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“Why would I ever want to add fat to a recipe, let alone a green smoothie?” That’s a great question, and I have a great answer. You’re probably accustomed to thinking of fats as undesirable, a dieter’s nightmare, all round bad for you. But that’s not completely true. In fact, your body needs a certain amount of dietary fat in order to stay healthy. Of course, the type of healthy fats you consume is super important. Let’s talk about what are healthy fats, as well as healthy fat sources.
Table of Contents
The Benefits of Healthy Fats
Good fats have a multitude of health benefits, which is why I personally love adding them to my green smoothies, as well as my homemade protein powder. Here are a few of the benefits of adding healthy fats to your diet:
- provides essential fatty acids
- helps to keep skin soft
- delivers fat-soluble vitamins
- protects the heart
- a great source of energizing fuel
- helps curb overeating
- promotes healthy hair, nails, and bones
What are Healthy Fats?
As you can see, good fats are an essential part of a healthy diet, as well as a healthy body! The best fats to consume are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, because they help lower cholesterol levels. Here are some of the best healthy fat sources, which are all plant based!
Healthy Fat Sources
Coconut oil: This source of fat is known as an appetite suppressant, an incredible energy booster and has antibacterial properties. Add two tablespoons of coconut oil to your smoothie for good healthy fat boost, as well as a slight tropical flavor profile. Not a fan of the coconut-y taste? Try MCT oil! It zeros in on just the MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) in coconut oil, but without the tropical after taste. Just remember, a little goes a long way with MCT oil!
Avocado: This fruit is a great source of monounsaturated fats, which help raise your “good” cholesterol levels. Using avocado will not only give you great fat content, but will also make your green smoothie extra creamy!
Cashews: These nuts have a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote a healthy heart. Add just a couple of tablespoons, or use cashew milk in your next smoothie to reap some major healthy fat benefits!
Flaxseeds: Containing both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed supports healthy brain development and is great for your heart. It’s also high in fiber to keep things moving regularly.
Chia seeds: Just 1 oz of chia seeds contain over 8 grams of fat, most of which are made up of omega-3 fatty acids. This superfood also adds in extra fiber + protein, making it a must have when boosting a smoothie.
Olive oil: While I opt for coconut oil in smoothies over olive oil, I do love to cook plant-based meals with extra virgin olive oil. It’s full of monounsaturated fat which helps keep the heart healthy and thriving, along with several vitamins + minerals. Add it to dressings or veggies before roasting to reap its benefits.
How to Boost Your Smoothie
I get a lot of questions about the natural sugar in green smoothies. Depending on what fruit you toss into that smoothie the sugar count can get high! Yet, did you know that adding in healthy fat + protein to your smoothie helps your body break down those sugar carbs and then uses them as long, slow energy? No sugar crashes here!
Whenever I want to turn a smoothie into a meal replacement, I boost it with fat and protein. Any of the plant based fats listed above can be used (and some even double as the fat AND the protein!), or you can keep it simple by adding in a plant-based protein powder.
Plant-based protein powder
I created my homemade protein powder after a loooong journey of trying… and failing… to make a clean, helpful protein powder. I was told over and over that I needed odd ingredients + fillers to create this powder, but eventually I figured out the perfect formula.
Combining organic hemp protein, organic chia seeds, and organic flaxseed, I created the protein powder that dreams are made of: not gritty, virtually no taste, all organic, and 100% plant powered. 1 serving adds 10 grams of protein, 4 grams of healthy fats, and 7 grams of fiber to any smoothie.
Smoothie Cubes
I created these recipes as another way to help boost smoothies. These cubes are basically coconut fat bombs of goodness, and can help you stay full longer, maximize the energy from your smoothie, keep digestion moving, and help give you glowing skin.
They are super simple to make + freeze, and can be added to a variety of smoothies. I love smoothie cubes, because they are like personalized superfood boosters that I can have on hand for whatever I need that day. Here are some more smoothie cube recipes I think you’ll love:
- Chocolate fiber smoothie cubes
- Alkaline veggie smoothie cubes
- Anti-inflammatory smoothie cubes
- Antioxidant smoothie cubes
- Natural electrolyte smoothie cubes
Make a few varieties of smoothie cubes, and you’ll have a plant powered apothecary in your freezer. Let me know your fav healthy fat sources to add to your smoothies and plant-powered meals.
Can you use almonds instead of almond butter?
Hi Shirley,
Of course! Just as a tip, soaking most nuts in water can help some people who have a hard time digesting nuts by making them gentler on your tummy. It reduces the naturally occurring phytic acid and helps your body break it down properly.
hi ladies! just i have never used the chia seeds before,do i have to do anything special with them before adding them to the smoothies,like soak them or anything,or can i just throw them in?
