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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, unsweetened 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.
Its really helpful and useful to my health l cn guarantee
Am definitely going to do it everytime l get a chance
And very tasty l like it!
Can you substitute the grapefruit with something else? I can’t have the grapefruit.
Yes, definitely! You can sub any other citrus fruit of your choice. I like to use clementines, oranges, or tangerines.
This sounds like a great smoothie, but I need more for breakfast.
Could I make it in the morning and then bring it to work for lunch?
Or does it have to be consumed immediately upon blending?
Would I need to put it in the freezer?
LMK –
-Mary
You can def take it to work for lunch! Smoothies will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator, longer if stored in the freezer. Just remember to shake or stir your smoothie before enjoying it. Because it doesn’t contain any preservatives, the contents may separate a little.
Made this recipe for the first time and I like it, I can sure taste the cayenne and I used it very sparingly. For protein is low so I would probably add a powder.
I’m trying this for weight loss and only having it for breakfast as I’ve never done this before how long should I be drinking this?
Thanks,
Jacquie
Hey Jacquie!
If you want to add protein to this that is totally fine! How long you drink this smoothie for is totally up to you! Some drink this every day until they hit their ideal weight and some drink this before a workout.
Hope that helps!
Very tasty but a smoothie? A whole bag of spinach? Not much liquid. I almost had to cut mine with a knife and that was halving the amounts as I didn’t have a vat to blend mine in lol
Hey Debbie,
It sounds like you are really packing in the spinach which is great if that is what you prefer but for me personally I wouldn’t be able to handle that =P We like to add in loosely packed spinach that way it is not too thick.
Hope that helps!
This my second week of making this recipe. I make this smoothie for 2. I looked at the video again but it does not match the recipe. She uses 1 cup pineapple, 1 celery stalk, 1/4 of an avocado. The recipe for one drink shows for one has 2 cups pineapple, 2 celery stalks and half of an avocado. I like the drink but does it matter how you mix it.
Thank you for letting us know the recipe is incorrect. The recipe in the video is correct for one serving. The recipe on the website is serving for 2.
Hope that helps!
Love this smoothie, added some fresh ginger to it as well! Thank you for the recipe!
I am about to turn 50 and for the 1st time in my life I have a weight problem. I’m also a disabled heart patient but I’m not dead and continue to work 2 days per week to keep going. I need your help with these smoothies. I love the idea of smoothies because they fill you up. Makes you feel like you just ate a meal! When really you just drank some healthy, good for you and will help you to lose weight 🙂 Please help me and give me advise. I don’t want to be heavy. It will eventually complicate my heart problems and I’m managed to not let it affect who I am for 10 years now! But the extra weigh that has come on in the past 6 months is making it much harder to stay positive. Thank you
Hey Laurie,
I am so happy to hear that you are ready for a change. Have you tried this smoothie yet? If you have not I would encourage you to go for it! It really helps to kick start your weight loss journey and you can have it every day if you would like to. If you are wanting something more with meal plans as well, check out our Rawk the Year program we have! You can find more information on it right here:
Can I prep and freeze into packs for quick morning mixing?
Yes you can totally prep and store in the fridge or freezer! This could stay in the refrigerator up to 3 days. When you are ready to drink just give it a shake and you are good to go!
This smoothie really does get your energy levels revved up and curbs your appetite. I’ve always loved grapefruit so this is perfect for me.
Excellent…. I highly recommend this smoothie. So delish!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Sheila!
I do rate this recipe 5 stars!! Excellent flavors. Wonderful for digestion. I am wondering how crucial the green tea is vs. leaving it out. I just don’t do caffeine. I understand there can be health benefits from green tea. Is it necessary to achieve results? Does not including it ruin the synergy of this drink? On another comment you stated adding kale or chia seeds was a good idea. Does adding other ingredients change the synergy of this drink?
Thanks for all you do.
I found that it was bitter so added 2 bananas to it. it helped some. what can I add so that it is not so bitter
Hey Christina,
Our favorite natural sweeteners are dates or adding in some honey. So feel free to add in some of that to help make it tastier for you 🙂
Curious., Would tumeric be an added benefit? (Tumeric loves cayenne)
I was wondering if the mint is more for flavor or could it be omitted without taking away any of the health benefits of the smoothie? I love the recipe but totally forgot mint at the store and was wondering if I should make an extra stop for it. Thank you so much!
Hey Jacqueline,
Mint is actually a key ingredient in this recipe. It really helps with the detoxifying process. It grabs onto the heavy metals and draws out all those nasty toxins. So if you can add it I definitely would!
Thanks for the recipe! It was delicious!
Is there anything I could try in place of grapefruit though? I can’t have any because of a blood thinner I’m on. Wonder if orange would work?
Hey Hailey,
There really isn’t a substitute for grapefruit as far as benefits but for taste you can totally swap it with any citrus fruit. So an orange would be great!