5 Ingredients for Smoothies to Actually Fill You Up (2024)

FAQs

5 Ingredients for Smoothies to Actually Fill You Up? ›

Nut butters, seeds (like chia, hemp or ground flax seeds), and avocados can make your smoothie extra filling, and depending on which one you choose, may bring heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids or monounsaturated fats. But these additions also drive the calories up.

Nut butters, seeds (like chia, hemp or ground flax seeds), and avocados can make your smoothie extra filling, and depending on which one you choose, may bring heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids or monounsaturated fats. But these additions also drive the calories up.

While fiber and protein help you get full, healthy fats help you stay full. “I notice that a lot of people are hesitant to add fat in their smoothies and are subsequently not satisfied,” Rigden says. She ensures her smoothies have enough healthy fats by throwing in a quarter or half an avocado.

If you prioritize ingredients low in calories and high in protein and fiber, your smoothie may keep you full until your next meal. Whole fruit, vegetables, nut butters, and low or no-added-sugar yogurts are all excellent weight-loss-friendly ingredients.

“Every smoothie I make has several handfuls of leafy greens (for fiber), some healthy fat like avocado, nuts, seeds or yogurt, and a protein powder or protein-rich food. The fiber, fat and protein elongate your blood sugar curve, making sure that you stay full for hours.”

Experts say that there is a right way to do smoothies. If you want your smoothie to substitute for a meal, Cording stresses the importance of putting in a protein, like nut butter, Greek yogurt, protein powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds, to help slow down the digestion process.

Pair fresh fruit with nuts or nut butter, rice cakes with smoked salmon or avocado, and add some seeds or nuts to a high-protein yoghurt. Fat and protein help to stabilise blood sugars and increase the satiation of meals and snacks.

If you're looking to cut calories and sugar from your diet, water is the perfect choice for liquid for smoothies. Not only is it calorie-free and sugar-free, but it's also money-free!

One of the reasons you may not feel full after smoothies are that you are having 'snack smoothies' by mistake – when you really need a 'meal smoothie'. Snack smoothies are not intended to keep you full for hours. They are simply there to tie you over for a couple of hours, at most.

If your smoothie doesn't have protein, fiber and healthy fat, you may feel hungry shortly after drinking it, Scott says. This can make it easier for you to overeat. “It takes about 15 minutes for a conversation to take place between your stomach and brain that you're full,” Shapira says.

Why do smoothies make me so full? ›

Unlike juices, smoothies don't strip the fiber from vegetables and fruits so they're more filling.

Adding Greek yogurt or milk to a smoothie is a good way to bump up the protein, which helps you feel full for longer. It also makes smoothies thicker and creamier and generally more satisfying.

Add a low-sugar, high-protein granola and some nuts, nut butter or seeds along with your fruit toppings to help keep you full for hours on end. Our Acai-Blueberry Smoothie Bowl and Raspberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie Bowl both have a whopping 23g protein!

If you're using fresh fruit, a frozen element like ice is vital to help keep the smoothie cold and thicken up the texture. In this case, it's essential to blend the smoothie ingredients and choice of liquid first and reserve the ice for the end to doctor up the smoothie just a bit.

Snack smoothies are not intended to keep you full for hours. They are simply there to tie you over for a couple of hours, at most. If you want to feel full for a while, you need to look for 'meal smoothies'. The main difference is that a snack smoothie is lighter on 'extras' and a meal smoothie is loaded.

This can be milk, or a dairy-free alternative such as soya or almond milk, natural or flavoured yogurt, fruit juice, or for a tropical flavoured smoothie, low-fat coconut milk or coconut water. It's important to add the liquid to your blender before adding the fruit, as this will prevent the blade from getting damaged.

How can I add more calories to my smoothie? Let me give you two simple tips on how you can fatten up a smoothie. First, make sure to use whole milk and full fat milk. Second, blend in more calorie-dense foods like peanut butter, nuts, seeds, avocado or more dates.