How to add flavor to smoothies without fruit?

if you're willing to eat artificial sweetners, i use a scant tsp of sugar free jello in mine. 1 packet = three smoothies.

I've heard of people adding pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. I haven't done it, but I've heard others rave about it.

I've done this- it's delicious. But, pumpkin is a fruit.

I don't see how a slimfast smoothie with jello powder can be better for you than four strawberries. Get a second opinion on your nutrition plan.

I'm going on a pretty strict cutting diet & I normally add 4 strawberries to my morning protein smoothie. But, my trainer says I can't have any fruit, not even a few strawberries. So any suggestions on what I can add instead for flavor? TIA!

That makes no sense what your trainer said. Why not just get a flavor of protein you like and drink it as is, why add stuff?
They make many flavors.

How does this make more sense than what the trainer said? Yes, I use whey protein on occasion to replace breakfast, but I don't fool myself that it's healthy, grass fed or not. Drinking powders that are flavoured and sweetened (artificially or not) sure isn't an improvement on adding a natural food. Adding healthy stuff to the protein powder just makes sense to me. That includes strawberries.

Who is' healthier, someone who weighs 700lbs eating "clean organic" or someone who eats "junk" at a healthy weight?
I personally know a woman who ate all organic clean food and she said it is the heaviest she has ever been. With weight loss many health indicators improve.

Just to inform you low carb diets under 50g of carbs can lead to insulin resistances.

I'm not arguing at all about organic food. I don't necessarily buy into "organic always equals healthy", so please don't put words in my mouth.

My health journey is not just about weight loss. And, sorry, no one that is obese gets there by eating "clean" or healthy. People who are truly healthy don't tend to overeat; speaking from personal trial and error and experience. Actually when one eats healthy, the weight takes care of itself, ie it gets burned off.

Just to inform you, I was pre diabetic before I changed my diet to below 50g of carbs. In fact, I had many, many serious illnesses that required a drastic change in lifestyle. Yet, I can, and do, still eat strawberries.

So, what are you saying? That the strawberries are bad and that manufactured protein powders are better, so don't add anything? Really? You lost me somewhere.

i just discovered pb2. It's amazing. What a great find

Where I'm from, just cause you're a personal trainer, doesn't mean it's within the scope of practice to be giving proper nutritional advice. I provide it to friends, but strictly as advice, and they aren't paying me.

So my free advice:

Try crystal light packets, or other non-calorie drink mix. Adds flavor, no volume and no additional calories.

Extracts may work as well, though they're primarily alcohol: Almond, mint, vanilla, lemon, etc.

Few spices or dry ingredients will work well other then instant coffee or cocoa powder.

Otherwise you're gonna be adding calories , which I'm assuming the 'no strawberries' is supposed to eliminate.

Good luck......

In the UK the standard personal trainer qualification is an absolute joke in terms of nutrition, I would not be at all surprised if it is the same elsewhere in the world. Being a fitness model proves your outside looks a certain way it doesn't show the shape of your internal organs now or in ten years time, it doesn't prove you know how to make healthy clients - there are plenty of body beautifuls in gyms who do all sorts of unsafe and unscientific things to themselves and to clients that they picked up from magazines or dodgy websites. Find a trainer who studied nutrition modules at degree level or a registered dietician specialising in sports nutrition.

Raspberries are lower sugar than strawberries, weight for weight, and stronger flavoured: according to this just 4g sugar per 100g. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2053/2

I have a citric acid allergy and can't have all the fruit I used to put in my smoothies. I'm looking for something that will taste good and give me some benefits.