Smoothies for weight loss: 12 filling recipes and how to build your own

Are smoothies good for weight loss?

Smoothies are good for weight loss only when they take the place of a meal and are built to fill you up, with protein, fibre and no added sugar. A fruit-only smoothie sipped next to breakfast, or a large shop-bought cup, usually works the other way.

So the honest answer is “it depends on what goes in and when you drink it”. The rest of this page shows how to get that right, with 12 recipes you can make in five minutes.

Why calories from drinks are easy to miss

Your body seems to notice energy from drinks less well than energy from solid food. Researchers at Purdue University gave 15 adults an extra 450 kcal a day for four weeks, once as a sweet soft drink and once as jelly sweets.

When the extra energy came as sweets, people ate less at their other meals and their weight stayed steady. When it came as a drink, they did not eat less elsewhere, so their total intake rose and their weight went up.

A second study by the same team gave 40 young adults, half of them living with obesity, 300 kcal of apple in three forms: whole, as apple sauce, or as juice. The juice gave the weakest feeling of fullness, the whole apple the strongest, and apple sauce sat in the middle.

After the juice, people also reached for their next real snack or meal sooner, although total intake over the day did not differ significantly. Our healthy recipes for weight loss page describes another apple study that points the same way.

Where do smoothies fit in?

A smoothie is not juice: the whole fruit, skin and fibre go into the blender. That makes it thicker and more food-like than a soft drink, and that seems to matter.

In a UK study at the University of Bristol, adults rated a fruit smoothie as less filling than a bowl of the same fruits, eaten as a fruit salad. Yet when they ate a meal afterwards, the amount they ate did not differ between the drinks, the smoothie and the fruit salad.

The authors concluded that how full you feel rises with how “food-like” something seems and how slowly you consume it. These were small, short studies in healthy adults, so they cannot predict what happens to your weight over months.

Taken together, the research points to a practical middle way. Treat a smoothie as a meal, make it thick, include protein, and drink it slowly or eat it with a spoon.

When a smoothie can help

• Busy mornings: it takes five minutes and can be made with frozen fruit you keep in stock.
• Little appetite early in the day: some people find a cold drink easier than a plate of food.
• More fruit and vegetables: a handful of greens, carrot or beetroot disappears into the taste.
• A protein gap: yogurt, milk or tofu in a smoothie can lift the protein of a breakfast that would otherwise be toast and jam.

When a smoothie works against you

• As an extra: a smoothie next to your normal breakfast, or as an afternoon drink, adds a meal’s worth of energy without replacing anything.
• Juice as the base: a glass of apple or orange juice adds roughly 120 kcal and very little fibre.
• Sweeteners and rich extras: honey, syrup, dates, ice cream, coconut milk or big spoons of nut butter quickly double the calories.
• Large shop sizes: café and supermarket smoothies are often 400 ml or more, with fruit juice and little protein. Check the label for calories and serving size.

Smoothie sugar: what counts and what to watch

Most of the sugar in a homemade smoothie comes from fruit and milk, not from added sugar. That is different from a soft drink, but it still deserves some attention when you are trying to lose weight.

When fruit is blended, its cell structure is broken down and the sugars are released. For that reason, the UK definition of “free sugars”, set by Public Health England, includes sugars in fruit juices and purées. Under that definition, sugar from blended fruit counts as free sugar, while sugar in milk and in whole fruit does not.

In practice, that means three simple habits. Use about one or two handfuls of fruit per smoothie, add a vegetable for volume, and have one smoothie a day at most rather than several.

The sugar figures in our recipes include natural sugar from fruit and milk. Lactose from milk and yogurt makes up part of it, which is why dairy smoothies show a few grams of sugar even before any fruit goes in.

How to build a weight loss smoothie: the four-part formula

A filling weight loss smoothie has four parts: a protein food, a fibre booster, fruit plus a vegetable, and an unsweetened liquid. Pick one or two items from each group and you can make your own smoothie without a recipe.

1. Protein (aim for roughly 15 to 25 g): plain Greek yogurt or skyr, cottage cheese, quark, low-fat milk, kefir, unsweetened soya drink, silken tofu or drained white beans.
2. Fibre (3 to 5 g extra): rolled oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, beans, or high-fibre fruit such as raspberries, blackberries and pears.
3. Fruit and vegetables (about 150 to 250 g in total): one or two handfuls of fruit, ideally frozen, plus a vegetable such as spinach, kale, cucumber, carrot, cooked beetroot or tinned pumpkin.
4. Liquid (just enough to blend): water, ice, low-fat milk, unsweetened soya drink or cold coffee. Start with a little and add more until it turns.

