Healthy Smoothies: Best Smoothie Ingredients & 10 To Ditch

Find out the healthiest smoothie ingredients and 10 to ditch.

Whether you enjoy smoothies for breakfast, asnackor even dessert, they’re a great way to increase your daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

But depending on the ingredients they’re made with, smoothies can quickly turn into unhealthy calorie-bombs filled with sugar and saturated fat. The healthiest way to enjoy a smoothie is to make your own so you know how much of and what foods you are getting. Wondering how to make a smoothie? A good smoothie should contain a blend of ingredients with protein and fiber to help keep you full and provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

—Breana Lai, M.P.H., R.D.

Best High-Protein Smoothie Ingredients

• Nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
• Nonfat or low-fat plain milk
• Nonfat or low-fat plain kefir
• Tofu
• Natural peanut butter
• Almond butter
• Plain soymilk
• Plain high-protein almond milk

Best Fruits for Smoothies

Use fresh fruit, frozen fruit or fruit canned in water or its own juice.

• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Peach
• Banana
• Apple
• Melon
• Cherries
• Apricot

Best Vegetables for Smoothies

Use raw vegetables.

• Carrot
• Kale
• Spinach
• Avocado
• Cucumber

Healthy Smoothie Additions for Flavor and Additional Nutrition

• Flaxseed
• Chia seed
• Old-fashioned oats
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
• Vanilla extract
• Coconut water
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

Smoothie Ingredients to Ditch

To keep your smoothie as healthy as possible, avoid adding these ingredients, which provide more calories in the form of sugar, in some cases without many nutrients.

• Sugar-sweetened fruit juice or concentrate
• Flavored yogurt
• Flavored kefir
• Whipped cream
• Ice cream
• Sorbet
• Sherbet
• Chocolate syrup
• Chocolate milk
• Canned fruit in syrup