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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 have tried this smoothie with a few different versions and wanted to get your feedback. Overall, I love it. Do you recommend replacing it with a meal such as lunch or breakfast?
Will it do the same for your body if you sub out frozen spinach or frozen celery for fresh? Is it ok if I use canned pineapple as oppose to frozen?
Thanks again for the recipe!
Hi Keely! You can drink this smoothie as a meal replacement if you like. Many of us drink our smoothies for breakfast. I’d add some chia seeds to make it a complete meal.
You can prep smoothie packs ahead of time and freeze the ingredients but, using frozen spinach can be a little tricky because pre-packaged, frozen spinach sometimes contains added salt and other things. Also, fresh or frozen pineapple is preferable to canned because canned fruit oftentimes has added sugars. Additionally, pineapple contains bromelain, a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling agent, and the canning process neutralizes bromelain. I hope these explanations help you understand why we use the ingredients that we do and happy blending! 🙂
Could I use tsp of pure matcha green tea powder instead of the 1/2 cup of green tea already made?
Hey Linda! Yes, you can def do that. Use filtered water or coconut water for your liquid base and add your matcha green tea powder. That’s what I do when I make this smoothie and I love it. 🙂
Brilliant.
Thanks, HJ! 🙂
Thank you for video sharing your delicious loosing weight smoothie. I am sure it’s delicious I will try myself too.
Stay safe thank you
Sophie
You’re welcome, Sophie!
Hello! I “just” had my second baby (7 months ago) and I am really struggling with my weight. I am also breastfeeding, which makes me super hungry ALL THE TIME. This smoothie looks delicious! Would you recommend using it as a meal, or as a snack? How many would you recommend having in one day? Thank you!
Hey Donna! First, congrats! 😀
It *is* a delicious smoothie and I would drink it as a snack. If you want to have it as a meal, add some chia seeds or other form of plant-based protein to make sure you are getting a complete meal. We just introduced our very own protein powder called homemade protein powder. You should check it out! (simplegreensmoothies.com/smoothie-boost)
Most folks drink one smoothie a day (usually with or for breakfast) but if you wanted to have a second one for lunch/dinner/afternoon snack, you can def do that! 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m new to the smoothie game, so I’m very excited to try this out. Will be swapping cinnamon or the cayenne. Thanks again!
You’re very welcome!
Ok great smoothie recipe! However, I am a Consultant Nutritionist (UK NHS) and can confirm that caffeine is a stimulant and can lead to heart palpitations, renal complications and so on which is not good for the body especially if we are talking about being healthy. So could the plants not be perfect on their own and we boost the energy(sugar)/fat burning mode by exercising instead??
One serving of this smoothie contains 1/2 cup of green tea, and we love green tea for its wonderful antioxidant properties. The amount of caffeine in green tea is rather small compared to coffee or caffeinated soft drinks and because there is only 1/2 cup in this recipe, it’s quite minimal. (Also, tea comes from plants 😉 ) If you would like to leave the green tea out, you can substitute filtered water or coconut water. And we are always proponents of exercise, as an active lifestyle + a plant-based diet go hand-in-hand.
Would adding protein powder to smoothies be more beneficial?
Hey Kayla! It depends on what you’re looking to get out of your smoothie and whether you’re drinking it as a snack or a full meal. I might not add protein powder to this smoothie but that’s really a personal preference and you certainly could add some.
*And* if you’re looking for an awesome protein powder and haven’t heard yet, we have a brand new protein powder that just went on sale last Tuesday! You def need to check it out: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/homemade-protein-powder
I really like what I’m reading. I am a breast cancer survival of month now and looking for some healthy ways to loose weight. and this sounds so great n healthy. any more idea and advice for me?
I also make a double batch each time, so it’s technically half an apple per serving, but yeah. Forgot to mention that.
Thanks for clarifying!
So, I’m new to the whole green smoothie (well, smoothies as meal supplements as a whole, honestly) and after coming across this and reading the reviews, thought I’d give it a try. Admittedly, I initially didn’t like it at all. The celery left an awful after taste and I went on a hunt for things to add because I was determined to start drinking these daily.
After several weeks of trying plenty of different concoctions, I finally found that adding a honeycrisp apple, a few pieces of raw Cinnamon bark and some fennel seeds, it ended up tasting fantastic.
Thanks so much for posting all this information. It’s been very informative and helpful. Over the course of the last year, I’ve lost roughly 60 lbs (I started at 224 lbs), but not exactly by healthy means. I barely ate and consumed tons of water while riding my bike roughly 5 miles a day almost every day. It’s what led to a ton of hair loss and I’m still dealing with a slight case of anemia. Recently, I began looking for more healthy ways to boost my almost non existent metabolism and stumbled across this.
Here’s hoping it helps, and thanks again!
Hey Sarah! Welcome and thank you for sharing your story. I hope this helps you also, as eating a plant-based diet of nutritious and whole foods is a much better method. 😉 I think your additions to this smoothie sound delicious and I may have to give it a try that way. The fennel seeds are a unique addition! Also, we have so many more delicious green smoothies recipes (and snacks + meals as well!), you should def give some of our other recipes a try. 🙂
Five stars for sure!
Thanks, Derrick! 😀
Will it impact the benefits if I add Chia or hemp seeds?
No, feel free to add one of those to boost your smoothie some more. 🙂
It taste amazing. I added half an avocado instead of the recommended amount.
I bet that made it really creamy! I am always a fan of more avocado. 😀
Can all ingredients be frozen prior to adding green tea?
Yes, they definitely can! Many of us love to prep smoothie packs ahead of time and freeze them until we are ready to blend. And you got it, freeze all ingredients except the liquid base. 🙂
Does the celery matter if put in or not? I don’t like it.
You can leave the celery out but doing so will change the effects of the smoothie a little bit. You can leave it out or sub cucumber.
Does the grape fruit change the whole smoothie? (If not added)
Does the celery matter if it’s not put in?
As a celebrity I don’t really like celery.
Same
Hey Ty, you can leave the celery out but that will change the effects of the smoothie a little bit. If cucumber is a celebrity-approved vegetable, you could try using that instead. 😉
Hey Bucky. It will certainly change the flavor and, to an extent, the benefits of the smoothie. But if you can’t eat or don’t care for grapefruit, you can sub a large orange.
I would love to try this smoothie but i am allergic to avocado, can you suggest a substitute for it?
You can use banana instead.