Smoothies can be an excellent tool for burning fat and achieving healthy, lasting weight loss, but only when done right. The wrong combination of smoothie ingredients can pack on the pounds, while the right combination can help tame hunger, build and maintain muscle, aid in weight loss, and keep your body in fat-burning mode.
So, what ingredients should you include in your smoothies to promote fat loss and weight loss? We’ll answer that question shortly, but first, let’s review some basics.
What Does Fat-Burning Mean?
To begin, it’s important to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss is a drop in your overall body weight from muscle, water, and fat losses. Fat loss, on the other hand, refers to weight loss from fat alone and is a more specific and healthy goal than weight loss. In other words, losing fat while maintaining muscle and hydration is the goal as opposed to just weight loss.
Your body’s ability to effectively burn fat largely depends on a hormone called insulin, which controls the amount of glucose in your bloodstream at any given moment. When insulin levels are low, such as when following a low-carb diet, body fat is broken down and burned by cells in your liver. That process is what we call “fat burning.
Benefits of Burning More Fat
Why would someone want to encourage their body to burn more fat? The most obvious answer is weight loss. When your body burns fat, you’ll lose weight, leading to a more toned, shapely figure.
Besides fat loss, some other benefits of burning more fat include:
Stable energy: When your body relies less on carbs for fuel and more on fatty acids, experiencing steady energy is a natural result. This is because, unlike carbs, dietary fat has very little impact on your blood sugar—and when your blood sugar levels are stable, your energy levels are more stable.
Less hunger: When you’re fat-adapted—meaning your body readily burns fat for energy—you’re likely to experience less hunger and fewer cravings. This is because high-fat diets reduce hunger hormones like ghrelin and neuropeptide Y and enhance the function of leptin, your satiety hormone.[*]
Clearer cognition: When your body shifts into a fat-burning state called ketosis, it produces a type of chemical called ketones—an alternative fuel made by the liver. Ketones are an extremely potent fuel source for the brain and may increase your brain function, resulting in clearer cognition.[*]
How to Increase Fat Burning with Diet
So, how can you encourage your body to burn more fat? The most effective way is to adopt a low-carb, high-fat diet, such as a Paleo or keto diet. This way of eating encourages your body to rely less on carbohydrates (glucose) for energy production and more on fat.
A low-carb diet typically includes meat, fish, eggs, non-starchy veggies, low-sugar fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. People who follow a keto diet sometimes include dairy as well.
What Smoothie Ingredients Promote Fat Burning?
Now that you have a better understanding of what fat burning means, the benefits it offers, and how to achieve it, let’s refocus our attention on smoothies. As we mentioned, when made with the right ingredients, smoothies can be a great addition to a fat-burning meal plan to eat healthy.
Let’s take a look at what goes into a fat-burning smoothie:
Fiber
Fiber offers many benefits, including helping you feel full, crushing snack cravings, and balancing blood sugar.[*] Fiber-rich ingredients to include are non-starchy veggies, such as leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, and cabbage, as well as low-sugar fruits, including cucumber, avocado, lemons, limes, and berries.
Healthy fats
Healthy fat helps with satiety, cravings, and blood sugar control.[*] They also help keep your body in fat-burning mode (when paired with low-carb intake). Healthy fats to add to your fat-burning smoothies include nuts, nut butters, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, avocado, coconut oil, and MCT oil. For more information on chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds, check out: The 3 Best Super Seeds for Smoothies.
Protein powders
Like fiber and fat, protein powder will help balance your blood sugar and keep you full. Good protein options for smoothies include nuts, seeds, and low-sugar protein powders, such as pure pea protein powder or hemp protein powder.
Low-Carb Flavorings
To add flavor, sweetness, and extra nutrition to your smoothies without adding many (or any) calories or carbs, use spices, roots, herbs, extracts, and superfoods. Good options include cinnamon, vanilla extract, monk fruit extract, ginger, turmeric, mint, and cacao powder.
A Sample Fat-Burning Smoothie Recipe
To help you conceptualize what a healthy smoothie recipe looks like in action, take a look at the sample smoothie recipe below. Try this recipe or use it as inspiration to create your own healthy smoothie combination. Simply place all of the ingredients into a blender, blend them up, and enjoy!
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen berries
1 tbsp coconut oil or MCT oil
1 cup spinach
½ avocado
Small piece fresh ginger
If buying and prepping all of the individual ingredients for your fat-burning smoothies sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. A super-convenient alternative is using frozen, pre-portioned smoothie kits from Blendtopia.
Blendtopia offers three keto smoothie options—Keto Green Smoothie, Keto Berry Smoothie, and Keto Chocolate Chai Smoothie. We also offer a Keto Smoothie Variety Box, which includes 12 pre-selected keto-friendly smoothies. These keto smoothies are low in carbs, moderate in protein, and higher in fat—the ideal macronutrient ratio for those looking to burn fat.
Each kit contains organic frozen fruits and veggies and other healthy superfoods, such as organic hemp seeds, organic MCT oil, organic ground ginger, and organic wheatgrass powder. All you have to do is pour the contents of the smoothie pouch into your blender, add 12-14 ounces of liquid (such as plant milk or water), and give it a whirl!
The Bottom Line on Fat-Burning Smoothies
When done right, a fat-burning smoothie recipe can play a key role in your fat loss strategy. They can supply you with tons of healthy nutrients, help keep your hunger levels in check, and help keep your body in fat-burning mode. Be smart and enjoy your healthy smoothie!
It’s important to note, however, that losing fat requires a holistic approach that addresses a range of factors, including diet, sleep, stress, and exercise. When all of these factors are dialed in, achieving significant, sustainable results can be expected. Develop those healthy habits now!
Other Reading:
The Best Milk for Smoothies – almond milk, coconut milk, cows milk….so many choices!
Green Smoothies for Weight Loss – all about using green smoothies for weight loss
Lose Weight and Keep It Off with Smoothies – healthy weight loss smoothie recipes and ideas for drinking smoothies to help stay fit
How to Make a Healthy Smoothie – tips and tricks for making healthy smoothies at home with healthy weight loss smoothies
