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Making keto smoothies is easy with a couple of low-carb staple ingredients. Here are 10 examples of refreshing and nutritious smoothie recipes to meet your keto goals.
Most smoothie recipes call for high-carb fruits, honey, maple syrup, milk, and other ingredients that you’re trying to avoid since you’ve gone keto. Luckily, you don’t need carby ingredients to make a truly sweet and refreshing keto smoothie as your go-to breakfast or post-workout meal.
Ketogenic smoothies can be made with things like berries, low-carb veggies, avocados, nut butters, protein powders, and they can be flavored with low-carb sweeteners and spices. However, you shouldn’t just throw whatever comes to mind into your blender and call it a day. A good keto smoothie requires a bit of planning to get it right.
That’s why it’s best to stick to true and tried recipes to get the perfect balance of taste and nutrition. Below are 10 examples of refreshing and nutritious keto smoothie recipes that hit all the right macros and don’t compromise on the flavor.
1. Keto Green Smoothie
This green smoothie will give you lots of ketogenic fats to help you get and stay in ketosis and feel energized along the way. It’s also great as a detox drink thanks to its antioxidants.
Most of the ketogenic fat in this drink comes from coconut milk and MCT oil. These are sources of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are known to boost ketone production and provide almost immediate energy.
Other health-boosting ingredients added to this smoothie are avocado, spinach, and matcha green tea powder.
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and fiber. MUFAs are known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk 1. Fiber, on the other hand, boosts feelings of fullness for easy weight loss and helps lower blood glucose levels 2. Spinach and matcha both provide antioxidants, but matcha also contains caffeine and catechins, two compounds that boost fat burning 3.
2. Keto Chocolate Smoothie
If you’re looking for a keto protein shake recipe, this smoothie tastes and looks just like it. Made with chocolate-flavored keto-friendly protein powder (aka collagen powder), this chocolatey smoothie doubles as a post-workout meal. Protein supports muscle growth and recovery, especially consumed after a workout. It also helps with weight loss 4.
Other ingredients used here include fiber-rich almond butter and avocado. As already said, fiber boosts satiety and helps curb blood sugar spikes. It also protects heart health, improves insulin sensitivity, supports gastrointestinal health, and boosts immunity 2.
If you don’t have chocolate-flavored protein powder, feel free to use plain or vanilla-flavored protein and add a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder. For a richer smoothie, you can also replace the water in this recipe with the same amount of carton coconut milk.
3. Blueberry Lemon Smoothie
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this keto fruit smoothie. The main ones being blueberries and lemon juice – both rich in vitamin C for glowing skin and better immunity. Also included is coconut milk which adds richness and MCTs to this refreshing drink.
Unlike most fruit, berries are allowed on a keto diet because they’re relatively low in carbs and easier to portion. Blueberries especially top the list of keto-friendly berries thanks to their low-carb and high-fiber content.
Besides being keto-friendly, blueberries can help in other ways on your keto journey. They’re particularly rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidant compounds responsible for their blue hue. A recent review found that there’s a link between moderate intake of blueberries and a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but also healthier weight and better brain health – things keto-ers often aim for 5.
4. Keto Strawberry Smoothie
Made with a combination of almond milk and dairy and topped with whipped cream, this strawberry drink looks like a cross between a smoothie and keto shake. It’s creamy, decadent, and is essentially strawberries and cream blended into a portable drink.
But don’t think of this drink as a guilty pleasure. The ingredients used are good for you. The almond milk base, for example, will give you lots of vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin that protects your body against oxidative stress 6. Oxidative stress can lead to a host of diseases like atherosclerosis, arthritis, and even cancer.
Other healthful ingredients included are chia seeds, which are rich in fiber and omega-3 fats. Omega-3s are essential fats, meaning your body can’t make them on its own. They help build cell membranes and are important for brain health. Collagen protein makes this smoothie more filling and a great post-workout drink on-the-go.
5. Lime Avocado Smoothie
Another green, detox drink that’s nothing short of decadent is this lime and avocado smoothie. Rich in vitamin C and protein, it also doubles as the perfect breakfast smoothie. A study with 57 subjects found that a high-protein breakfast prevents weight gain by boosting satiety throughout the day 7. Vitamin C, on the other hand, helps produce collagen from protein.
