Can a smoothie really taste delicious without adding sugar? Absolutely! Although typical smoothies are often made with fruit and juice, which makes them high in sugar and carbs, with the right tweaks, you can make delicious, low-sugar smoothies at home in minutes.

Low sugar smoothies have become a staple in my household. They are great for a nutritious snack or an easy meal, and the best part is that my kids love them too. Even though they taste like dessert, they are high in fiber and protein, which makes them very satisfying.

Let’s dive into how I prefer to make my low sugar smoothies.

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Building Your Low Sugar Smoothie

To make a low sugar smoothie, you will need 4 main ingredient buckets: a base, fruit, veggies, and a protein boost. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail:

Base

• I prefer to use low-sugar liquids such as unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk, or unsweetened macadamia milk to keep the carbs and calories low. If I am trying to boost the protein more, sometimes I use nonfat Fairlife milk.
• You can also add some Greek yogurt as a protein and creaminess booster.

Fruits

• The key here is to try to keep the fruit to about 1 cup or less.
• I always use frozen fruit, which is easy to keep on hand at all times and gives the smoothie a great texture. Frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries are my favorite fruits to add.
• Don’t be afraid of adding a small amount of sweeter fruits like banana or mango, this helps add great flavor!

Vegetables

• It may seem weird, but adding vegetables is a great way to add bulk and nutrients without adding sugar.
• Ignore the unpleasant color your smoothie may turn when adding veggies.  Trust me, it will still taste delicious!
• I love adding spinach, kale, or riced cauliflower to my smoothies.

Protein

• Adding a scoop of diabetes-friendly protein powder will provide a protein boost to help keep you full until your next meal and help stabilize blood sugar.
• I love to add a tablespoon or two of powdered peanut butter for extra protein and peanut butter flavor.

Tips & Tricks

• Freezing fruit: Using frozen fruit thickens the smoothie.  No need to add ice if you use frozen fruit! Frozen fruit is also generally less expensive than fresh fruit and easy to keep on hand at all times. Instead of throwing away your rotten bananas, cut them up and freeze them before they get too brown, and keep them in the freezer to use in smoothies.
• Frozen cauliflower rice: frozen riced cauliflower adds creaminess without sugar to your low sugar smoothies.  I promise you, you won’t even know it is there!
• Adding spices: consider adding cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for extra flavor if that’s your jam.
• Make use of leftovers: If you made too much, freeze your leftover smoothies in a popsicle mold or pour into your Ninja Creami container for a tasty frozen treat later on – your kids will love it!
• Use a NutriBullet or similar single-serving blender for easy clean-up. You can make a single serving and drink your smoothie right out of the cup that you blend it in.

Conclusion

Low sugar smoothies are not only easy to make, but they also taste great and make the perfect balanced meal or snack for you and your family. Get creative and try out different variations of the recipe above to find a combo that you love. You can play around with different types of fruits, veggies, protein powders, spices, or other flavors.

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