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Drinking smoothies seems like a fun way to lose weight. After all, smoothies can be pretty tasty. But just how effective is this form of dieting? Can a smoothie really substitute a solid meal?

Welllll...It depends what’s in it…

You can shove anything in a blender and make a smoothie out of it. However, only certain ingredients will make your smoothie truly healthy.

Whole fruit and vegetables should make up the bulk of a nutritious smoothie. Strawberries, mangoes, blueberries, bananas, cherries, pineapple and peaches are all good choices of fruit, while veggies like kale and spinach will give your smoothie more body and more antioxidants. These ingredients should fill no more than 1 cup.

The dangers come in when people start adding extra boosters. Ingredients like dairy milk can add calories. Soya and coconut milk tend to be better options if you want to give your smoothie a creaminess. Sugar should be avoided at all costs and you should also be careful of adding fruit juice as a sweetener.

Adding proteins and fats can help to make a smoothie more filling, which is important for satisfying your hunger. However, you should also be careful of how much protein and fat you add. Ideally, you want to add no more than half a cup of protein and no more than a tablespoon of seeds or nut butter

DIY smoothies vs ready made smoothies

When you make your own smoothie, you know what ingredients are in it.

Many store bought smoothies can have hidden ingredients, which can make them secretly unhealthy. While they may advertise themselves as healthy with labels such as ‘no added sugar’, you could find that they’re still high on calories. It’s worth checking the calories on the back of the packet – some contain as much as 320 calories! This article lists some of the worst offenders https://www.eatthis.com/worst-smoothies/.

There are healthy store bought smoothie options out there made from natural ingredients with the right amount of boosters. There are also smoothie bundles as found at sites like https://www.nutriseed.co.uk/ that can help you to make your own smoothies, helping to offer healthy booster options.

Smoothies vs solid foods

Liquids don’t offer the same satiety as solid foods, which means that you could still feel hungry after downing a smoothie. Many people that substitute a solid breakfast for a smoothie end up feasting at lunch because they’re extra hungry. This can be another danger of smoothies.

Proteins and fats can make a smoothie more filling, allowing you to substitute meals with smoothies. Even so, don’t expect to substitute every meal with a smoothie – solid foods are still necessary for a healthy diet.

So, should you use smoothies to lose weight?

There’s clear evidence to suggest that smoothies can help you lose weight. However, you need to be strict about ingredient usage. You also shouldn’t expect to live on smoothies alone and should still incorporate some solid meals into your diet.