Is a fruit smoothie a good meal replacement option?

A typical smoothie is a drink made from mixed fruits or vegetables, and there are many ways to make one. While they provide several health benefits, drinking too many smoothies can negatively affect your health. They can add a lot of unforeseen calories, especially when a smoothie is simply a beverage with a meal. Lorraine Fye, a Mayo Clinic dietitian, has some simple ways to get smart about fruit smoothies.

A smoothie is delicious and easy to make. But is it good for you?

“I would say it’s a really easy way to get a lot of good fruits and vegetables. You can get a lot of nutrients packed into one little glass,” says Fye.

But too much of a good thing can be unhealthy.

“An unhealthy smoothie, it would be one that maybe is just all fruit or has a lot of fruit juice—one that’s really laden with added sugar and that’s not very balanced,” says Fye.

A smoothie can taste great and still be healthy. You just need to add the right ingredients.

“The healthy smoothie—we’re really looking for that balance. So you want good carbohydrates, good proteins and good healthy fats,” she says.

Once you find the right balance and taste, that smoothie can be a good thing.

“It’s really fine to have a smoothie every day. It can be a convenient meal replacement as long as you’re making sure that it really is replacing the meal. Not too few calories, but not too many calories,” says Fye.

Green smoothie

This refreshing drink is an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Number of servings

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 banana
Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup other berries, such as blackberries or blueberries
2 ounces fresh raw baby spinach (about 2 cups)
Fresh mint to taste
1 cup cold water or ice

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender or juicer and puree. Enjoy.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 6 fluid ounces

Total carbohydrate 12 g
Dietary fiber 2 g
Sodium 15 mg
Saturated fat Trace
Total fat Trace
Trans fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 1 g
Monounsaturated fat Trace
Calories 64
Added sugars 0 g
Total sugars 7 g

Fresh fruit smoothie

You can prepare ingredients ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to blend.

Number of servings

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup cantaloupe or other melon chunks
1 cup fresh strawberries
Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Remove rind from pineapple and melon. Cut into chunks. Remove stems from strawberries. Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Serve cold.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 8 ounces

Total carbohydrate 17 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
Sodium 7 mg
Saturated fat 0 g
Total fat 0 g
Trans fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Calories 72
Added sugars 4 g
Total sugars 13 g

High-calorie, high-protein smoothie (lactose-free)

To make the recipe higher in calories, add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil for an additional 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no additional sodium or cholesterol.

Number of servings

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup soy yogurt
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1 medium banana, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons protein powder

Directions

In a blender, combine the yogurt, soy milk, banana chunks, wheat germ and protein powder. Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall frost-chilled glass and serve immediately.