Are Smoothies Healthy?

Smoothies have been around for a couple of years and are said to be super healthy as they mostly contain the healthiest food there is: vegetables and fruits.

So are Smoothies healthy because they are made out of healthy ingredients?

Is it a good idea to substitute a Smoothie for whole meal?

To make a Smoothie fruits and veggies are blended into to smooth consistency, which is normally the job of the stomach! 

So the “fruits“ in Smoothies leave the stomach more quickly than whole fruits, the fruit sugar elevates the blood sugar very quickly and this leads to a quick elevation of blood insulin, which is not healthy and can lead to weight gain. 

Especially Smoothies made from fruits only contain a lot of fruit sugar, green Smoothies with e.g. spinach are healthier as vegetables contain way less fruit sugar and therefore green smoothies don’t rise the blood sugar level as much and as quickly.

Another great idea is to add a little fat to your Smoothie: almond butter, hemp seeds or chia seeds. 

Furthermore Smoothies shouldn’t be used as meal substitute as the blended ingredients go through the stomach very fast and make you hungry again very quickly – Smoothies as meal substitute to achieve weight-loss is not a good idea. 

Rather choose healthy filling foods: whole wheat products, oats, rice and cooked veggies.

All in all small (green) Smoothies are loaded with healthy vitamins and will definitely have a health benefit, just please don’t fall for the meal substitution trend!