40 Amazing Health Benefits of Smoothies

ByCarrie Fernandez, CHNC

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Last Updated on July 17, 2023

It’s no doubt that smoothies can be super-delicious, but did you know that you can make smoothies in a healthy way too? Let’s dive in to some of the amazing health benefits of smoothies and learn how you can increase your daily intake of fruits and veggies!

health benefits of smoothies

Health Benefits of Smoothies

Are you looking for a delicious drink you can enjoy that will promote good health? Then you should check out the incredible health benefits of smoothies! They’re packed with essential vitamins and made from whole foods (when you do it the right way!).

I enjoy drinking fruit infused water for the health benefits, but smoothies pack a more powerful punch as far as vitamins and nutrients.

What are smoothies?

Smoothies are drinks made from healthy ingredients that are pureed in a blender. This makes smoothies a convenient way to have a healthy and fast meal. Instead of unhealthy snacks, opt for a delicious smoothie instead.

40 Health Benefits of Smoothies

A healthy smoothie ccomes with some incredible health benefits by giving you essential nutrients, promoting weight loss, and helping to control cravings.

fruit smoothies

Healthy Smoothies Offer Nutritional Balance

A healthy smoothie is full of fruits, vegetables, proteins, fats, and carbs. These natural ingredients allow you to create your own smoothie with a nutritional balance.

Packed with Nutrients

A smoothie is often full of fruits and vegetables. This makes smoothies one of the easiest ways to increase your nutrient intake.

Full of Antioxidants

Fruits and vegetables aren’t just packed with nutrients. They’re also filled with antioxidants. So if you add plenty of berries and spinach to your smoothies, your smoothies will be full of the antioxidants your body needs.

Fights Free Redicals

The antioxidants in a smoothie will fight off the free radicals that enter your body.

Increases Fiber Intake

You can adjust a homemade smoothie to meet your personal nutritional needs. So you can add vegetables with high fiber like spinach or kale to your smoothie and increase your fiber intake.

Boosts Energy and Brain Function

Be sure to add foods like berries and green leafy vegetables to your smoothie; they’re linked to better brain health. Coconut is also rich in the omega-3 fatty acid that improves cognitive function.

Supports Weight Management

If you’re looking for a delicious drink that’s lower in calories with potential health benefits, a vegetable smoothie may be just what you’re looking for! The drink will be low in sugar and high in nutrition. Just make sure your smoothie is with over 50% vegetables.

Helps Prevent Dehydration

It can be hard to get the amount of liquid that you need. A smoothie is mostly liquid and has plenty of electrolytes from fruits and vegetables, making it a great way to rehydrate yourself, especially in the summer. Drinking kale juice or apple juice also has a ton of health benefits.

Can Be a Meal Replacement

If you’re looking for liquid foods that can serve as a meal replacement, you need to give smoothies a try. Drinking one can give you a delicious breakfast in a glass since the beverages are full of the fiber and nutrients you need as part of a balanced diet.

Makes You Feel Full

A smoothie can be filled with fiber from vegetables, green leafy foods, and a variety of fruits that you add to the drink. This, combined with any protein you add, can make you feel full.

smoothies fruits and vegetables in a blender

Kencko Smoothies

I love adding a mix of fruits and vegetables to my smoothies, but I found it difficult to to use a wide variety of fresh veggies and fruits because they would go bad before I could use them. I have been using Kencko smoothie mixes for about a year now and have enjoyed them a lot.

You don’t need a blender, just a milk of your choice. My kids like to drink them that way, but I tend to still use my blender and pour in a packet and add other things too, like collagen and maca powder.

The only types of vegetables that don’t work well in a smoothie are root vegetables and some nightshade foods, unless you use a freeze-dried smoothie blends from Kencko smoothies, which I love!). Click here to save $20 on your first purchase of a pack of Kencko smoothie mixes.

Kencko uses only organic fruits and vegetables, is non-GMO, and doesn’t use any additives, fillers, or sugar.

They have some fun flavor combinations, such as:

  • Pitaya Pinks: raspberry, red dragon fruit, passionfruit, strawberry, banana, lucuma, date, apple
  • Ambers: passion fruit, banana, dates, apple, baobab powder, yellow beetroot, chia seeds, and turmeric
  • Crimsons: açai, banana, strawberry, apple, mango, cinnamon, chia seeds
  • Tropical Blues: banana, pineapple, apple, lucuma, orange, kiwi, coconut water, baobab, and blue spirulina
  • Plus a bunch more!

