Have you ever not blended a smoothie after seeing the sugar content? If so, then this post is for you! I'm sharing what fruits are low in sugar and highlighting my fav low sugar fruits, as well as sharing the best smoothie recipes using fruits with less sugar. Why do I care about the sugar content of my smoothies? Well...
Drinking one green smoothie a day is one of the simplest ways to maintain a healthy diet.
There’s just something about drinking 16 ounces of pure leafy green and fruit goodness that makes the skin glow. And if the sugar content is keeping you from drinking a daily smoothie, then I want to help!
What fruits are low in sugar?
I'm sure this question has everyone naming a variety of berries, yet berries aren't the only fruits with less sugar. Check out this sweet list:
- Lemon 1-2 grams per fruit
- Lime 1-2 grams per fruit
- Raspberry 5 grams per cup
- Strawberry 7 grams per cup
- Blackberry 7 grams per cup
- Kiwi 6 grams per kiwi
- Grapefruit 9 grams per ½ fruit
- Avocado 1 gram per fruit
- Watermelon 10 grams per cup
- Cantaloupe 13 grams per cup
- Orange 12 grams fruit
- Peaches 13 grams per fruit
Since 1 serving of green smoothie has 1.5 cups of fruit, feel free to swap out a higher sugar fruit in any of my smoothie recipes for 1.5 cups of any fruit on this list. That will immediately lower the sugar content.
Natural sugar vs processed sugar
It's super important to note that not all sugar is created equal. 1 cup of refined sugar is NOT the same as 1 cup of fruit sugar. Why? because fruit not only contains sugar, but also fiber. Fiber is essential for breaking down sugar, and keeping our bodies from a sugar crash.
Daily consumption of fruit can actually combat obesity, according to a study done by the US National Library of Medicine. Yet, if fruit still causes your blood sugar to spike, then speak to your practitioner for the best diet plan for you.
Green smoothie formula for low sugar smoothies
My tried and true green smoothie formula is this: 1.5 cups fruit + 1 cup leafy greens + 1 cup liquid. Use this and you can't go wrong! Yet, if you're trying to keep your blood sugar happy, then I've got a trick for you.... just flip the formula.
That's right, turn that smoothie formula into 1.5 cups leafy greens + 1 cup fruit + 1 cup liquid. A deliciously sweet smoothie, yet lower in sugar! This way you can still enjoy a variety of fruits and also keep your body from experiencing a sugar crash. My low sugar fruits smoothie below has this formula, and comes out to under 13 grams of sugar per serving!
Fruit smoothies with less sugar
These smoothies are my go-to when looking for a low sugar option. Try a few of these and then let me know what you think!
- Raspberry smoothie
- Strawberry banana smoothie
- Apple celery smoothie
- Lime smoothie pops
- Banana oatmeal smoothie
- Strawberry smoothie
- Avocado smoothie
All of the smoothies above have less than 20 grams of sugar per serving. Plus, they're loaded with fiber to help process that sugar into useable energy in the body.
More ways to process sugar in smoothies
If you want to lower the sugar in your smoothie even more, then boost it with protein + healthy fat. Your body needs carbs (sugar + fiber) and protein, as well as healthy fat to function properly. If you find yourself having a sugar crash after drinking a smoothie, then you should be boosting it to help process the carbs you just ingested.
My fav way to boost a smoothie is with a plant based protein powder, like Protein Smoothie Boost. This protein powder is designed especially for smoothies. 1 serving adds 10 grams of protein as well as 4 grams of fat to every smoothie.
Low sugar smoothie
To help get you started blending low sugar fruit smoothies, I created this Berry Blastoff Green Smoothie. It flips my smoothie formula to add more leafy greens, while also using sweet fruits to maximize the flavor. If you can't do the banana, then swap that out for avocado. It keeps the creaminess of this smoothie, while lowering the sugar even more!
Once you give this smoothie a blend, I'd love it if you left a comment + review to let me know what you think. I want to create smoothies you'll love, so your feedback is important!