Like many green keto smoothies, this one also calls for spinach – and over a cup of this leafy green to be specific.
If you want your kids and family to eat more leafy greens, then this smoothie can help sneak more veggies into their diet.
While the chia seeds are optional, we highly recommend adding them since it’s always a good idea to include lots of omega-3-rich foods for better ketosis and brain health.
6. Very Berry Chocolate Protein Smoothie
Some of the best keto shakes for weight loss combine fibrous berries with protein powder. And why is that? Because this combination keeps hunger at bay, especially if eaten around breakfast 8. Fiber fills you up while not providing any calories. Protein also boosts satiety and there’s evidence the body burns extra calories digesting it 9.
Taste-wise, this very berry keto smoothie is rich and smooth thanks to almond milk and chocolate-flavored protein powder.
The choice of low-carb smoothie recipes is endless.
The berries add fruitiness for a perfect balance of warm and refreshing flavors. The chia seeds help thicken it.
And if you feel like tweaking this recipe, add blueberries instead of blackberries if needed. Coconut milk can also be used as a substitute for almond milk and will add lots of ketogenic fats. A teaspoon or two of MCT oil won’t hurt as well.
7. Chocolate Spirulina Detox Smoothie
Spirulina and cocoa powder combined in a delicious smoothie for your spring detox. Spirulina is a dietary supplement containing blue-green algae that are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, essential fats, and health-boosting compounds. Studies on spirulina show that this supplement can work wonders for your metabolism 10.
This one also includes spinach so you can sneak more greens into your diet. But really the spirulina powder is the star here. That isn’t to say that the other ingredients like almond butter, protein powder, cocoa powder, and almond milk don’t add to the health benefits.
Make sure to drink this smoothie soon after blending. Green smoothies can easily turn brown after a while. Green veggies sometimes turn brown due to degradation from their enzymes – which blending tends to activate.
8. Mint Chocolate Chip Green Smoothie
Love chocolate mint? Then you’ll love this keto smoothie. Made with a classic combo of avocado and loads of spinach blended with an almond milk base, this smoothie also uses mint leaves and chocolate to make things more interesting (and healthy).
It’s also surprisingly filling at almost 250 calories in a serving and 18 g of satiating protein.
The mint leaves provide added health benefits you should know about. For example, mint is rich in essential oils found to have antibacterial properties 11. These also help soothe the digestive tract, working against stomach upset.
If you add the recommended keto chocolate to the mix, you’ll also get a modest dose of MCTs. Feel free to add MCT oil if needed to support ketosis and keep your energy levels up.
9. Low-Carb Raspberry Smoothie Bowl
A thicker smoothie that you can serve as dessert, breakfast, or a post-workout meal. This keto fruit smoothie combines avocado, almond milk, raspberries, MCT oil, and protein powder. This creates a smoothie that’s yummy but satisfying as well.
It’s rich in dietary fiber, providing almost half of the minimum recommended daily intake. It’s also rich in satiating protein and energizing MCTs. All of this makes it one of the best keto shakes (or smoothies) for weight loss.
If you don’t have raspberries on hand, you can replace them with strawberries or even blueberries. All pair well with the birthday cake flavored protein powder used in this recipe.
10. Almond Cacao Smoothie
Use fresh or frozen strawberries in this quick and easy recipe and you’ll have yourself one of the best keto shakes/smoothies that’ll boost your health.
A 2015 review stated that the vitamins and phytochemicals in strawberries work together to detoxify free radicals, change how your metabolism works, and protect your DNA against damage 12.
Almond milk and almond butter in this smoothie pair wonderfully with the mildly sweet taste of strawberries. But almonds are also nutritional powerhouses that studies show help normalize blood lipids and support cardiovascular health 13.
And if you love vanilla keto smoothies or vanilla flavor in general, this one calls for vanilla extract, which happens to pair well with the added keto chocolate.
Conclusion
Smoothies are popular not only because they can be incredibly delicious, but they make dieting easy. By just throwing a couple of your favorite healthy ingredients in a blender, you get a portable liquid meal to help you meet all your keto macros.
Try out some of these ketogenic smoothies to meet your daily nutrition needs and enjoy a refreshing drink along the way. Make sure to check the nutrition facts for each and see how it fits your daily macros limit.