Flavour comes from spices and herbs instead of sugar: cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, mint, lime or a pinch of nutmeg. They add almost no calories.

How big should a smoothie be?

For a meal, a finished smoothie of about 300 to 450 ml, roughly one large glass, is a sensible size. Our recipes land between about 225 and 295 kcal, which suits a light breakfast for many people.

Energy needs differ a lot between people, so there is no single right number. If a smoothie leaves you hungry by mid-morning, add a slice of wholegrain toast or a boiled egg rather than a bigger glass of fruit. Our guide to portion control explains how to judge amounts without weighing everything.

Five tricks that make a smoothie more filling

• Make it thick. Frozen fruit and less liquid give a spoonable texture that feels more like food.
• Blend a little longer. In a Penn State study, lean men who drank a yogurt milkshake whipped with extra air to double its volume ate 12 % less at lunch than after the same shake at half the volume.
• Use a bowl and spoon, or drink it from a glass over 10 to 15 minutes rather than in one go.
• Add texture on top: a spoon of oats or a few berries gives you something to chew.
• Drink water as well. Keep a glass of water for thirst, so the smoothie stays a meal and not a drink.

12 best smoothie recipes for weight loss at a glance

These 12 smoothie recipes for weight loss each serve one person and take about five minutes. Every recipe uses ordinary supermarket ingredients and no protein powder.

The values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy). Brands differ, so check your own labels if you need exact figures, for example for diabetes.

Before you change your breakfast routine, talk to your doctor first if you have diabetes, kidney disease, take blood thinners or have a condition that affects what you can eat. The sections after the recipes explain why.

Protein smoothie recipes for breakfast

A protein smoothie for weight loss gets its protein from dairy or soya foods, so it can replace breakfast and keep you going until lunch. These six recipes each give about 20 g of protein from yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese or milk.

1. Strawberry cheesecake smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 150 g (1 cup) frozen strawberries
• 120 g (½ cup) cottage cheese, 2 % fat
• 120 ml (½ cup) low-fat milk
• 15 g (3 tbsp) rolled oats
• A few drops of vanilla extract

1. Blend the cottage cheese and milk first until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the strawberries, oats and vanilla and blend again until thick. It should taste like a light cheesecake.

Per serving (approx.): 260 kcal · 20 g protein · 5 g fibre · 18 g sugar.

2. Mango, carrot and ginger lassi

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 120 g (¾ cup) frozen mango chunks
• 50 g (½ small) carrot, peeled and grated
• 170 g (¾ cup) plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 10 g (2 tsp) chia seeds
• 5 g (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger and 2 tsp lime juice
• Cold water to thin, about 80 ml (⅓ cup)

1. Put the grated carrot, ginger and water in the blender and blend until no pieces of carrot remain.
2. Add the mango, yogurt, chia seeds and lime juice, blend, and leave for 2 minutes so the chia thickens it slightly.

Per serving (approx.): 270 kcal · 20 g protein · 7 g fibre · 25 g sugar.

3. Peach, raspberry and skyr smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 150 g (1 cup) peach slices, fresh or frozen without sugar
• 80 g (⅔ cup) frozen raspberries
• 150 g (⅔ cup) plain skyr or fat-free Greek yogurt
• 15 g (3 tbsp) rolled oats
• About 50 ml (3 tbsp) cold water

1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding a little more water only if the blender struggles.
2. If the raspberry seeds bother you, press the smoothie through a sieve, though you will lose a little fibre.

Per serving (approx.): 250 kcal · 20 g protein · 7 g fibre · 23 g sugar.

4. Apple pie smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 1 small apple (130 g), cored but not peeled, chopped
• 150 g (⅔ cup) plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 100 ml (7 tbsp) low-fat milk
• 20 g (¼ cup) rolled oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon and a few ice cubes

1. Blend the apple with the milk first, so the skin breaks down fully.
2. Add the yogurt, oats, cinnamon and ice and blend until thick and creamy. Dust with a little more cinnamon.

Per serving (approx.): 280 kcal · 23 g protein · 6 g fibre · 24 g sugar.