Kencko Smoothies

Benefits of Healthy Smoothies

The health benefits of smoothies just keeps getting better! Smoothies can help you lose weight by making you feel full. You can also give your immune system a boost and even improve your sleep with the right combination of smoothie ingredients.

Note: If you are on the autoimmune protcol or another low-sugar diet, you will want to choose your fruits and vegetables carefully. Opt for berries and greens, and toss in an avocado for some healthy fats.

Helps Controls Cravings

Enjoying smoothies as part of your daily routine can help satisfy your cravings for unhealthy snacks.

Provides Immune System Support

Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are filled with vitamin C, which gives your immune system a boost. So enjoying a smoothie can provide your body with immune system support, especially if you drink it on a daily basis.

Can Help Improve Sleep

Melatonin is a hormone the body produces that helps you sleep at night. So you may be able to improve your sleep if you add foods that naturally have melatonin in them. Some examples of these foods are nut butter, kiwis, and milk.

Promotes Healthy Skin

Drinking smoothies can improve your skin health since the delicious drink is full of healthy vitamins for your skin, like vitamin K.

Aids in Detoxification

Drinking a smoothie, especially a green smoothie that’s made with leafy green vegetables, may help your body detoxify itself because the drink is filled with fiber.

making a smoothie

Health Benefits of Smoothies

The list is long, right? There are even more great health benefits of smoothies, so keep scrolling. You’ll find a recipe for a healthy avocado smoothie below. 

Boosts Brain Power

A daily smoothie is an excellent way to get rid of brain fog. It’s full of natural sugars and antioxidants that will give your brain a boost.

Good Source of Calcium

If you’re struggling to add calcium to your diet, an easy way to add calcium is to include then almond milk or regular milk in your smoothie. It’s a delicious way to increase the calcium in your diet.

May Prevent the Growth of Carcinogens

Many people struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables that prevent the growth of carcinogens in their bodies. Drinking smoothies is the easiest way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake.

Improves Bone Health

One of the great health benefits of smoothies is that you can improve your bone health by drinking a kale smoothie. You can also add almonds or yogurt like Greek yogurt. These foods are an excellent source of the calcium and vitamin D your bones need.

May Help Prevent Heart Disorders

Drinking a smoothie may also reduce the risk of heart disease and other heart disorders. This is because smoothies are usually made with nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables that the American Heart Association says are part of a healthy diet.

Can Help Blood Sugar in Check

If you’re struggling with blood sugar, a smoothie may help. Making a smoothie using foods that have a low glycemic index (plain yogurt, oranges, mangos) may remove cravings for unhealthy foods. It will also reduce the amount of sugar you have going into your blood.

May Help Prevent Cancer

Drinking a smoothie that’s full of healthy ingredients like vegetables and fresh fruits may help prevent cancer. The produce is full of the antioxidants your body needs to fight the free radicals that may cause cancer.

May Help Balance Hormones

If you’re careful to make your smoothie with no added sugar and add foods with healthy fats like all types of avocados, then a smoothie may help to balance hormones.

May Improve Eye Health

Foods that are high in beta-carotene, like leafy greens and carrots, may help to improve your eye health. So make a smoothie filled with these ingredients and enjoy a delicious, healthy breakfast.

Smoothies are Easy to Digest

If you need to avoid solid food or are looking for foods that are easy to digest, then a smoothie is your answer. Smoothies are served in a liquid state that’s easy for your digestive tract to digest, plus it’s full of the nutrients you need if you’re on a liquid diet.

Promotes Good Digestive Health

Making a smoothie with whole produce like whole fruits and vegetables means you’ll enjoy a drink that not only has a delicious flavor but it’s full of the fiber you need for good digestive health.

Boosts Energy Levels

Pack the smoothie with protein, fruits, vegetables, and fats that will give you an energy boost and help to maintain your energy level throughout the day.

Aids in Detoxification

The fruits and veggies added to a delicious smoothie include the fiber you need to remove waste from your body for detoxification. In addition, you can add foods like wheatgrass that help the detoxification process.

Helps Build Muscle

If you’re looking to build muscle, the best way is to increase the protein in your diet while working out. Working out breaks down the muscle while the protein you ingest helps to build it up. Add the necessary protein to your diet by including peanut butter, protein powder, or another protein-rich food source in your smoothie.

