Banana smoothie supports weight loss, as it’s packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and health-promoting phytochemicals that burn fat, increase metabolism, and regulate appetite!
Is banana smoothie healthy?
Banana smoothie is very healthy. It’s the easiest way to nourish the body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and many other health-promoting phytochemicals, which most people on a typical Western diet don’t get.
For instance, bananas are excellent dietary sources of fiber, magnesium, potassium, and even vitamin C. Moreover, banana contains traces of many other minerals and vitamins, like calcium and iron!
Adding fruits and green leafy greens could further boost the vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content of a banana smoothie! Actually, green leafy greens and herbs are the most nutrient-dense foods.
A smoothie can be the healthiest meal of the day. Also, it’s pretty convenient and easy to prepare.
How many calories are in a glass of banana smoothie?
Banana smoothies are good for weight loss, only if they’re low in calories. Caloric deficit is key for weight loss. We lose weight only when we consume fewer calories than we burn.
Therefore, try to prepare banana smoothies with fewer than 200 calories. Only athletes or people who consume more than 2,000 calories a day could drink banana smoothies with more calories and still lose weight!
Banana smoothies with less than 3-4 ingredients tend to have the fewest calories. It’s a common mistake to add too many ingredients, loading banana smoothies with many unnecessary calories, fats, and sugars.
First, a banana has between 90 and 135 calories, depending on the size and the ripeness stage. Keep in mind that overripe bananas are much richer in sugars than green bananas.[1]
Other fattening foods that are common ingredients in smoothies are peanut butter, cow’s milk, seeds, and nuts. There is no reason to avoid them altogether. You should add only one of them, though.
Furthermore, avoid adding fruit juices, if you want to limit the calorie content of the smoothie. Even homemade fresh-squeezed fruit juices are particularly high in sugars and calories.
Prefer whole fruits instead. Whole fruits don’t spike blood sugar as much as fruits juices because they’re pretty rich in fiber. Fiber in fruits controls appetite as well!
Common fiber-rich fruits used in many smoothie recipes are apple, avocado, strawberry, pineapple, and orange.
Fiber in banana smoothie for weight loss & good health
Above all, banana smoothies are good for weight loss because they help us meet our daily fiber needs. Fiber controls appetite and decreases cravings for fattening foods.
For instance, a smoothie with a medium banana, 2 leaves of kale, 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds, blended with almond milk contains about 6 g of fiber, or 22% DV (Daily Value).
Moreover, high fiber intakes have been associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Also, fiber may reduce high blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, enhance immune functions, and improve insulin sensitivity.[2]
Minerals in seeds & nuts support weight loss
Moreover, you could add a tbsp of seeds and nuts into your favorite smoothie. They have a great nutritional value. They’re particularly high in minerals, which are important for a good metabolism.
Don’t add too many, though. They’re pretty high in calories.
Seeds and nuts are among the best dietary sources of magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, selenium, and many more minerals.
Magnesium
High magnesium intakes are beneficial for obese individuals or people with insulin resistance. Magnesium can help them lose weight, reduce waist circumference, and Body Mass Index.[3,4]
Obese people and people with diabetes tend to have low levels of magnesium. Magnesium deficiency may lead to many health problems, such as hypertension, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease.[5,6]
Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are the richest foods in magnesium.
Potassium
A diet high in potassium promotes weight loss. It reduces waist circumference, Body Mass Index, inflammations, and insulin resistance!
Hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds are among the richest foods in potassium.
Calcium
High calcium intakes may be beneficial for weight maintenance as well as weight loss.[7]
Calcium may prevent hunger and reduce insulin resistance. It can help people stick to a long-term calorie-restrictive diet. Moreover, high calcium intakes can improve body composition. Calcium helps maintain lean mass.[8,9]
People in a caloric deficit need more calcium. Their bone mass may be reduced, otherwise.[10]
Cow’s milk and dairy aren’t the only good dietary sources of calcium. Seeds, and greens, like kale and spinach, are also excellent plant-based sources of calcium. For instance, chia seeds are the richest common food in calcium, containing 631 mg per 100g!
Seeds and nuts are also great sources of copper and selenium.
- Copper plays a key role in the metabolism of carbs, protein, and fats.
- Selenium may improve insulin sensitivity, increase energy levels, and improve the mood, helping us follow a long-term energy-restricted diet.
Omega-3s
Moreover, chia seeds and ground flaxseeds are the richest common plant-based foods in omega-3s! Omega-3s have so many health benefits. In addition, they may reduce body weight and fat mass.[11]
Is banana smoothie rich in protein?
In addition, smoothies have to be rich in protein. Protein is necessary for maintaining muscle mass. Increased muscle mass leads to a higher metabolism.
Also, protein keeps us full for a long time. Actually, foods rich in protein, fiber, and water are more satiating.[12]
Furthermore, protein has the highest thermic effect. We burn 20 to 30% of protein calories to digest it.[13]
People looking to lose weight could benefit from increasing their daily protein intake.
Excellent sources of protein are cow’s milk, Greek yogurt, and of course, whey powder.
You could really boost the protein content of a smoothie, adding a scoop of protein powder. You can find a wide variety of high-quality plant-based or whey protein powders on iHerb.
Animal-derived foods have high-quality protein. It’s highly bioavailable and contains all essential amino acids. However, you can get high amounts of protein from plant-based smoothies as well.
Vegan banana smoothie
Banana smoothies without yogurt, or cow’s milk are also good for weight loss.
You could replenish cow’s milk with any plant-based milk. Try almond, oat, or rice milk. But, soy milk is the best plant-based alternative. First, it has the richest protein content among plant-based milks. In addition, soy milk is particularly rich in calcium and iron!
Also, soy milk is great for weight loss, as it has fewer calories than cow’s milk. Moreover, soy milk is the richest food in isoflavones! These phytochemicals are powerful antioxidant compounds with countless health benefits!
You can find a wide variety of plane-based milks on Amazon.
Greens are also excellent sources of protein. Broccoli, kale and spinach are particularly rich in protein. They could help us meet our daily needs.
Furthermore, spinach is among the richest common foods in GABA. GABA is a key chemical for maintaining a lean body. It promotes muscle growth and help the body burn more belly fat, as it may naturally increase the Human Growth Hormone levels, and metabolism!
Is breakfast the best time to drink a banana smoothie?
Certainly, breakfast is a great time to drink a glass of banana smoothie. As banana is rich in carbs, it will provide steady levels of energy during the day.
Above all, green smoothies are packed with antioxidant compounds, which protect us from oxidative stress. It’s always better to boost the antioxidant capacity of the body during the daytime.
Antioxidants protect us from the detrimental effects of air pollution, sunlight radiation, and smoking. These are common risk factors which contribute to the excessive production of free radicals and eventually to oxidative stress.[14,15,16]
Also. smoothie is a quick and convenient snack. You can prepare and drink it in a couple of minutes. You can save time by freezing bananas in bulk.
What’s the worst time of the day to drink a banana smoothie?
The worst time of the day to drink a smoothie is right before exercise. It takes time to digest a smoothie. Working out with a full stomach will probably lead to bloating, gas, discomfort, or stomach cramps.
As a rule of thumb, avoid eating fiber at least 2-3 hours before strenuous exercise.
On the other hand, a protein smoothie after a workout could help you recover faster!
