Get a Registered Dietitian’s top tips to build healthy and balanced smoothie recipes that will energize you, stabilize your blood sugars, keep you full, and taste delicious! Included in this post is 8 nutritious and delicious smoothie recipes to get you started.

graphic: how to make a balanced and healthy smoothie

Smoothies are great. They can be convenient, tasty, and nutritious. What’s not great is when your smoothie doesn’t keep you full. What’s even worse? Feeling a sugar crash 30 minutes after drinking your smoothie.

If that happens to you, you’re in the right place. Let’s talk about how to actually make a smoothie that’s nourishing, delicious, AND filling and energizing.

Here’s Why I Recommend Smoothies:

As a Registered Dietitian, I see smoothies are a great opportunity to pack a variety of nutritious foods into a single drink, therefore increasing the likelihood that you meet your nutrient requirements for the day.

In addition to their potential to be highly nutritious, smoothies can also make a quick and easy meal for individuals who are on the go and don’t have a lot of time to cook. BUT there are several mistakes I see people making when it comes to their smoothies.

Common Smoothie Mistakes:

  • Not enough protein: Protein is the key ingredient for feeling full for longer. This is because it takes longer to digest than the other macronutrients (carbohydrates and fat). So if you’re going to have a smoothie for a meal like breakfast, you want to make sure you’re adding enough protein.
  • All fruit and nothing else: A lot of the smoothies I see at restaurants offer primarily fruit, fruit juice, and not much else. Don’t get me wrong, fruit is really good for us (I love fruit!). However, if a fruit smoothie is going to be your meal (not just a beverage), we need to ensure we’re adding other components like protein and fat with fruit. Otherwise, it won’t keep you full for very long, and thanks to a quick spike and crash of your blood sugar levels you’ll probably be hungry again soon.
  • Low or no fat: The low-fat era is long gone! Fat provides satiety, meaning it’s another important ingredient that helps you feel satiated after eating. So we should also be including a source of fat in our smoothies, especially if they’ll be acting as a meal.
woman drinking a healthy smoothie

Making Balanced Smoothie:

If you’re consuming a smoothie as a meal or a snack, it’s important we incorporate the same things that we would in any other meal or snack. Here’s my formula for a balanced smoothie:

ingredients for a healthy smoothie

Fruit and Veggies: Add 1-3 servings of either. Fresh or frozen! Some of the best vegetables for smoothies are mild-tasting ones that won’t impact the flavour of your smoothie, like baby spinach, kale, frozen cauliflower or frozen zucchini.
Protein: If your smoothie is acting as a meal, aim for 20-30 grams of protein in your smoothie. Sources include greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr, protein powder (I can help you choose one!), silken tofu, a higher-protein milk like dairy or soy, nut butter (like peanut or almond butter), or hemp seeds.
Fat: Sources of healthy fat that you can add include: nut butters, avocado, higher fat milks like 2%, almond, or coconut milk, higher fat yogurts, and seeds like chia, hemp, and flax seeds.
Fibre: Helps to regulate digestion, keep your blood sugars balanced, and promotes good gut health. Fruit and vegetables in your smoothies is the first way to ensure you’re including fibre. For extra, add a tablespoon or two of chia, hemp, or flax seeds. If you use a fibre supplement like psyllium, you could add this to your smoothie instead of taking it on its own.
Liquid: A good smoothie needs liquid to blend! Try to choose a liquid without any added sugars if you can. I like to use unsweetened milks like dairy, soy or cashew, as well as 100% fruit juice, or even just water!

ingredients for a healthy smoothie; healthy smoothie ingredients

Healthy Smoothie Recipes to Try:

Here are some of my favourite balanced, nutritious, and delicious smoothie recipes!

Green smoothie being poured into a glass in front of a white background
Green Power Smoothie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
This Berry Protein Smoothie makes a great breakfast or snack when you need something quick, tasty and nutritious! It's packed with antioxidants as well as fibre and protein to keep you going.
Triple Berry Protein Smoothie
Pina Colada Smoothie
blood orange smoothies in glasses
Blood Orange Smoothie
Cinnamon Roll Smoothie
pumpkin smoothies in glasses
Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
glass of a vanilla and banana smoothie topped with sliced banana, hemp seeds, and almond butter
Creamy Vanilla Banana Smoothie

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