Low Sugar Fruit Smoothie
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ cups spinach
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup strawberries
- ½ banana (replace with avocado for even lower natural sugar levels)
- 1 serving Protein Smoothie Boost (optional)
Instructions
- Blend the spinach and water until smooth.
- Add the blueberries, strawberries, and bananas and blend again.
Amanda
My father-in-law is diabetic, love having these ingredients on hand to help keep his sugar levels low.
June
I did not have strawberries and blueberries so i used just spinach ginger turmeric banana and pineapple. I actually liked the taste and blending the greens and water first makes a whole lot of sense
Simple Green Smoothies
That sounds delicious and we are big advocates of blending greens + liquid first. It makes for a nice, creamy smoothie!
Karen
I read this online - is it true? :
If you blend fruit, the natural sugars are released from within the cell walls of the fruit and become “free sugars”. Free sugars include any added sugars (including honey and maple syrup) and are the kind we should all be cutting down on to protect our teeth as well as lower our energy intake to help maintain a healthy weight. Even if they have some added vegetables like spinach or kale, they are still likely to be high in sugar.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Karen. Blending fruit does not increase its sugar content. If you have 1 1/4 cup of berries with 17g of carbohydrates, 5g of fiber and 11g of sugar, that nutritional information will stay the same. What does change is how quickly that fruit gets absorbed into your body. I'm not sure where you read that blending fruit creates "free sugars" but that is incorrect. Blending fruit will not alter or change the type of sugar fruit contains. If you are worried about the sugar content in your smoothies, use more leafy greens, vegetables (e.g., celery, cucumber), and herbs and less fruit.
Sarah
British Heart Foundation is one source of the “free sugars” info. It is in fact correct. See number 3:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/5-a-day/smoothies
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Sarah. The article you link to makes these claims but they don't cite any studies that back up what they are saying. Furthermore, the video they link to under #3 speaks only about juices and soft drinks, not about smoothies.
Melissa Montalto, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, writes for the Whole U at the University of Washington. She states that "with smoothies, you retain the fiber [of fruits], which can help you feel fuller and improve your digestive health." The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health confirms that whole fruit smoothies containing skin, pulp and flesh retain the nutrients and fiber present in the fresh fruit. This is one reason we are Simple Green Smoothies, not Simple Green Juices; we love that blending keeps all the wonderful fiber you get from whole fruits and veggies.
Again, what does change when you blend a whole fruit is how quickly that fruit + its nutrients, fiber, and sugars are absorbed into your body.
You will notice that the majority of our smoothie recipes calls for at least one leafy green or vegetable, if not more. It's important to remember you always have the option of using more leafy greens, more vegetables, and more herbs in your smoothies and less fruit. Our recipes are made to be tweaked and changed according to an individual's tastes and dietary needs.
Njideka samuel
Please I really want to be clarified of this to make my smoothies worth enjoying for me. Can I say that 2 cups of apples, pear, peach, is equivalent to 4 medium size of each. Also can 2 sticks of banana be a equivalent to 2 cups of banana.
Thanks
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Njideka! There's really no exact science to blending green smoothies. For the purposes of our smoothies, we usually say one apple, banana, pear, or peach is roughly equal to one cup of that fruit.
Pei
Love today’s berry juice! Yum!
Christina
Hi! I've been using your green smoothie recipes on-and-off for a few years. Is there a way to search for recipes that use specific ingredients on your website (like you can on the app)? I recently started a low carb diet, and I am looking at your recipes that use the lower sugar fruits. My diet cuts out fruits for the first phase, although I can have an apple a day. I have also been reading about the health benefits of celery juice. I am looking for a low carb recipe that incorporates a lot of celery. I am thinking ... celery, cucumber, and apple to sweeten it up? Or maybe add avocado? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Christina,
At the top right of our website you will see a search bar and if you type in "celery" all of our recipes with that ingredient will show up. However if you are wanting recipes with a combination of specific ingredients you should check out our Daily Blends App! You will be able to search specific ingredients and the recipe will show up for you.
Hope that helps!