5. Pumpkin spice smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 120 g (½ cup) tinned pumpkin purée, plain (not pie filling)
• 60 g (½ small) banana, frozen in slices
• 120 g (½ cup) plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 150 ml (⅔ cup) low-fat milk
• 15 g (3 tbsp) rolled oats
• ½ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and ground ginger

1. Put everything in the blender and blend for about a minute until smooth.
2. Freeze the rest of the pumpkin tin in an ice cube tray, so the next smoothie is ready to go.

Per serving (approx.): 290 kcal · 22 g protein · 7 g fibre · 23 g sugar.

6. Coffee and oat breakfast smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes, plus cooling the coffee · vegetarian

• 100 ml (7 tbsp) strong coffee, cooled, or decaf
• 150 ml (⅔ cup) low-fat milk
• 100 g (7 tbsp) plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 25 g (⅓ cup) rolled oats
• 60 g (½ small) banana, frozen in slices
• A pinch of cinnamon and a few ice cubes

1. Brew the coffee the evening before and keep it in the fridge.
2. Blend everything until smooth. This replaces your breakfast and your morning milky coffee in one glass.

Per serving (approx.): 280 kcal · 20 g protein · 5 g fibre · 19 g sugar.

Green smoothie recipes for weight loss

A green smoothie adds leafy greens or green vegetables to fruit and a protein food. The greens bring volume, vitamins and a little fibre for very few calories, and a sweet fruit such as pear or apple hides their taste.

Start with a small handful of greens and build up. Blending the leaves with the liquid first gives a smooth result without bits.

7. Cucumber, pear and mint green smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 120 g (1 cup sliced) cucumber with peel
• 1 small ripe pear (150 g), cored
• 30 g (1 cup) baby spinach
• 150 g (⅔ cup) plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 10 g (1 heaped tbsp) ground flaxseed
• 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, 2 tsp lime juice and a few ice cubes

1. Blend the cucumber, spinach and mint first; the cucumber gives enough liquid.
2. Add the pear, yogurt, flaxseed, lime and ice and blend until smooth and pale green.

Per serving (approx.): 275 kcal · 19 g protein · 9 g fibre · 22 g sugar.

8. Avocado, apple and kale green smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegan

• 50 g (⅓) ripe avocado
• 1 small apple (120 g), cored and chopped
• 25 g (1 loosely packed cup) kale, tough stems removed
• 250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened soya drink
• 100 g (3½ oz) silken tofu
• 2 tsp lemon juice and a few ice cubes

1. Blend the kale with the soya drink for a full minute, until no flecks remain.
2. Add the avocado, apple, tofu, lemon and ice and blend again. Avocado makes it creamy, so you need no banana.

Per serving (approx.): 295 kcal · 16 g protein · 9 g fibre · 15 g sugar.

Green smoothies, oxalates and vitamin K: who should be careful

For most people, a handful of greens in a smoothie is a healthy habit. Two groups should take extra care and talk to their doctor first.

Kidney stones or kidney disease. Spinach is rich in oxalate, a natural plant substance. The amount of oxalate in your urine plays a big part in the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones, while kale contains much less oxalate than spinach.

Doctors in the United States described a 65-year-old woman whose kidneys failed after a “green smoothie cleanse” made by juicing oxalate-rich leafy greens and fruit. She had extra risk factors, including earlier gastric bypass surgery and a long course of antibiotics, so this is rare.

Still, if you have had kidney stones, chronic kidney disease or bariatric surgery, ask your doctor or dietitian before drinking spinach smoothies every day. Kidney stone experts also advise drinking enough fluid and getting enough calcium, so swapping spinach for kale or cucumber in a yogurt-based smoothie is a simple compromise.

With chronic kidney disease, your care team may also give you advice on potassium. Banana, avocado, orange, tomato and beans all contain quite a lot of it, so check which recipes suit you.

Warfarin and similar blood thinners. Leafy greens are high in vitamin K, which helps blood to clot. By our calculation, 30 g of raw spinach gives roughly 145 micrograms and 25 g of raw kale roughly 100 micrograms.

A systematic review found no good evidence that people on warfarin need to cut out greens. The authors suggest keeping your vitamin K intake steady instead, because big changes from one week to the next may affect your INR blood test.

So if you take warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist, talk to your doctor or anticoagulation clinic before starting daily green smoothies. Often the answer is to keep the amount the same each day, so your dose can be set around it. Newer blood thinners such as apixaban or rivaroxaban do not work through vitamin K, but ask if you are not sure which type you take.

