Smoothies can be a good food supplement for people who are trying to lose weight. Take note that smoothies themselves cannot directly cause weight loss. However, they can help immeasurably because they supply needed nourishment while providing the feeling of fullness that enables the dieter to resist binge eating. The challenge for smoothies designed to help people lose weight is to combine nutrition, taste and fiber all in one tall glass.
What Smoothies for Weight Loss Should Contain
Smoothies must contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants in order to provide strength and stamina which will allow the dieter to engage in healthy exercise. These may be store-bought vitamins for as long as they have been purchased from reliable pharmacies or outlets. In addition to this, weight loss or diet smoothies should taste good enough to leave the dieter a feeling of psychological satisfaction. This is important in order to help the dieter avoid high calorie snacks to compensate for feeling deprived. Lastly, aside from containing vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants; and aside from tasting good, these should provide fiber for bulk.
Smoothies for Weight Loss and the Glycemic Index
One of the tricky things about smoothies for weight loss is that they must be made in such a way that their glycemic index is kept as low as possible. A high glycemic index means that the dieter will quickly feel hunger pangs once his or her sugar level goes down. For this reason, smoothies designed to help dieters normally use artificial sweeteners and low fat or non fat products. Fruits, while being the staple for most smoothies, are used judiciously in diet smoothies because of their sugar content and high glycemic index.
Recipes for Smoothies Used by Dieters
Chocolate Heaven
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk or nonfat milk
• 1 cup nonfat vanilla flavored yogurt
• 1 cup strong coffee
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar substitute
• 1 dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
Procedure:
Blend everything together and serve immediately for best taste. However, this recipe is good for two cups. Freeze half if you want to then allow to thaw a bit before throwing into the blender again before serving a second time
Peanut Butter Fancy
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups low fat or nonfat milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon Nutella
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon artificial sweetener
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
Procedure:
Put all liquid ingredients in a blender and puree or blend for a little under a minute. This will make two generous servings which you can either serve immediately or refrigerate for later use. You can also freeze everything in individual packs then just thaw and puree needed.
Cheesecake Smoothie
Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat almond milk
• 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package sugar substitute
• 5 to 6 semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
Procedure:
Beat ricotta with almond milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sugar substitute in a bowl till soft. Pour into a blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend well. At the last minute, add the chocolate chips and blend for two minutes or only until they are broken into small bits. Serve chilled. This smoothie can also be made ahead of time, kept in the freezer than taken out, thawed, and pureed when needed.
All three smoothes share a relatively low glycemic index. Take note that fruit is not used in these three recipes but each one is both delicious and filling. They are so unbelievably rich no sweet tooth would be left unsatisfied.