5 Low Sugar Smoothies that Taste Amazing
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Updated Dec 29, 2020
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Are you ready for some healthy low sugar smoothies (that still taste amazing)? Sugar can easily creep up in smoothie recipes, but today we’re keeping it in check with low sugar smoothie recipes and some sneaky vegetables.
Now that we’re in the thick of summer I’ve been receiving a lot of requests for smoothie recipes. But particularly for low sugar smoothies.
As you might imagine, many smoothie recipes are loaded with natural sugar from the fruits contained within the smoothie. Now, to be clear, I’m not against natural sugar from fruit. But when it comes to smoothies it’s really easy to over-indulge.
So what smoothies can you enjoy on regular rotation? The ones I’m sharing below! They’re still fruity (but not overly so) and have 15 grams of sugar or less per serving. Bonus: you can sneak in some extra veggies. I’ll show you how.
Are Smoothies High In Sugar?
A smoothie may sound like an ideal healthy snack, but it might be hiding more sugar than you think (like my favorite mango smoothie). Toss in some juice, maybe a drizzle of honey, banana slices, and before you know it, you’ve consumed 50+ grams of sugar!
But, this doesn’t mean you can’t create smoothies that will satisfy your sweet tooth while having lots of nutrients, protein, and fiber. With the right combination of specific fruits and vegetables, you can enjoy your smoothie without having to worry about your sugar intake.
Consuming Sugar in Moderation
I think we’re all aware that excessive sugar isn’t the best for your body, but as long as you consume it in moderation, you’ll be just fine. I’ll admit, I love fruit and include quite a bit of it into my weekly meals, but the key is understanding which fruits have higher or lower sugar content. Here is a quick breakdown:
Which Fruits Have High Sugar?
- Banana
- Mango
- Pears
- Pomegranate
- Cherries
- Grapes
Which Fruits Are Low In Sugar?
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwi
- Cucumber
- Lemons
- Avocado
Ways To Add More Vegetables To Your Smoothies
Now that we’ve established to minimize certain fruits in smoothies, it’s time to bring in the power of greens! Yes, you can load your smoothie with tons of nutrients without ruining the taste.
Tip on adding vegetables: two vegetables that are a great substitute for adding heft to your smoothie are blanched and frozen zucchini and frozen cauliflower. Blend these into your mix and you have the perfect replacement for your typical banana.
Now, here are a few vegetables options to add:
- Avocado has the highest protein of any fruit and adds an unmatched creaminess to any smoothie.
- Cucumber provides a light and fresh taste while providing a lot of water to stay hydrated.
- Carrots are great for boosting your immune system and add a natural sweetness and color to your smoothie.
- Leafy Greens are a great source of fiber, protein and antioxidants.
- Beets can be used to sweeten an all veggie smoothie and boost energy levels.
- Zucchini is high in fiber and water content to keep you full and is virtually tasteless in a smoothie.
- Cauliflower is filled with Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber and adds non-sugar creaminess.
Ways To Add Protein To Your Smoothies
If you’re looking to boost the protein in your low sugar smoothies, here are a few suggestions on ways to do it:
- Nut Butter adds protein and healthy fats with just a single tablespoon.
- Greek Yogurt is a great way to add a creamy, tangy texture.
- Nuts and Seeds provide extra fiber and protein per tablespoon.
- Protein Powder such as whey or plant-based is an easy way to include protein in the mix.
- Collagen Powder boost your protein and supports healthy skin, hair, and nails.
5 Low Sugar Smoothie Recipes
Finding the right balance of flavor between lots of vegetables and minimal fruits can seem hard, but I’ve tested out for you a few of my favorite smoothie recipes that are veggie filled and keep sugar levels at a minimum. Watch the video below!
Pineapple Coconut Smoothie
This is a tropical fruit delight of creamy coconut milk, fresh pineapple, and a hint of ginger. Add any of the protein options mentioned above (I added Vital Proteins Vanilla Coconut Whey Protein) for a boost.
Blackberry Cream Smoothie
A luscious blackberry smoothie mixed with greek yogurt and a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Plus, it’s packed with protein and a few sneaky cauliflower florets.
Orange Carrot Smoothie
This blend of almond milk, orange, carrot and vanilla bean is like a creamsicle in a cup! But don’t look past the fact that it’s loaded with protein from cauliflower and a scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides.
Cucumber Kiwi Smoothie
A creamy yet refreshing smoothie loaded with fiber and protein. The mix of spinach, avocado, cucumber, kiwi, cauliflower, and almond butter makes for the ultimate green drink!
Berry Spinach Smoothie
A Downshiftology classic recipe made from a rich blend of mixed berries, spinach, chia seeds and avocado. Ditch the banana for zucchini and you’ve got yourself a delicious low sugar smoothie recipe.
Remember that I have separate recipes for homemade almond milk, cashew milk and almond butter if you’d like to make your own. Happy smoothie-making!