Check with your doctor first before drinking green smoothies every day if you take warfarin or another vitamin K antagonist, if you have had kidney stones or have kidney disease, or if you have had bariatric surgery.

Vegan, high-fibre and savoury smoothies

These four recipes use tofu, soya drink, beans and vegetables to bring protein and fibre without protein powder. One is savoury, for people who prefer something less sweet.

9. Blueberry and silken tofu smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegan

• 150 g (1 cup) frozen blueberries
• 150 g (5 oz) silken tofu
• 150 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened soya drink
• 15 g (3 tbsp) rolled oats
• Grated zest of ½ lemon

1. Drain the tofu and blend it with the soya drink until silky.
2. Add the blueberries, oats and lemon zest and blend until thick and deep purple.

Per serving (approx.): 275 kcal · 18 g protein · 7 g fibre · 14 g sugar.

10. Cherry, vanilla and white bean smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 130 g (1 cup) frozen pitted sweet cherries
• 80 g (½ cup) tinned white beans such as cannellini, rinsed and drained
• 200 ml (generous ¾ cup) low-fat milk, or unsweetened soya drink for a vegan version
• A few drops of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon

1. Blend the beans with the milk first for a full minute, until there is no grainy texture left.
2. Add the cherries, vanilla and cinnamon and blend until smooth. You will not taste the beans.

Per serving (approx.): 280 kcal · 16 g protein · 8 g fibre · 28 g sugar.

Beans are an unusual but cheap way to add protein and fibre to a smoothie. Choose beans tinned in water without added salt if you can, and rinse them for a milder taste.

11. Beetroot, blackberry and orange smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 60 g (1 small) cooked beetroot, plain, not pickled
• 100 g (¾ cup) frozen blackberries
• 1 medium orange (130 g), peeled and pips removed
• 130 g (½ cup) plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger and cold water to thin

1. Chop the beetroot and blend it with the orange segments until smooth.
2. Add the blackberries, yogurt, ginger and a splash of water, and blend again. Rinse the blender straight away, as beetroot stains.

Per serving (approx.): 230 kcal · 17 g protein · 9 g fibre · 32 g sugar.

This smoothie has the most fibre but also the most sugar of the twelve, most of it from the whole orange, berries and beetroot. If you have diabetes, choose one of the lower-sugar recipes or have it with a meal.

12. Savoury gazpacho smoothie

Serves 1 · 5 minutes · vegetarian

• 2 medium ripe tomatoes (200 g)
• 100 g (⅓) cucumber
• 80 g (½) red pepper, seeds removed
• 150 g (⅔ cup) plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
• A small piece of garlic, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and ice

1. Roughly chop the vegetables and blend them with the garlic until completely smooth.
2. Add the yogurt, oil, lemon, salt, pepper and ice, blend briefly, and serve cold in a glass or bowl.

Per serving (approx.): 225 kcal · 18 g protein · 5 g fibre · 16 g sugar.

This one works well as a summer lunch. With a slice of wholegrain bread or a boiled egg on the side it becomes a full meal, and its sugar comes only from vegetables and yogurt.

Do you need protein powder in a smoothie?

No, you do not need protein powder to make a filling smoothie. Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, soya drink, tofu and beans give 16 to 23 g of protein per smoothie in our recipes, together with calcium and other nutrients.

Some people still find a powder handy, for example if they do not eat dairy or soya. That is a personal choice, and we do not recommend any brand or product.

If you use one, read the label. Check the protein and calories per scoop, the serving size, and whether sugar or sweeteners have been added.

Kidney disease: the KDOQI guideline from the US National Kidney Foundation advises people with chronic kidney disease stage 3 to 5 who are not on dialysis to eat a controlled amount of protein, set together with their care team. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor or a kidney dietitian before adding protein powder or extra protein of any kind.

For a wider look at protein foods and when shakes make sense, see our page on foods for weight loss.

Smoothies and diabetes: blending fruit with care

People with diabetes can still enjoy smoothies, but the recipe and portion matter more. Whole fruit and fruit juice behave differently in research, and a smoothie sits somewhere between the two.

Talk to your doctor or diabetes team first if you want to make smoothies a regular meal.

A large analysis of three US cohort studies followed more than 187,000 health professionals for many years. Eating more whole fruit, especially blueberries, grapes and apples, was linked with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while more fruit juice was linked with a higher risk.