Hi Amanda,
It’s up to you! Go ahead and sprinkle chia seeds on top of your smoothie, blend them up, or soak with water or coconut water prior to blendin’. Whatever works best for you! 🙂
Hello! I’ve tried you guys smoothies recipes and I love them but they are certain recipes I can’t use due the coconut and me being allergic but I want to try them. For instance one recipe I don’t know which one but want to try it calls for coconut water how can I substitute coconut water for something else without altering the whole recipe?
Kia, can you try cashew or almond milk in place of the coconut water? Not sure if you’re allergic to nuts as well.
Thanks for the great tip Jacquie! 🙂
Hi Kia,
Our recipes are here to inspire you — you don’t have to follow them to a T. Here our some of our favorite liquid bases you can use in place of coconut water…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dairy-free-smoothies
Is there a specific coconut oil to use? Refined. …. pressed…..virgin?
Hey Elisa,
Thanks for the question. I prefer unrefined organic coconut oil.
Hi! What about using shredded coconut instead of coconut oil? Or flax seeds instead of the flax oil? My understanding is that all the fiber is stripped out of the oil, so you get more calories, but very little nutrients in oil versus the whole food source. Have you tried using coconut shreds?
Hey Becky,
Thanks for reaching out. Feel free to use any form that you like best. 🙂 We love coconut shreds + flax seeds. 🙂
I’m newbie to juicing. This is my second week. I read a lot about super food. What are super foods?
Hey Zoey.
Great question. Here is a link to our favorite superfoods. https://simplegreensmoothies.com/superfoods-list
So right now I add 1/2 an avocado in my smoothie everyday. I am guess that maybe that is not a great idea and that I need to mix it up … I am not a big banana fan … so I am thinking maybe to alternate each week between avocado and coconut oil … make sense?
Hi, the quantities of the healthy fats you list above, are they per serving (16oz)? If I’m making one of the 32oz 30 Day challenge recipes, would I double the quantities of healthy fats you show above (i.e. a whole avocado, 1/2 cup cashews etc).? Thanks!
Hey Paula.
Great question. Our smoothie recipes make about 4-5 cups (32oz – 40oz). Jadah drinks at least 2 cups (16 oz) everyday in the morning as a breakfast meal replacement. Jen drinks hers for lunch or sometimes as a mid morning snack. Since there is 2 serving in each recipe, we would suggest placing two serving of healthy fat for each recipe. 🙂 Cheers!
Hi! Would you put BOTH flax seeds and flax oil in your smoothie, or just choose one or the other? Thanks for your help. 🙂
Hey Katherine.
We usually add 1 healthy fat per smoothie. 🙂
I love peas! Can you recommend a recipe using frozen peas?
At this time we do not have a recipe with frozen peas. Let us know if you find on that works. 🙂
How about adding protein powder to the smoothies?
Hi Ednell,
You can totally add protein powders to your green smoothies. We would recommend pea protein or hemp but use what you have/like. 🙂
Can i add a good fat to all my smoothies combined with superfoods?
Hi Gisselle!
That’s up to you 🙂 We believe in having a variety of ingredients, so we definitely wouldn’t add the same “healthy fat” to a green smoothie each and every day. We personally don’t always incorporate one of these items, but it’s good to do it regularly!
Hi,
I read that some people add coconut oil every morning to their smoothies, and in your website you say it makes you loose wait. So if i do it with coconut oil, is it ok?
Hi Gisselle,
Again, it is definitely great to do regularly, but we personally prefer to change up ingredients from time to time instead of having the same thing every day. This helps to give your body the variety of nutrients it needs.
Would you recommend adding more than one fat at a time?
We primarily try to stick to one when we are adding them in, Stephanie 🙂
I got the Nutiva coconut oil. What’s the best method for adding it to the blender/mix? I blended my greens and liquid base first, then tossed in the fruit, some superfood ingredients, and the coconut oil, and blended it again. When I went to drink the smoothie, there were tons of tiny coconut oil shards all throughout which made for a yucky drinking experience. The oil hardened due to the cold temps.
Hi Nick! Try adding it with leafy greens and liquid first. It is a bit hard to make it blend perfectly 🙂
It blends much better if you blend it in BEFORE you put the cold fruit…coconut oil is naturally a solid at room temperature. You can even heat it up a little bit before putting it in if you’d like but I found it just helps to blend before doing the cold fruit.
Can you just blend flax seeds into the smoothie for the same effect? Also what is the appropriate serving size to get the benefits of flax seeds?
The best option is to freshly ground your flaxseeds to absorb the most nutrients. If you have a high-speed blender, blending them is okay too. 1-2 tablespoons per serving. 🙂
Do you peel the avocado?
Yes, peeled avocados!! 🙂