Prevents Cell Damage

Common smoothie ingredients include high amounts of antioxidants. These antioxidants destroy the free radicals that cause cell damage.

Help Prevent Tooth Decay

Adding cranberry juice to your smoothie can help prevent tooth decay. The juice uses a natural chemical to keep the bacteria that cause tooth decay from attaching itself to your teeth.

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Helps Controls Mood Swings

A healthy smoothie not only improves your overall health, but also gives you the nutrients and balance you need to keep your moods in check and prevent mood swings.

Replace Sugary Drinks

​Instead of grabbing your favorite sugary drink, a better choice is indulging in a smoothie. The natural sugars in the smoothie will give you the sweetness you’re craving while still meeting your body’s nutritional needs.

Can Help Fight Depression

A smoothie is full of nutrients that will not only improve your physical health but also improves your mental health. As a result, making smoothies part of your daily routine is a great way to fight off depression.

Increases Consumption of Fruits

​Smoothies are made with a variety of fruits. So drinking smoothies on a regular basis is a simple way to increase your consumption of fruits.

Increases Vegetable Intake

Vegetables are another common ingredient when making smoothies, so a daily smoothie will increase the amount of vegetables you intake.

Easily Hide Veggies for Picky Eaters

Children are notorious for not wanting to eat vegetables. However, a smoothie hides the vegetables from the kids in a delicious beverage the kids will beg to drink daily.

Improves Athletic Performance

If you’re an athlete, then you know that you need both extra energy and nutrients in order to perform at your best. A smoothie is an excellent way to meet your nutritional needs.

avocado smoothie recipe

Flavor Customization

Smoothies are made in a variety of ways, and are easy to customize the flavor of the final product. You can add bananas, strawberries, carrots, and other ingredients to create your favorite type of smoothie.

Convenient and Saves Time

Smoothies are an easy and convenient meal when you’re in a rush. They’re easy to make, and you don’t need to sit down at the take to eat a formal meal. Instead, you can save time and drink the smoothie on the way out of the door.

Types of Smoothies

Not all smoothies are the same! Smoothies can be divided into four major types of smoothies that you can enjoy on a regular basis.

Green Smoothies

Green smoothies are made with green leafy vegetables. You can also add milk, ice cream, water, or fruit juice to make green drinks you can enjoy on a daily basis.

Fruit Smoothies

Fruit smoothies have fruit as their primary ingredient. Then water, milk (or a plant-based milk), or ice cream is added to make a delicious drink.

Detox Smoothies

Detox smoothies are usually dairy-free smoothies. They can include whole fruit, leafy greens, and other foods filled with essential nutrients.

Protein Smoothies

Protein smoothies often combine fruit, liquid, and a protein source such as yogurt, tofu, or protein powder.

Common Smoothie Ingredients

Fruits: strawberries, pineberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mango, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, guava, papaya, kiwi, açaí, apple, oranges, rhubarb, lucuma, maqui berries, red dragon fruit, snake fruit, goji berries, guava

Vegetables: cucumber, cucamelons, kale (and other cruciferous vegetables), spinach, beetroot leaves, radish sprouts, microgreens, parsnip, celery, avocado, beets, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato

Tip: when making smoothies, you can toss in frozen vegetables like leafy greens or other fruits and vegetables and use less ice!

Nuts and seeds: almond butter, cashew butter, sun butter, peanut butter, walnut butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax meal

There are some surprising health benefits of lemon seeds. Consider crushing them and adding some to your smoothies for added nutrition.

Herbs and spices: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, carob powder, cocoa powder, cacao, peppermint

Other Nutritional Add-ins: collagen, probiotics, blue spirulina, green spirulina, marine algae like dulse and Aquamin (there are a lot of health benefits of Aquamin) baobab, maca, matcha, pea protein, shiitake mushroom, dried chantrelle mushrooms, chaga mushroom, (you could also just add a mushroom coffee mix to your smoothies!), bee pollen, protein powder

Liquid: water, fruit juice, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or other plant based milk, vegetable juice, calamansi juice, milk, coconut water, cold brew coffee, boiled pineapple peel

Check out: Hemp Milk Vs Almond Milk

Sweeteners: raw honey, pure maple syrup, Medjool dates

Heathy Fats: coconut oil or avocado oil are good choices of heathy fats. Opt for cold-pressed coconut oil for smoothies as it has more nutrients than expeller-pressed.

