When it comes to smoothies, fruit is typically what makes them sweet and delicious. However, when you combine several types of fruits into a single drink, the natural sugar content can start to add up quickly.
That’s why I’m sharing two low sugar smoothie recipes with you today, along with several variations to help keep your week interesting. They’re made with low-sugar berries, which are loaded with antioxidants, and a sneaky serving of frozen cauliflower and creamy avocado to help bulk them up, without adding extra sugar into your glass.
Which Fruits are Low in Sugar?
When trying to make a smoothie that is lower in sugar, I like to use a mix of low-sugar fruits and vegetables, along with a small amount of sweeter fruit, like banana, mango, or pineapple, to make the smoothie palatable. (I experimented with using low-sugar fruits exclusively, but they were not enjoyable at all– my taste testers wouldn’t drink them.)
Here are some low-sugar fruits that you can try in your smoothies:
- Raspberries (5 g per cup)
- Strawberries (7 g per cup)
- Blackberries (7g per cup)
- Kiwi (6 g per fruit)
- Blueberries (12 g per cup)
- Lemons (1.5 g per fruit)
- Avocado (1 g per avocado)
- Granny Smith Apple (14 g per fruit)
And to help “bulk up” your smoothie without using extra fruit, you might also want to try adding in one or more of the following ingredients to help add fiber and more nutrition.
- Zucchini
- Cauliflower
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
- Almond butter (or another nut/seed butter)
- Fresh spinach
These extra add-ins help add creaminess, without relying dairy, and are relatively neutral in flavor so they won’t overpower the overall taste of your smoothie.
To keep your smoothie palatable, add a small amount of sweeter fruits. The following options are great for keeping your smoothies relatively low in sugar. (For these recipes, I aimed for less than 15 g of sugar per smoothie serving.)
- Half a banana (7 g)
- Half cup pineapple (7g)
- One date, deglet noor variety (4.5 g)
Is Fruit Sugar Bad For You?
Now, I don’t want this post to scare you about eating fruit, because I personally eat it quite liberally and don’t think you should worry about the natural sugar it contains. Though the research is limited, small studies have shown that the fructose found in fruit does NOT act the same way in the body as industrial fructose, such as table sugar. (source)
Fruit contains numerous substances that block the effects of fructose, including vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants, which may explain why the fructose from added sugars is associated with hypertension, but the fructose found in fruit is not. (source)
Eating fruit may also promote weight loss.
In this study, researchers compared a low-fructose group, that consumed no fructose or added fruit, to a moderate fructose group that included fruit in their diet. To their surprise, the group that consumed fruit lost more weight compared to those on the low-fructose plan, even though both groups were eating the same number of calories.
I share this information because I want you to LOVE everything you eat, and if you’re avoiding fruit because you think it will help you lose weight faster or because you’re scared of the natural sugar content, you might not be enjoying your meals to their fullest. You might even feel restricted and wind up stuck in a cycle of binge eating like I did.
Enjoying what you eat daily is key to sticking to a healthy lifestyle and achieving permanent results, so don’t be scared to add more fruit to these recipes if that will make you enjoy them more. You’ll get an extra nutrient boost as a bonus!
Keep in mind that a low sugar smoothie definitely tastes like it’s low in sugar, too. (In other words, they are kind of bland compared to traditional smoothies.)
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if your taste buds have adapted to appreciating the natural sweetness found in fruits and even some veggies, but don’t expect a low sugar smoothie to taste like one you’d get at a local smoothie bar. (Those are usually loaded with 50 grams or more of sugar per serving!)
I also wouldn’t go adding zero-calorie sweeteners to this smoothie (you can read why I stopped using stevia here), because I feel like that might defeat the point of trying to reduce your sugar intake. Let your taste buds adapt to the natural sweetness of fruit, without skewing your taste buds, or add a little extra sweet fruit like the ones I mentioned above to boost the flavor.
Mango, which is a little higher in sugar, may help to control or even lower blood sugar levels (source), so don’t be afraid to add an extra handful to improve your smoothie’s overall flavor. Feel free to get creative!
Low Sugar Blueberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 cup water , plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water as needed, then serve immediately.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories: 133, Carbohydrates: 24, Fiber: 6, Protein: 3, Fat: 4, Sugar: 12
Low Sugar Raspberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 cup water , plus more as needed
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to facilitate blending.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories: 112, Carbohydrates: 19, Fiber: 6, Protein: 2, Fat: 4, Sugar: 10
Recipe Notes:
- To keep these smoothies affordable and accessible year-round, I used frozen fruit, but if you use fresh fruit these recipes will have more flavor. If berries are in season where you are, I’d encourage you to use fresh fruits and less water when you blend these.
- Feel free to swap the fruit in these recipes with any of the other ones I mentioned above.
As always, if you try something different please leave a comment below so we can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite smoothie combination? Feel free to share recipes in the comments below!
I am definetly going to try the smoothies.I have had smoothies with avocado but it will be interesting to try smoothies with cauliflower.
