Is a smoothie a healthy choice?

A smoothie is not always a healthy choice. Many smoothies can increase massively your blood glucose and can serve up more sugar than ice cream or a soda. The problem is that the insoluble fibers of fruit and veggies are chopped up into tiny pieces by a blender. So when you slurp down a smoothie rather than eating whole fruit, you don’t get the benefit of a slower rise in blood glucose. Another consideration is that some fruits, especially the tropical ones like mangoes and bananas are very high in glucose and fructose. Lastly, fruit is often blended with ingredients that can cause a blood sugar rise like frozen yogurt, honey, agave, or sweetened protein powder. And if these ingredients are blended with a sugary liquid—such as fruit juice or sweetened nut milk—the sugar content in your smoothie can skyrocket.

Here are some tips for a smoothie that will keep your blood sugar stable.

1. Veggies have to be predominant (3/4).

2. Choose lower-sugar fruit such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and kiwi.

3. Add healthy fat that can help you stay full longer. So add almond or peanut butter, ground flaxseed, avocado, or coconut oil.

4. Pick a protein that can slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream like non-fat Greek yogurt or unsweetened protein powder.

5. Blend your smoothie with water, coconut water, or unsweetened non-dairy milk.

6. Avoid all the sugars (natural and not). Add flavor by using vanilla bean paste, cocoa powder, or cinnamon.

7. Ask for small cups. They tend to be served in huge cups. Because liquids go down quickly, it’s easy to sip extra calories and sugar in one sitting.