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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.
I want to try this weight loss smoothie but I’m allergic to pineapples . What can I replace with pineapples?
Great question! For those that can’t use pineapple, we’d recommend swapping in oranges or mangoes instead for this smoothie.
thank you so much I really appreciate your work here and you provide me best information which I need most thank you very much
Is there a way to substitute grapefruit with something else can’t have it because of my meds
pretty much any other citrus fruit works just fine.
Cant wait to try this out. I’ve just started on the smoothies for lunch or breakfast to avoid the carbs. Thanks to your recipe I shall get on this and hope to see the benefits of the weight loss.
So glad you’re blending! Weight loss can be a cool side effect, yet we hope you enjoy the added energy too!
best and interesting information would like to visit again
Love that you’re here, Rose!
I’ve been losing weight for a while now and I am happy with the results so far but I’m open to anything that’ll make it go quicker!
I burn (according to my fitbit) 3000-4000 calories a day on a normal days activities.
I am currently eating around 1300-1600 calories per day.
Is this smoothie designed to replace meals or to work along side them? All of my meals at the moment are of course calorie controlled/low saturated fat and high in fruits and veggies (up to 6 or 7 portions a day).
If I were to add this smoothie into my daily meal plan, would it help burn off more than the 218 calories it contains, or should I just stick with my current meal plan.
Thanks
Liam you’re a rawkstar!!! This recipe is designed to help turn on your metabolism and burn fat. If you’d like to make it a meal replacement to swap it out for one of your regular meals, you’ll want to add both clean protein (we love our homemade protein powder!) and a healthy fat. That will increase the calorie count of course, so it will depend on what works best for you.
Started drinking this at the beginning of Jan 2021. I still can’t believe my own eyes. I lost a whopping 15kg.
I had to lose weight for health reasons
Thank you
That’s amazing Stephanie! Rawk on!!
Thank you, Since we last spoke or written, I lost a further 10 KG. I feel so fantastic, I am off my BP medication for a month now and feel like a new woman. Even got asked to on a few dates.
You go girl!!! That has to feel SO good! Keep up the good work + keep us posted!
Can i do the green tea the night before to have it ready for the morning ?
Absolutely! Be sure to remove the tea bag at the end of the steeping time and store in the fridge until used.
I started making this smoothie every morning since January 5th. It is now February 4th and I am down 5.6 pounds. It works! I have also been incorporating more veggies into my daily routine and *trying* to work out. But this smoothie is what gets me motivated. It helps you start your day out on a great note! Try it!
That’s so awesome Jackie!!! You’re doing this the right way – one small change at a time. Way to rawk it!
I can’t wait to start using these smoothies in my quest to transition to a healthy lifestyle. I have several health issues which limits my physical activity. I am starting yoga and possibly lite walking. Will this be enough exercise, paired with the smoothies to really make an impact?
Absolutely Jenny!! Small steps are the better way to change your dietary and fitness levels. Making big changes all at once can totally lead any of us to giving up too quickly. Yet those baby steps, little by little and a positive attitude are the better way for lasting change. You’ve got this!
Hello…I’m really ready to lose some weight and start exercising. I was reading about this weight loss smoothie…it looks great but I was wondering if there is another that wouldn’t be so “veggie” tasting? I feel as tho if I’m gonna do this I want to be able to stomach it or enjoy it as much as possible rather. Thank you.
Hi Ashley! Rawk on girl! You can totally try out any of the additional weight loss smoothies we linked to toward the end of this article. Or just jump in and give this Fat Burning Smoothie a try! You’ might be surprised how much you like it… 😉
I made this and drink 2 -12 oz glasses of these a day in place of meals . I have lost almost 80 pounds
Holy moley Sherry!!! That’s amazing!! Rawk on girl!
Hi what quantity is a cup, a teacup?Thanks
Hey Chris – great question! We like to say a cup of spinach is about a good handful.
What does this taste like? Is it going to be sweet or veggie tasting?
Hey Sandra – While the pineapple does add a touch of sweetness, this is def not as sweet as other recipes containing things like banana, fig, maple syrup, etc. It’s more toward the savory or veggie end of things. 🙂
What would be a good substitute for similar benefits as the grapefruit and orange as I am allergic to both?
A granny smith apple!
I just made a different smoothie that had spinach, cilantro, ginger, frozen pineapple/avocado, lime juice, and a granny smith. It was amazing. Aparently granny smiths are fat burners too, from what I had read. I assume they would be great in any green smoothie.
Hi there Noella,
Great question! You can totally swap out orange or grapefruit using tangerine (if you can have those), papaya or mango. Check out our Rawkstar Substitution Guide for more helpful swaps!
I run cross country meets in the morning around 7-8 but I still need to eat something before I leave to have some energy when I run. Should I have the smoothie before I leave or would that mess with my stomach? Thanks!
Hey Aria. I used to run cross country! I would stick with oatmeal, toast with banana and almond butter 1-2 hours before the race and then have my smoothie after the finish line. Store it in a thermos so it stays cold. This is actually one of my fav post run smoothies. Good luck with training and your meets!