These were observational studies, and smoothies were not measured separately. Still, they support choosing whole fruit most of the time and treating blended fruit with some care.

A consensus report from the American Diabetes Association names three things that good eating patterns for diabetes share: plenty of non-starchy vegetables, few added sugars and refined grains, and whole foods over highly processed ones. A smoothie can fit that pattern if you build it the right way.

• Keep fruit to about one portion and choose berries more often than sweeter fruit such as mango, banana or cherries.
• Add protein, fibre and a vegetable, such as Greek yogurt, oats or chia, and spinach or cucumber.
• Drink it as part of a meal, not on its own between meals, and never juice-based.
• Check your blood sugar after a new smoothie, if your care team has asked you to monitor it, to see how you respond.

The blueberry and tofu, avocado and kale, and gazpacho smoothies have the least sugar in our list. If you live with prediabetes or insulin resistance, our page on insulin resistance and weight loss explains which food and movement changes help most.

If you use insulin or a medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea, talk to your doctor or diabetes nurse before replacing a meal with a smoothie. A lighter meal may mean your medicine needs adjusting.

Homemade smoothies vs meal replacement shakes

A homemade smoothie and a meal replacement shake are not the same thing. A meal replacement product is made to a set formula with a fixed amount of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, while a homemade smoothie varies with what you put in it.

A systematic review in Obesity Reviews pooled 23 trials and found that diets including meal replacements led to somewhat more weight loss after a year than diets without them. Most of those programmes also included regular support from professionals.

The American Diabetes Association also notes that structured programmes with regular visits and meal replacements can help people with diabetes lose weight. Plans that replace all food with shakes are a different matter: our page on weight loss myths explains why they need medical supervision.

So meal replacements can be one option within a structured plan, but they are not necessary, and Obesity Foundation does not recommend any product. Our page on the best diet for weight loss compares this approach with other diets, so you can discuss with your doctor which suits you.

Detox and cleanse smoothies: a weight loss myth

Detox smoothies do not remove toxins or burn fat. Your liver, kidneys, gut and lungs already clear waste products every day, and no blend of fruit, greens or lemon speeds that up.

A critical review of detox diets in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics found that no randomised controlled trials had tested commercial detox diets in people. The few small studies that exist had serious weaknesses.

A smoothie-only cleanse also replaces the ordinary meals you need to learn to enjoy for the long run. The case of kidney failure after a green smoothie cleanse shows that large amounts of some greens can even be harmful for people at risk.

The same myths page looks at detox teas, juice fasts and other popular shortcuts in more detail.

How to fit smoothies into your week

The easiest way to use smoothies for weight loss is as one meal a day, a few times a week, with your other meals as proper food you chew. Talk to your doctor first before you change your eating pattern, especially if you have a health condition or take medicines.

1. Pick two or three recipes you like and buy the frozen fruit, yogurt or tofu and oats for them.
2. Prepare freezer bags with the fruit, vegetables and oats for each smoothie, so you only add the protein food and liquid in the morning.
3. Use a smoothie to replace breakfast on your busiest days, and keep your favourite solid breakfast for the rest. Our guide to the best breakfast for weight loss has plenty of ideas.
4. Do not add a smoothie as a snack. Between meals, a piece of whole fruit fills you more. Our page on fruits for weight loss explains which fruits work well.
5. Notice how you feel by lunchtime. If you are very hungry, add protein or fibre next time, or switch back to a breakfast you chew.

Smoothies are only one small part of the picture. A week of filling meals, regular walking and exercise at a level that suits you does far more than any single recipe.

A short walk after your smoothie breakfast is a good way to start the day. Our free workout videos begin at a gentle seated level, so you can build up at your own pace.

How Obesity Foundation helps you lose weight with good food

We help people lose weight and feel healthier with good food, suitable exercise and walking. Everything we offer is free, and we never sell shakes, powders or products.

• A free personal eating plan that fits your taste, budget and culture, with or without smoothies: request your free eating plan.
• 150 free workout videos in three levels, from seated beginner sessions to real fitness: sign up for the free videos.
• A free video meeting (in English) to talk through your eating habits and goals with someone who listens without judgement: book a free video meeting.
• The free Obesity Foundation Club, your own account to track your progress and ask for help: join the Club.

Start with one smoothie this week, built with protein, fibre and a vegetable. If it keeps you full until lunch, you have found a new breakfast that works for you.