Are smoothies really that calorific?

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kgj66
kgj66 Posts: 22 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I never have time to actually weigh out what I am putting in smoothies as I make a super large batch every few days before work and take a flask with me to work to keep me going in the afternoons.

Wondering if someone could estimate what calories my usual one would have as being around 300/400 a cup from what I have seen on similar recipes is making me not want to drink so much...but I love them!:

Banana
raspberries
spinach
ginger
a little bit of low fat yoghurt (not a lot as I don't like the taste, but want the calcium!)
apple juice
cranberry juice

I also notice when they are shop made, they are mostly made with yoghurt rather than fruit. So the fact that mine only have a little yoghurt- maybe a tablespoon or two per glass, would that reduce it? I would drink to glasses a day.

Replies

  • BohemianCoast
    BohemianCoast Posts: 349 Member
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    The calories are very dependent on the exact amounts you put in. Work out how much you're using (use scales or measuring cups) and then add it up using the MFP recipe tool; once you have a total you divide it by the number of glasses it makes.

    But yes, smoothies are mostly full of calories and (fruit) sugar.
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
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    Unless you are blending tap water in with ice... yes, they are that high cal.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    It depends on what you put in them. At the end of the day, a smoothie contains a bunch of fruit that you probably wouldn't eat in a single sitting.

    If you like them and you are losing weight on them, don't worry about it, but I would recommend sitting down, measuring your ingredients and working out how many calories are in one.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    Depends. I make one for myself, bf and son and we usually put in a banana, pb, almond milk and yogurt. The PB is high in calories but at least splitting it between 3 people we are getting smaller servings AND its a better nighttime snack alternative to cake and brownies like I used to make!
  • smanning1982
    smanning1982 Posts: 210 Member
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    For my smoothies I make every morning I use 1 whole low fat yogurt (70 calories) 1/2 banana (about 50 cals) a handful of strawberries (30 cals), 1 cup light V8 fusion (70 cals) and a handful of baby spinach (10 cals) and 2 scoops of Visalus mix (90 cals) so my whole smoothie is roughly 320 calories. Everything in it though is so healthy and filling and gets me through to lunch so I love them!!
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,365 Member
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    switch the juice to almond milk and you'll drop a lot of the calories.]

    my smoothies usually contain:

    100-140g Strawberries
    70-100g Blueberries
    100g Banana
    Chia Seeds
    9-11oz of Almond Milk
    Coconut Milk or Almond milk Yogurt (I am a vegan)

    and if I feel like making it green, I'll add in Kale, Spinach or Amazing Green Grass Powder. Sometimes I also add nuts or nut butter. depends on how I feel.
  • eyvindur
    eyvindur Posts: 19 Member
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    Lots of calories, yes, but they're quality calories. I would add lots of yogurt, personally, because there you get fat and protein, which will help you feel fuller longer.

    I make a protein smoothie every morning (drink it post-workout) that ranges from 500-700 calories. It's all natural (I don't add any protein powder - it's all from dairy), and it tastes great. I don't see a problem with getting lots of calories there, since I'm getting a ton of fruit, fiber, protein and good fats.
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
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    All recipes are either high or low calories depending on what you put in it, and how much you eat. So, if you don't actually take the time to measure it once you're not going to do well.

    Looking at your list, getting most of your liquid from apple & cranberry juice, plus the banana is assuredly going to make a high-calorie, high-carb smoothie.

    My smoothies are about 350 for a gigantic cup (32oz) but I am sure to use lots of low-calorie ingredients for bulk like strawberries.
  • cls_333
    cls_333 Posts: 206 Member
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    What? NO! I just entered a recipe I made last night, made (5) 1 cup servings, 128 calories each and I even added a whole cup of greek yogurt AND Protein Powder. I don't think 128 calories for a cup of healthy nutritious food that keeps you feeling full is a lot.

    Homemade - Greek Yogurt, Milk, Fruit, Protein Powder Smoothie, 1 serving(s)
    128 Cals, 16 carbs, 2 fat, 13 protein, 10 sugar, 2 fiber
  • misslibbyh
    misslibbyh Posts: 90 Member
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    Skip the juice! add water or almond milk like someone else said instead and some stevia and drink it up. It's the juice that is adding all those calories. Also make sure you add watery veggies like cucumber and celery. Cucumber adds lots of bulk and very little calories. I put fat free greek yogurt in mine to make them super smooth! Mine are just over three hundred calories for the entire blender full! =)

    1/2 apple
    1/2 banana
    1 clementine
    1 handful of spinach
    chunk of cucumber
    stick of celery
    bit of kale
    1/4 fat free plain greek yogurt
    ginger
    stevia

    I also add a bit of whey protein sometimes
  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
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    For my smoothies every morning I do 2 cups greens (kale, baby spinach, romaine, etc) and 1-2 cups frozen fruit, then water. I mix it all up in my nutri bullet, super yummy and lower cal!
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
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    I have been using the recipe builder in MFP to input mine. It's easy to eyeball a half cup or cup of each ingredient, and I measure the more cal specific ingredients like almond milk or yogurt.

    I also put chia seeds in mine.

    I use the yogurt to add protein and the chia to add fiber so that I can have my smoothie for breakfast and it will keep me full until lunch.

    Mine range between 115-300 cals for a 12 oz serving.

    The best one I've made so far was a "pumpkin pie" smoothie:
    Canned pumpkin (.5 cup)
    .5 cup pineapple
    1 banana
    .5 cup greek yogurt (I used a honey one)
    1 cup almond milk
    .5 cup baby carrots
    1 cup kale
    cinnamon, nutmeg, clove

    It made 2 servings and a baby serving for my 3YO, who loved it!
  • kgj66
    kgj66 Posts: 22 Member
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    Great thanks. I didn't realise that the juice would be adding so much! Almond milk sounds like a good idea- might give that a go! I know that measuring out properly is the way forward, but because I normally just use whatever I can find in the fridge I wouldn't want to do it every time. But i suppose it would give me a rough idea!!
  • capnlizard
    capnlizard Posts: 73 Member
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    I have a dairy allergy, so my breakfast smoothie is completely dairy free. It typically consists of a single serving of soy/vegan yogurt, a cup of frozen mixed berries, a whole banana, and a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It ends up being about 370 calories and lasts me through mid-morning, when I have a small snack (apple, pita with some hummus, etc). Since I tend not to eat fruit during the day, aside from apples, because I find most fruit too tart by itself, this is a good way for me to get both some solid fruit servings and some calcium.
  • taranj21
    taranj21 Posts: 83 Member
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    i love my morning smoothie!
    i use 1 cup of sambazon acai berry juice
    1 cup frozen mixed berries from costco
    1 banana and 1 kiwi.
    delicious! and filling.

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