Edwige Louis
Thank you. This list is very helpful!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Edwige,
You are welcome!! So happy it was helpful to you 🙂
Doris
Thanks much for the recipes. I particularly like the idea of using more greens to help cut down on the sugar as I am pre-diabetic and working hard to maintain a very low sugar level. Thanks much.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Doris,
So glad that this recipe was helpful to you!
We make sure we try our best to accommodate everyone's needs and I am so glad yours was one of them! 🙂
Daun
I can maintain my weight consuming fruitful green smoothies, but I don't lose weight unless I cut way back on the fruit. So this is my basic low sugar combo: Greens, green apple, carrot, celery with unsweetened nut milk. Sound bland? Here's the fun part: Add 1/4-inch peeled ginger, 1/8-inch slice of well cleaned organic lemon with the rind, and some vanilla protein powder. Works best in a Vita-Mix; I tried it with a Kitchen-Aid and it was way too chunky.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Daun,
That sounds like a really delicious recipe! Love that you have found what works best for you and made it your own.
Cheers!
Amy J
Thank you for this article! I need to cut back on natural sugars to heal my body, and knowing these low sugar fruits will definitely help with the transition!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Amy,
So happy this recipe was helpful to you! Wishing you the best with your health journey.
xoxoxo
Kavli
I actually don’t use any fruit in my smoothies anymore! After the October 21 day cleanse I noticed I prefer my smoothies with no fruit! I use coconut water, spinach, kale lemon and ginger. It is so so good, like a delicious green juice because my vitamix blends the greens so fine. I’ve had this everyday since the cleanse and I’m not bored of it yet!
Cassie Francis
I always use water in my smoothies. It's a taste preference for me, but I know that helps keep the sugar content lower.
Janet
I’ve never bought pears due to their texture, but they would be a great addition to my smoothies. Thanks for the tip.
Laura
One idea to replace up sweetness without sugar is to blend with fresh mint. If I weren't nursing, I'd be doing that äll the time (my body/supply is very sensitive to mint). Another awesome combination is peach and raspberry. I'd your peach is perfectly ripe, it's smooth like a banana. Mint + peach + raspberry sounds awesome to me!
Annie K
I love this recipe, I needed something like to help me with my sugar intake. Your blogs and emails have been so helpful to me. Can’t wait to have new recipe !!!
Nan
I rarely use fruit - instead celery, cucumber, broccoli and greens.
Niger Robinson
I have been passing this website to everyone I know. Your really doing a great job!
Dani Mitchell
I've been trying to cut down on my sugars yet LOVE your green smoothies. This recipe and your tips are def going to help me reduce my sugars and still enjoy my smoothie. Thanks Jen! xoxox
Amanda
Thank you for addressing diabetes for a better smoothie option with less natural sugar.
Janie Elizaldi
I never thought that I could get my kids to eat veggies especially spinach or kale but they do now with these smoothies and they love them! The Green Goblin is one of my favorites and so easy to make. I even started making my husband the tumeric tea for his hands because they hurt. Thank you so much for all the great ideas especially the smoothie pops for the kids. I love your app and use it daily!
JoAn
The more colorful your intake of fruits snd vegetables, the more variety of nutrients
you give yourself. How about eight different ones per day?
Megan
I often use less fruit than the recipes call for, and add a little stevia if I need a tad more sweet.
VIVIAN SIMMONS
This is such helpful information! Thank you for all you do Jen to ensure that our smoothies address health needs and also taste great!
Joyce Moy
We always follow the recipes in the SGS book or app. We don't drink them every day as we already eat greens in our meals and we don't eat sugary stuff, so we don't worry too much about our smoothies being too sugary. We love Beginner's Luck.
Crystal Dickerson
Green Smoothies have transformed me to a Real Life Benjamin Button!
ShaylaT
Thanks for this post! I would love to get more low sugar/carb smoothies since I’m trying to follow a keto lifestyle.
Karen
Love the smoothie recipes . I make up a bunch at a time in baggies and freeze! Ready to go. Just add Liquid of your choice,coconut water, green tea etc if I take supplements like chia seed, hemp, barley greens these are added to the pre made smoothi ingredients.
