When made with the right ingredients, a healthy smoothie can be one of the best meals for weight loss. Smoothies help pack in nutrients with healthy fruits and veggies, keep you full throughout the day, and are, of course delicious. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all smoothies are healthy; it’s all about what you throw into the blender, and there are a few ingredients you should avoid at all costs if you want to keep inflammation at bay and promote healthy weight loss.
To discover some of the worst smoothie ingredients you should avoid at all costs if you struggle with chronic inflammation or are trying to lose weight, we spoke to health experts Anthony Puopolo, MD, Chief Medical Officer at RexMD and Corrigan Duffy, nutritionist and owner of Corrie Cookies. They both told us that you should be wary of fruits containing added sugar.
Fruit With Added Sugar
Of course, fruit is a healthy and important part of any balanced diet—and it's also the central ingredient in many smoothies, thanks to the fact that, as Dr. Puopolo notes, "it provides many of the antioxidants and flavor we desire." However, the type of fruit you're adding to your smoothies is important to consider if you want to avoid weight gain; choosing varieties with added sugar can load your smoothie with calories. "Though many tend to look at fruit, no matter how it is obtained, as a benefit, where that fruit comes from can be indicative of its caloric contribution," Dr. Puopolo warns.
For this reason, making your own smoothies with fresh fruit is typically your best bet. This means you should generally avoid processed, store-bought smoothies—no matter how healthy they may seem. "Most smoothies, especially those sold in stores, are made with frozen fruit that has been packaged in syrup," Dr. Puopolo explains, adding that "syrups are sugar-based and can add a
lot of calories that most consumers are not calculating into their daily diets." Sugar is also one of the biggest culprits of inflammation, which can lead to serious health risks, including obesity.
There's another type of sugary fruit you should look out for, too: Duffy says it's important to "avoid using candied fried fruits in smoothies when trying to lose weight." That's because "dried fruits contain much less water and a lot more sugar and calories than fresh fruits."
Not all frozen fruit is bad, of course. Just make sure to pay attention to the ingredients when you're buying fruit for your smoothie. "Make certain that when you make your smoothie, or if you purchase it from the store, that the fruit is unsweetened," Dr. Puopolo instructs. Pay attention to those labels if you want to maintain steady weight loss! "This simple check can literally cut your calorie intake in half and prevent weight gain," he concludes. Noted!
