make 3 servings at once. Take the recipe, multiply the ingredients by 3, add them to your blender and blend away. Then, divide your smoothie among 3 air-tight containers (we love mason jars for this). If you’re making them for that day or the next day, they are ok to store in the fridge. If you are making them for later in the week, then def store them in the freezer. So you could put 1-2 in the fridge and the rest in the freezer.
Hello , how do i make a week supply (7 days) without having to make it one smoothie at a time? I work crazy hours so i don’t have time to make one everyday
Hey Keona! You can do a couple things: 1. Prep a week’s worth of smoothies and put your prepped bags/containers in the freezer. When you’re ready for each day’s smoothie, take one out of the freezer, blend it and enjoy! 2. Blend a week of smoothies, put them in freezer-safe jars or containers, store them in the freezer, and take one out each day to drink. (Remember to account for time to allow the smoothie to thaw.) 🙂
So do i make them one at a time ? Using the steps ?
Depending on the size of your blender, you can make multiple servings (3-5 or more) at a time and then divide them among your mason jars or other airtight containers. Or you can prep and cut up all the fruits and veggies and make your freezer bags in assembly-line style.
Hello is there a way i can do these smoothies as a juice? My husband likes juices and not smoothies , i enjoy the smoothies
Hey Keona! I’d say probably just put the ingredients in a juicer. But I do want to go over a few pieces of juicing vs. blending info for you:
There are definitely arguments for both methods. What we can agree on is that blending and juicing are great ways to give your body incredible nutrients. Juicing will give you a more concentrated serving of nutrients, which can be a good and bad thing. This means that if a fruit has vitamin C in it, you’ll get much more vitamin C by extracting the juice because you need to use more fruit to get a full glass. The downside is that you aren’t getting the WHOLE fruit. You’ll be missing out on the fiber and all the other nutrients housed in the fleshy parts of the fruit. Blending gives you the whole fruit. Your body will be receiving ALL the nutrients. We also think that blending is less complicated than using a juicer, which is the primary reason we choose blending. We are, in fact, Simple Green Smoothies. 🙂
For more info on the two, check out this article: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/juicer-vs-blender
Hiya
Am a newbie to green smoothies am on medication so can’t take grapefruit will this affect the calorie loss if I sub an orange.
Also do I need to drink this everyday to see the benefits am trying to figure out what is the best ones to use for weight loss they also will be replacing my breakfast advice appreciated
Thanks
Hi Maeve! You can definitely sub an orange for the grapefruit in this smoothie, many folks have done that. It will affect the way the smoothie works a little bit. Keep all the other ingredients the same and you should be fine.
You can drink this smoothie each morning for breakfast if you like. Some folks like to have the same thing every day and some like to mix it up. We have a ton of other great recipes if you don’t want to drink the same thing every morning. Check out this post on Breakfast Smoothies for Weight Loss (https://simplegreensmoothies.com/breakfast-smoothies-for-weight-loss) and this one on Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss (https://simplegreensmoothies.com/healthy-snacks-for-weight-loss).
Hi there..
Can i swop the avo with something else?
Hey Liezl-ann! You can use banana in place of avocado but I’d suggest using a slightly green banana to keep the sugar content lower.