DaVida
I use more greens than fruit but find that the spinach doesn't overpower the taste. I generally do 1.5 cups stronger green (kale, chard, etc) and the other 1.5 spinach then my fruit. Looking forward to a concentrating on these fruit moving forward.
Darlene
I use cinnamon in my smoothies to help blood sugar levels.
Brenda
I have been squirting 1/2 to a whole line in my smoothies. I put a whole squeezed lime in my smoothies that gave bananas , pears or peaches in them. It gives a wonderful zip of flavor but not sour. Soooo yummy!
Glenna Bermann
Hi Jen, what's the best way to measure greens, lightly or firmly packed?
Michelle
Thank you! I wonder if I’ve been doing this all along since I’m never sure if a cup is packed or loose spinach!
Christie
Great ideas! I love using Blackberries and Cranberries as well.
Christina Rossi
Great article, I will have to pass this info on to my daughter. She starts her kids off with a smoothie every morning. She makes them with Kale, Strawberries, Banana, Blueberries, Mango, Avocado, Apple Juice and adds some Flax seed oil. They love them!!!
Carrie
Thanks so much for sharing these! It’s helpful to reduce the sugar for kiddos too— I don’t want to send them to school with a sugar spike! Sometimes I serve the smoothies with pb, almond butter, or cream cheese on whole grain bread/toast so they are fuller longer. Can’t wait to try pairing with these!
Laura Drayton
I love these ideas! Making them with a healthy fat and a protein helps keep you full longer afterwards too. I like avocado (for the fat and the fiber) and soaked almonds (to make the texture creamy and add protein)
Sashani Brown-Gowdie
I love these, I have been trying to cut back on my sugar and these are perfect.
Courtney
I love a creamy smoothie but my husband hates bananas so I like to add avocado. I buy a bag of them, quarter them and put in the freezer ready for smoothies anytime! I also like to make batches of green smoothies and freeze in mason jars, then thaw one in the fridge overnight, to save time in the mornings.
Cyndi Bertsos
I listened to you on the Wellness Mama podcast. I have had one green smoothie a day ever since! My fav is the original with spinach, banana, pineapple & mango. Thank you so much for turning me on to this!
Angie
Wow, this article is awesome! I twice now have signed up for the 7 day cleanse and I never even try to follow it because the smoothies have too much sugar for my liking. Please keep coming out with more low sugar recipes! I’m trying to get into the healthier eating lifestyle and lot of your smoothie recipes scare me away. For years I’ve been making smoothies with 70% greens, 10% water, 10% protein, 10% berries only as fruit and never once has it been hard to swallow or digest. I encourage more people to lower the sugar, especially if it’s for breakfast. If I have a high sugar smoothie in the morning I always get a mid afternoon crash regardless of how much other nutrients are in it. Sorry if this sounds critical. I’m very excited about this article and I would love to see more low sugar recipes in the future.
Tyriane
Great post, type 2 diabetes runs on my paternal side of the family, so these are great recipes for me to start drinking myself as well as sharing them with family! Thank you!
Jody C.
Thank you for this post! Type 2 Diabetes runs in my family so I’m always mindful of my sugar intake. When I make my smoothies I opt for H2O or coconut water instead of OJ or another juice to add a little liquid.
Sandi O'Donnell
Through Simple Green Smoothies I have learned a lot about sugars! I try and stick to berries as much as possible, I also buy green apples versus other varieties as they tend to be lower in sugar. I also sub avocado for bananas whenever possible as then I get the same smooth consistency, plus healthy fats, without as much sugar!
Sandy
Green smoothies are a daily must! They really have made all the difference for me! And if we watch that our eating every meal is whole foods than those natural sugars from fruit will definitely not hurt! Love your recipes and blog!
Elisa Marks
I let my kids pick the fruits bc then I know they will enjoy it!
Alana
To increase the amount of veggies and reduce fruit but still make a smoothie look delicious rather than brown, I add a few cubes of beets that I precook and freeze. It keeps smoothies a beautiful color!
LATOYA BANKS
Thanks for the post as i was very interested in looking to lower my sugar in smoothies.
I like to blend my smoothies the night before to save time in the mornings! Grab & Go!
