Greek Yogurt Strawberry Banana Smoothie for Weight Loss

My go-to recipes for weight loss are always very simple and tasty. They have to be simple because I’m always rushing out the door in the morning, so I barely have time to get in a proper smoothie, let alone cook breakfast. I like this recipe in particular because it’s so satiating, I don’t really get hungry until after lunch. Usually, when I hit up my local fast food joint, I’m ravenous even before my lunch hour. I’ve learned that the quality of ingredients, not just the quantity, makes a difference in the results and how it makes me feel. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

First of all, let’s talk about my blender. I love my trusty Vitamix for all my smoothies because it’s extremely high-powered, meaning I can put anything I want in it and it won’t give out on me. That means ice cubes of all sizes, frozen fruit, frozen vegetables, anything. I make my nut butters with my Vitamix, too. It’s the best one I’ve used so far, but it is a little pricey. I like to think of it as an investment though since I make smoothies for myself and my family almost daily, so do consider it. Before my Vitamix, I used a Nutribullet and a Magic Bullet which is pretty awesome too considering its size. If you only make single-serve smoothies, the Nutribullet or the Magic Bullet will be more than enough.

When using frozen fruit, I make sure to use smaller pieces even though I’ve switched over to my high-powered Vitamix. When I use smaller blenders for this recipe, it takes a while to blend just because there are a lot of solid ingredients in the mix. To make it easier on your blender, opt for smaller pieces of frozen fruit and ice cubes when possible. Combine all your ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth.

For blending, I like to use pulsing movements first before giving it a good minute or two of blending to make sure everything is smooth. I’m not a fan of chunky smoothies but if you are, then blend it in bouts of 30 seconds at a time so that you can check the consistency. The frozen fruit is a must because there aren’t any ice cubes added to this recipe, but if you can’t get your hands on any frozen fruit for whatever reason, just use fresh strawberries and bananas and add 4-6 ice cubes.

You’ll get a decent amount of protein from this smoothie from the Greek yogurt and whole milk, while the almonds, coconut and flaxseed meal will be your source of healthy fats. Almonds are an excellent monounsaturated fat source with magnesium, manganese and vitamin E (1), while flaxseeds contain a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids per serving. I use flaxseed meal which is essentially ground up flaxseeds because the composition affects how well the body digests it. Whole flaxseeds pass right through, but milled flaxseeds and flaxseed meal are better absorbed by the body, meaning you get more of the benefits of this superfood. (2) Coconut on the other hand, is high in all-natural saturated fats. Saturated fats increase healthy cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) in the body, and they also convert bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) into good cholesterol. Increasing HDL cholesterol levels in the body lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. (3)

Protein in incredibly important when it comes to weight loss because it has the highest thermic effect out of the three macronutrients. Also, it promotes satiety because it is slower-digesting than carbs. Have you ever had straight up carbs before like candy or soda? Chances are, you probably felt the “high” or rush, as well as the subsequent sugar crash. Protein on the other hand, won’t give you that sugar rush, and it also won’t make your energy levels crash. If you’re having this weight loss smoothie for breakfast, you can rest assured you’ll have smooth energy levels all morning.

For fruits, we have strawberry and banana. Strawberries are low in calories and high in fiber, and are shown to promote weight loss and overall healthy because of their antioxidant content which can help manage free radical damage in the body. Bananas on the other hand, contain a combination of fructose and glucose, meaning they fill up both liver glycogen and muscle glycogen for energy. There’s a reason why people have a banana before they workout, and it’s for those reasons.

So that’s one of my go-to weight loss smoothie recipes. You can’t go wrong with this, especially if you’re pressed for time and want something nutritious and filling. The best part about this is you can prep all the ingredients in advance and it’ll take only 5 minutes to make. That’s well worth it in my opinion, especially if you’re trying to lose weight and just trying to live a healthier lifestyle overall.

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