Smoothies can be a great breakfast for busy mornings. They’re a convenient way to pack in nutrients that fuel your body and brain for a productive day ahead. However, I see people make the same smoothie mistakes over and over, leading to energy crashes and poor appetite control, plus hidden calories that add up to weight gain over time. Here’s what to watch for and how to power up properly.

A green smoothie is a breakfast for many busy women

Jessica Cording Nutrition

Not Enough Protein

Protein helps us feel satisfied and stabilizes blood sugar by slowing digestion, so when you’re counting on a smoothie to keep you full all morning, protein is key to avoid feeling cranky, sleepy, and unable to focus. Aim for about 15 to 30 grams of protein for a meal. You can make your smoothie with dairy or pea milk or with plain yogurt or use protein powder and your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk or water.

Too Much Fruit

Sure, fruit is healthy, but too much (especially when there’s not enough protein or fat to buffer the breakdown of that naturally occurring sugar) can trigger a blood sugar spike that’s followed quickly by an energy crash. I generally recommend sticking to one cup of fruit, max, or at least asking yourself before you throw it in the blender if you’d eat that much fruit in solid form.

Add-In Overload

It’s easy to go overboard with add-ins like nut butter, seeds, and superfood supplements. If you’re making your smoothie into a bowl with toppings, it can be tempting to pile on the granola, coconut flakes and other photogenic stuff. Even too much of healthy stuff is possible—calories can add up quickly. Added sugar hiding in sneaky places like protein powders, non-dairy milk and granola don’t help.

As a general rule of thumb, keep it to about a tablespoon of extras, whether you’re throwing them in the blender or adding them on top. Can’t make up your mind? How about doing a teaspoon each of chia seeds, hemp hearts and cacao nibs? You’ll get the variety you crave without going overboard.

Here are some other helpful steps you can take.

Decide: Is It A Meal Or A Snack?

Ask yourself if that smoothie is breakfast or a snack. If it needs to hold you over until lunch, make sure you’re getting a balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fat and enough calories to keep you going. If numbers are helpful, I generally recommend my clients make sure their meal-sized smoothie has 300 to 400 calories, 15 to 30 grams of protein and at least five grams of fiber.

If you’re planning to have a snack a few hours after your smoothie, then you can go for something with 200 to 250 calories and closer to 10 to 15 grams of protein.

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