Lisa
Green smoothies have been key in reversing my Type 2 diabetes! I also eliminated all animal products and oils. Sticking to unprocessed, whole plant foods, including green smoothies, has brought me back to non-diabetic status medically, and it’s a sustainable delicious way of eating. Thanks for these yummy recipes!
janice l ristow
I believe your friend could benefit from green smoothies without any fruit for a short while to detox her liver and aid healing of her gut. An example would be spinach, lettuce, mint, avocado, lemon juice and maybe a little hemp. Even the red and purple fruit you suggest is sugar which our bodies can benefit with a rest from. Seasonal fruit is best but even that should be limited in her case.
In Kindness,
Janice
Carla
Thanks for your tips on low sugar options. I've been doing green smoothies a day for over two weeks with the extra greens and it's been great!
Ania
Thank you for this post, Jen!! I have MS and I need to reduce the sugar intake so this article is a true blessing to know which fruits are low in sugar!! On a side note, also lemons and limes are low in sugar and could be a great addition to a smoothie 🙂
Tiffany Richardson
Did you know that cinnamon can help yo stablize blood sugars!?!?!
Elie
I appreciate the fruit sugar breakdown. I am often trying to push the limit of how little fruit/ sugar I can put in. A smoothie and still have my daughter drink it!
Holly Billings
These recipes are the best smoothie recipes out there! I just wish there was a way to get rid of the strawberry/blackberry seeds. The tip about blending the greens and liquid first completely changed our ability to drink smoothies with greens in them! Perfect for getting those 3 cups of greens a day with the walls or AIP diets!
Cassandra
I use a ton of greens in any of my smoothies. My favourite additions to smoothies would be hemp hearts or chia seeds & a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Nagahyah Stenz
Thanks for this post it reminded me about the 60/40 all though I will use an avocado instead of the banana.
This are great recipes I did the 7 days of Green Drinks and it was great! Need to do again.
Thank you!
Lisa Lagace
Love this simple recipe. I worried about sugar but this post explains a lot, so I'm not afraid to try it anymore. The idea of a fruitless smoothie sounded awful, good to know it doesnt have to be that way. I always add collagen to my smoothies to help with protein.
Orean
I like to add more veggies like green peppers and cucumbers to keep green smoothie low in sugar.
KM
So many new recipes to try! Can’t wait!
Salem
Jens ‘flip the ratio’ ratio advice was just what I needed to make smoothies with whatever I have in the fridge and freezer, no excuses! I have found that adding coconut oil really helps me feel full longer.
Holly Couch
This blog came at the perfect time! I've been a rawkstar for a couple of years now (feels a little strange saying that 🙂 and have loved the smoothies but have lately been craving something not so sweet. I will definitely try the flipped ratio!
Also, if you're really looking for help with inflammation, drink the hot water/lemon/ginger morning drink and then add ginger to your smoothie! I know there are a few recipes in the Simple Green Smoothies recipe book, so if you don't have that, I recommend it! Ginger adds a great zing and personally, I feel the difference when I add more of it into my diet.
Debbie
Love the options, so varied. I also add parsley for a boost of iron, and a great green colour!
Shannon
I add celery and cucumber (in addition to my base of kale or spinach) and then 1-2 frozen fruits. That way its not just a veggie base and a bunch of fruit! Also, I add ground flaxseed and sometimes hemp hearts, too. Balance 🙂
Pam
An allergy test confirmed that I am allergic to raw sugars, that includes fruit. I had stopped making green smoothies due to the stomach cramps, this will allow me to hopefully make daily for breakfast again. Thank you so much, the avocado swap for banana is genius, keep the recipes coming!!!!
Bev
I too am a type 2 diabetic but I also have gastoparesis which a slow emptying tummy, for me anything blended is better than solid foods. My struggle is that I still want to eat solid foods so I try to eliminate the starchy ones by leaving out breads and pastas and having more fully cooked vegetables. For my pastas I use the spiralaized veggies. Hope that this helpful to some who may be dealing with some of the same issues.