5 Low Sugar Smoothies That Taste Amazing
Description
Video
Ingredients
Pineapple Coconut Smoothie
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 small piece fresh ginger , approx 1 teaspoon minced or chopped
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Blackberry Cream Smoothie
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1 cup frozen blackberries
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup blanched then frozen cauliflower , optional
Orange Carrot Smoothie
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 orange
- 1/3 cup grated carrot
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1 scoop collagen powder
- 1/4 cup blanched then frozen cauliflower , optional
Cucumber Kiwi Smoothie
- 1 cup water
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 cup cucumber
- 1 kiwi fruit
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1/2 cup blanched then frozen cauliflower , optional
Berry Spinach Smoothie
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries , (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- small handful of spinach
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 avocado
- 1/2 cup blanched then frozen zucchini , optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy.
Lisa's Tips
- If you're new to low sugar smoothies you can always add half a banana or apple to help bridge the gap until your taste buds adjust to the lower sugar quantity.
- I've added veggies to increase the nutrients and volume of each smoothie. These are optional and I recommend you adjust to the low sugar smoothie first, then get creative with vegetables.
- You may taste the cauliflower more than the zucchini, so if you can't decide which veggie to add, start with the zucchini first.
- Have fun with the flavors, low sugar fruits, sneaky vegetables and protein options. If you make a smoothie variation that you love, share it in the comments below!
- These are the glass straws I use and love.
- The nutrition information listed below is for the Berry Spinach Smoothie. Here's the breakdown of the others (I didn't include any powders):
- Pineapple Coconut Smoothie: calories: 334, fat: 25, carbs: 26, sugar: 14, protein: 4
- Blackberry Cream Smoothie: calories: 275, fat: 17, carbs: 23, sugar: 14, protein: 11
- Orange Carrot Smoothie: calories: 216, fat: 7, carbs: 25, sugar: 15, protein: 15
- Cucumber Kiwi Smoothie: calories: 226, fat: 14, carbs: 24, sugar: 11, protein: 7
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Thanks to Vitamix for partnering on today’s video!
Thank you for sharing your smoothie recipes, they were helpful. I’m trying to get healthier, lose weigh and need to lower my sugar intake.
Glad this post was helpful, Lezlie!
For Meal Prep & Freezing smoothies, which size Stasher do you recommend, and do you put all the ingredients in to freeze, or just the fruit + veg? Thank you!
I’ve been trying to make smoothies without juices added lately. I tried this recipe, the berry one, and added some chia seeds, oat milk, turmeric, and more things to adjust it to my taste, it was very tasty thanks!!
Thank you, by chance do you have the fiber content, which would help with calculations for the carbs.
Hi, can I use fresh cauliflower? Thanks!
Yes, you can if you’d like! It just won’t blend up as a super icy smoothie.
How long do you think these will last in the fridge? I’d like to make a few ahead of time to bring to work.
These will last one day in the fridge. Just make sure to give it a good shake or stir before drinking as it will separate.
I recently got a nutribullet. I’ve been making smoothiess. My favorite is
Spinach
Blueberry
Strawberry
Carrot
Cucumber
Cashews
It’s delicious and low sugar.
I no nothing about protein powder. Which ones would you suggest for a newbe?
There’s tons of protein powders out there, but I personally like the ones from Vital Proteins.
I’m new to the smoothie world and am trying to get some basic “rules.” Is it possible to add too many additives into a smoothie? I’m talking about adding things like flax, chia, collagen, and protein powder. Thanks so much for all of your hard work!
I think you should be fine adding in all those ingredients. I normally will add flax, chia seeds, and collagen powder into my smoothies :)
Great great
Hello, how come you blanch the cauliflower? I thought it would be best to consume raw, but I am totally open to learning lol. Please explain the difference when using raw vs blanched in a smoothie. I use raw all the time, that is the only reason I am curious… am I missing a step to make my smoothies nutritious and delicious?! Thanks for your time and help!
Oh and these recipes look DELICIOUS!! Thank you!
Hi Cassandra – The blanching was to freeze your cauliflower for later use! That way you also have a frozen ingredient to add to your smoothies to make it cold and creamy :)
could you not just use frozen raw cauliflower? Or chopped up and frozen raw zucchini? If it is going in a smoothie anyways, does the blanching really make a difference?
Using frozen veggies will create a thicker, colder smoothie :)
I used to blanche my zucchini and cauliflower but I use it so quickly that I don’t bother anymore. I cut them up raw and freeze. They are fine for smoothies. Blanching destroys an enzyme that would make the veggie mushy if you wanted to then cook and eat it. But you are just blending it so no worries about not blanching.
Where do you purchase ground vanilla bean?
I’m excited to get trying these recipes.
Can’t wait to hear which one you love Irene!
I made the berry smoothie. I used frozen cauliflower rice and it was creamy and delicious! I felt good knowing it was low sugar.
Glad you enjoyed that recipe Angela!
Thanks for the ideas!! I was wondering, someone asked this question, too, but is there a difference between doing the blanching and freezing myself, and purchasing frozen veggies for the smoothie?
Thank you for your help!
You can do either way Amanda! This is just an option if you happen to have vegetables in your fridge you need to use up!
I drink a lot of Herbalife shakes. I like the flavor, quick and easy to make. I feel like it’s missing that fresh from the garden flavor.
Have you ever calculated the cost of a fresh smoothie?
Just curious, I think I’ll make the change regardless to see if it leaves me feeling more energized and healthier.
I would say the price is a smidge cheaper than store-bought smoothies. Also, making it home means you know exactly what’s going into the smoothie with no extra additives :)