Others: coconut yogurt, dairy yogurt

Smoothie-Making Tips

​Here are some fabulous tips to help you make the perfect smoothie to enjoy or give to your family and friends.

Steam Vegetables First

​The heartier or sturdier vegetables like winter squash or sweet potatoes will need to be steamed before adding them to the smoothie. Steaming keeps most of the nutrients in the vegetables over other ways of cooking vegetables.

Add in a Healthy Fat

For the best nutritional value of a smoothie, add a healthy fat to the beverage. The fat boosts your mental performance and keeps you feeling full for a long period of time.

Avoid Adding Extra Sweeteners

Smoothies can satisfy your sugar craving through the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables. However, don’t add extra sweeteners to the drink. The sugars may spike your blood sugar levels or cause tooth decay.

Get Creative With Customization

Try a wide variety of flavors and recipes to learn what type of smoothie you love. This will keep you from becoming bored from drinking the same beverage constantly, plus it allows you to add a variety of different nutrients to your diet.

Downsides of Smoothies

Unfortunately, there are a few downsides that you will need to watch out for as you add smoothies to your diet.

Higher Blood Sugar Levels

A fruit smoothie has the potential to raise your blood sugar level unless you include healthy fats and proteins.

Excess Sugar

Smoothies are a great way to increase your fruit intake, but the fruit is also full of sugar. Plus, if you add fruit juice or ice cream to your smoothie, you may be drinking an excessive amount of sugar.

Commercial Smoothies May Contain Other Ingredients

​Store-bought smoothies may include extra ingredients that you don’t want to ingest. Often, these ingredients make the smoothie taste especially delicious but aren’t part of a healthy diet like artificial sweeteners or fruit juices.

Blending Fruits and Vegetables Changes The Nutrient Composition

Blending fruits and vegetables can cause oxidation which may change the nutrient composition of the produce slightly as oxidation slowly destroys antioxidants.

Raw Vegetables Can Cause Bloating

Fiber in raw vegetables can cause bloating. One easy way to fix this issue is to steam the vegetables before blending them.

Oxalate Poisoning

Green leafy vegetables, black tea, and almonds are examples of foods that have a high amount of oxalate. So drinking a smoothie, particularly a green smoothie, may cause oxalate poisoning.

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FAQ About Smoothies

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about smoothies.

Is it healthy to have a fruit smoothie every day?

A fruit smoothie is full of important nutrients and can be an easy meal replacement. Just be careful about the amount of sugar and calories you add to your diet.

Should children drink smoothies?

Smoothies can be a healthy part of a child’s diet, especially for a child who’s a picky eater. But a child should not have additional protein powders added to their beverage.

Should you use fresh or frozen fruit?

Frozen fruit often has as many, if not more, nutrients than fresh fruit. Plus, frozen fruit reduces preparation time and gives the smoothie a thicker texture. However, fresh fruit will give you a wider choice of produce available to make your drink.

What is a correct portion size?

8-12 ounces is the correct portion size for a smoothie.

Which fruit is best for smoothies?

Berries, bananas, mangos, avocados, and apples are excellent fruits to use in your smoothie.

Are smoothies healthier than shakes?

You need to look at the ingredients used to make the smoothie or the shake before determining which one is healthier. Shakes typically have more protein, while smoothies often include more vegetables.

Which fruits shouldn’t be blended together?

You should not combine melons with fruits because the melons may not be digested properly if eaten with other fruits. You should also avoid combining acidic fruits or sub-acid fruits like lemons, grapefruit, and apples with sweeter fruits. An example of a sweeter fruit is bananas.

Eating the acid and sweet fruits together may cause digestion problems or bloating. You should also avoid eating papaya and lemon as it may be dangerous. A fourth combination of fruit that you should not blend together is a starchy fruit like plantain with a high protein fruit like an avocado.

Final Summary

If you’re considering adding a smoothie to your diet, you should do so. Smoothies can be an excellent meal replacement and an easy way to add essential nutrients to your diet. Plus, they’re a delicious drink that will improve your vegetable intake.

Sources

I am a Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach (CHNC) who is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and nutrition. Through my own personal experience, I have successfully managed autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis by following a tailored whole foods diet. Over the years, I have discovered effective strategies that have significantly improved my health, and I am eager to share these insights with others.

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