Shannon Hughes
I appreciate today's blog as I'm a Type II diabetic. This article is a helpful kick in the butt to get me making smoothies again instead of late night meals in my busy schedule. I use to also bag the ingredients backwards so the leafy greens were on top to blend first then add the rest of the ingredients. Using this low glycemic list of fruit, I'm encouraged to start again and lower my A1C level. My goal is to get rid of my diabetic medication through the healing of food and exercise. The struggle is real but not impossible. Also JEN - your video of running at the Grand Canyon was inspirational. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Mary-Walker
I am allergic to bananas so I love Putting avocado in my smoothies. Less sugar but still gives that creamy texture!
Colleen
You can also sub the banana with zucchini. It's low sugar but still adds the creaminess. 🙂
Colleen
Ugh, I misspelled my email address. It's cwalsh at new dot rr dot com.
laura
Thank you so much for always giving so much of yourself. I can feel your heart in all that you do! 🙂
Ronnie
I have been looking for some low sugar options, and can't wait to incorporate more of these fruits. I've done green smoothies now with you book for years and I love it! Have definitely noticed a lot of health benefits (less migraines, energy, weight maintenance)
Vilma Rodriguez
I am so happy that there is on option for everyone to be healthy
Vivian
We love putting avocado in instead of banana... Or grocery store has Frozen avocado chunks which makes it super easy!
Kim
I like to add healthy fats and protein to balance out my smoothies and keep my blood sugar stable. My current favorite combo is chia seeds and coconut oil.
Casey Marie
LOVE this! I'm on a very low sugar/carb diet right now and this is super helpful. Avocado (SO CREAMY)+a half a scoop of chocolate protein powder added to ANY combination if fruit + greens instantly makes it taste like a milkshake! Today used spinach, almond milk, protein and literally nothing except a small handful of frozen blueberries and it was a delicious nutritious start to my day! Full fat coconut milk is low sugar too & adding chia seeds of milled flax always helps up the fiber 🙂
Kathryn
Great post! Cauliflower has also been a great option for me to add creaminess, less sugar and more veggies!
Susan
I love this idea! Is the Cauliflower cooked? Or do you blend it raw into the smoothie? Thanks!
Jackie
I will definitely be sharing these tips with my diabetic mommy-friends so they can enjoy some simple green (and yummy and healthy!) smoothies too!!
D
For convenience and time savings in the morning, we bag up the ingredients in reverse order and then freeze. This way the greens are on top of the bag and first in the blender.
Vivi
Sounds so good! I have a diabetic in my family, and they always add a peach to their breakfast whether it's oatmeal, cereal, or just as a side! I'll show this recipie to her because she was always afraid of smoothies for their high sugar content, she'll be happy this is something she can have!
Kirsten
I love using zucchini in smoothies to get a nice creamy texture. Avocado in place of banana is another one of my go-to low sugar swaps. I also find that adding extracts like caramel or vanilla add flavour without sugar, so you don't miss the sweetness as much.
Kelli B
Thank you for this post! So important to have a reminde that not all fruit is high in sugar and in fact, not all sugar is bad! So happy my very favorite fruit (strawberry) is in this list along with several other favorites. Happy Blending!
Pavithra Rv
My favorite low sugar green smoothie combo is spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, green apple, grape fruit, ginger and lemon.
Ashlee
This is so helpful! My dad is pre-diabetic, and I knew there had to be better things than fake sugar drinks that he’s been drinking!
Sherry
Dark Sweet Cherries are great in smoothies!
Charis
I've fallen off the green smoothie truck for a bit, have just been busy and not taking the time. This is a great reminder that lowering sugar intake is so important and that green smoothies are a great way to do it.
Kim Myers
I just found out on Tuesday that I am now considered a diabetic according to my blood results. Since then I have been feverishly searching everything I can to find out what I should do, what I should eat...and then your email popped up today about your friend! It was a relief to see someone took the time to make a low sugar recipe and share it, it gave me some ease that I can do this and hopefully get my body back to normal. Thank you!
Sophie de Bellissen
As a cancer survivor, I also try to keep my sugar intake as low as possible. I love these low sugar smoothie recipes. What I have done in the past is to halve the fruit from the Simple Green Smoothie recipes... tastes ‘green’ at first but your taste buds adapt after a week or so... and now these smoothies seem delicious.
