Smoothies can be a nutritious addition to your diet, but many recipes include ingredients that increase the fat content while reducing how much nutrition the smoothie offers. Bob Greene notes in his book, "The Best Life Diet," that smoothies can be nutritious because you use whole fruit to prepare them, which retains more of its nutrients than drinking juice. Choose the right ingredients and you can prepare smoothies with less than 15g of fat.
Peach Berry Smoothie
Many smoothie recipes call for frozen yogurt, which can increase the fat content of the smoothie as well as its sugar content. Using plain low-fat yogurt decreases the fat content as well as how many grams of sugar you consume. Ellen Brown, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Smoothies," recommends a combination of low-fat yogurt, peaches and berries as a smoothie recipe that contains calcium, protein, fiber and vitamin C and also weighs in a just 9g of fat per 8-oz. serving. Puree 3/4 cup of 100 percent fruit juice with 4 oz. of low-fat plain yogurt and 1 cup of a combination of frozen peaches, frozen blueberries and frozen strawberries.
Pineapple Banana Strawberry Smoothie
Omitting yogurt from your smoothie will allow you to create a low-fat smoothie that comes in at only about 1g of fat per 12-oz. serving. Ruth Tal and Jennifer Houston note in their book, "Refresh: Contemporary Vegan Recipes from the Award-Winning Fresh Restaurants," that pureeing the fruit well enough also reduces how much liquid from juice or milk that your smoothie needs, which allows to you to consume more fresh fruit and more nutrients. Combine 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple in your blender with 3 oz. of 100 percent pineapple juice, one peeled banana and six fresh strawberries. Puree until smooth and serve in a cold glass.
Kiwi Mango Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a lower-sugar version of regular yogurt and is also higher in protein. Adding it to your smoothie may add 5 or 6g, or more fat, but you can also buy nonfat Greek yogurt. Kiwis and mangoes increase the vitamin C and fiber content of your smoothie without adding any additional fat. Start by pouring 1/2 cup of 100 percent fruit juice, such as white grape or orange, in a blender. Add 1/4 cup of low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of peeled fresh kiwi and 1/2 cup of frozen mango chunks. Blend until slightly chunky and divide between two glasses. Even with the low-fat Greek yogurt this smoothie comes in far below 15g of fat.
Apple Blueberry Flax Smoothie
Ground flaxseed is full of fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids and adds nutrition to your smoothie. Apples and blueberries are both notable sources of fiber and vitamin C. Brown recommends ground flaxseed because it is easily blended into the smoothie and enhances the taste as well. Place 2 tbsp. of ground flaxseed in a blender with 1/2 cup 100 percent apple juice, 4 oz. of low-fat plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries. Blend until smooth for a recipe that contains only 5g of fat per 15-oz. serving.
References
- "The Best Life Diet"; Bob Greene; 2008
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Smoothies"; Ellen Brown; 2005
- "Refresh: Contemporary Vegan Recipes from the Award-Winning Fresh Restaurants"; Ruth Tal and Jennifer Houston; 2007
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