Erica Graham
I've been drinking one green smoothie a day since February and for most of that time this is the only sugar I allowed myself for the day except what might occur naturally in dairy or veggies... Also limited my dairy...I lost eleven pounds and feel so much healthier! I have wondered about reducing sugar for friends with diabetes so thanks for the info! This smoothie is delicious as is but I'm excited to try it without the banana!
Krista
Love having berries in my smoothie!
Mimi
I like to use unsweetened (plain) almond milk (without fillers) in my smoothies when I feel like I need a little extra protein - helps keep me going longer!
PS - Your cleanse was key in reversing my husband’s pre-diabetic diagnosis. Our Dr was SO pleased, and now my husband runs marathons! Thank you! SGS Rawks!!
Maggie
My sister is a Type 1 Diabetic and always avoids drinking green juices with me because of the high amounts of sugar! I typically do a recipe with apple, mango and 1/2 banana and a ton of kale. However, the banana and mango are loaded in blood-sugar-spiking capabilities so I always feel guilty when eating it in front of her. With the avo swap I'll still be able to achieve the creaminess of the smoothie without all of the sucré and we'll be able to test this out together! Apples have a ton of fiber so I think that with the avo and some matcha and mint will be a delish combo. Can't wait to test it out!
Sandy
I'm looking forward to trying some diabetic-friendly green smoothies! I always use water in place of juice in smoothie recipes and try to keep my sugar consumption in check daily. Thanks for the love!
Coach Amy
Love these! (as always) Berries are SO good for SO many parts of our bodies. Sipping slowly can help with avoiding blood sugar spikes as well.
Judy H
I really loved the article on diabetes and sugar as I too am Type 2 and have been struggling with ways to keep my sugar in check. I was at an AIC of 11 and am now down to 7.5 / 7.9 and if I can get and keep below 6.5, I can stop the meds. This gives me great hope and will now make sure I'm using these fruits. Thanks so much.
Dana Coughlin
Perfect timing. My daughter was looking for lower sugar smoothies to have for breakfast. She is pre diabetic and with a family history of diabetes, she wants to get ahead of it.
Michelle Zuck
I like that you have an alternative to banana in this recipe and others because I have an allergy to bananas and it seems that every smoothie recipe out there calls for a banana in it.
Nicki Fowler
Sometimes I’ll swap out a cup of water and use a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk when I want to keep the fruit/sugars low but keep the flavor...um, less green! I’m going to try the avocado-banana swap today!
guadalupe Morales
I love this recipe i love the blueberries taste.
Anita
When I was working with a CNHP she had me make this smoothie. I don’t have accurate measurements it had leafy greens of choice,half of a cucumber or zucchini and a quarter cup sunflower seeds and water to blend to suitable texture.
Olivia
Thanks Jen, this came at a perfect time. My mother has just been diagnosed with cancer (very treatable thankfully!) and she’s now switched to a completely plant based diet - I’ve been making a lot of juices and smoothies for her but want to avoid sugar as much as possible (due to the link in sugar = cancer cell growth) have bookmarked this post and I’ve no doubt I’ll be referring to it regularly - will be giving these recipes a go this week! Cheers!
Erica Gargol
This information is super helpful. I always find your emails to be educational and get many creative ideas!! thank you.
Erica
Simple Green Smoothies
Thank you Erica! I am so happy that this article was helpful to you 🙂
April H Machan
Avocado really does make a smoothie creamy, and they don't overpower the rest of the ingredients - I am a believer 🙂
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey April,
I am right there with you! I love avocado in almost everything and it really is the best addition to my smoothie too 🙂
Dani Mitchell
Thanks so much! I’ve been looking for a low sugar smoothie I could drink that would still taste good! The fact that adding the leafy greens will boost the fiber and also help slow down the absorption of the fruit sugars is genius! I made this recipe yesterday and I’m already craving it again today!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Dani,
Yay! So happy that you loved this recipe and it had you coming back for more! 🙂
Cheers!