Also,want to try Vegan enchiladas.Looks interesting.
My favourite smoothie combination includes raspberries and spirulina powder with yogurt and local honey.
i love your instant pot stuff (just got one)
Thanks for the ideas! Smoothies in the afternoon keep me going when I’d rather nap. I’ve also found that I crave less junk food when I have smoothie everyday.
My husband and I really enjoy your vegan peanut buttercup shake, is delicious! Will be trying the sweet potato lasagna this week and sweet potatoes toast his weekend. Super excited!
I will definitely be trying the eggroll in a bowl recipe. Our longtime favourite recipe of yours is the Mexican Soup. Your first book is on it’s way. Every recipe I have tried of yours has been good. I planned to start eating better and cutting out sugar so your challenge is timed perfectly as is this smoothie post! Thanks you, Megan!
Will be making some of your jar salads for work and those low sugar smoothies look really yummy!
I’ll be trying the raspberry smoothie. It sounds yummy and has no banana in it.
I just made my posts public! I am making the raspberry low sugar smoothie for snacks! my smoothies are a little bit too chunky because I have a conventional blender, but the flavor is there. My four-year-old is really loving the smoothies he was amazed he couldn’t test the avocado or kale in the mix. We just finished eating the chia pudding I added a layer of cook strawberries and we loved!
#detoxinistachallenge
I am trying the sweet potato noodles with pumpkin sauce AND coconut milk yogurt. Can’t wait!
I will def. be making smoothies from your suggestions! They are a great way to get in filling fruits and veggies!
Thank you for these recipes, these smoothies sound delicious! I love fruit but can’t have too much because I’m intolerant to sorbitol. Thanks for the reminder that you can use frozen cauliflower! I tried that in a smoothie last summer and liked it but then completely forgot about it. 😀 Will definitely go back to it soon.
Happy new year from Germany!
I am very thankful for this site and have used it for years! This week I we will be eating the Sweet Potato Lasagna and be trying out some of the low-sugar smoothies. My husband and boys wake up in the morning asking for smoothing and I can’t wait to try out the frozen cauliflower in the smoothy! I have never heard of this idea…WOW!
i love you date mini brownies!! i need to make a batch today 🙂
We just ate your vegan tikka masala tonight with green rice. So yum!
Last week I made your raw lemon bars from Everyday Detox and your Flourless Pumpkin Bars. Both are absolutely fantastic!!! I will be making the Mexican Cauliflower casserole this week. It also is fantastic. My husband who does not like cauliflower thought it was made with rice. Ha ha! I would love to win the VitaMix and give it to my daughter-in-law who was recently married and does not own one.My mother and I love our VitaMix. Thank you for your wonderful recipes and hard work!
Making these low-sugar smoothies this week! Can’t wait to see if my family notices the snuck-in cauliflower!!
I’m loving all your smoothies. I’m going to try your low sugar blueberry smoothie today for our lunch! It’s so hard for me to find ways to eat cauliflower and like it!! Thanks for all you tasty and attainable to make recipes!!
I tried the double chocolate pumpkin muffins this morning and they were amazing! The crispy garlic chickpeas are currently roasting in the oven for snacks later. And, I’m loving all of the smoothie recipes from the No Excuses Detox cookbook- the frosty chocolate shake is my favorite!
I haven’t tried cauliflower in a smoothie yet! Will be trying the raspberry smoothie recipe above tomorrow morning before sending the kids off to their first day back to school!
It’s been cold here in FL so I think making a pot of your sweet potato curry and lentils with cauliflower is in order, I love that dish!
Megan, I have to tell you that I was pleasantly suprised that this berry smoothie really does hold you. It must be from the cauliflower and avocado. Also, i wanted to let you know that I made your chocolate chip almond butter blondies with date paste instead of coconut sugar. They turned out really great! Thanks so for the yummy recipes! There is now no excuse for us not to ear healthier, thanks to you!
Yay, thank you for sharing! I’ll have to try those blondies with date paste, too. 🙂
I have never thought of putting cauliflower into my smoothies before so I will definitely being giving that a try! Your flourless peanut butter banana muffins are a favourite in my home and I am heating up the oven now to make a batch, but I will be using almond butter.
Hello again #detoxinistachallenge low sugar blueberry smoothie . I only gave it 3 starts because this smoothie almost killed my blender. I replaced the banana for pineapple and I love the colour and flavour . All my family loved including my husband . It has an intense blue berry flavour and the cauliflower disguised better than the raspberry smoothie .
The Vegan Chocolate Cherry smoothie is my favorite! I also make your Avocado salad dressing on a regular basis! 🙂
In the smoothie recipes can you add a protein powder?
Sure, go for it!
Love your recipes, smoothies included. I am no chef but everything I make of yours tastes amazing. I refer many people to your website and cookbooks!
Thank you so much for all the information, support, recipes, and healthy-lifestyle motivation! I am excited to start making my way through all of your fantastic sounding recipes! I am just going to jump in. <3
I just tried your Thai salad for the first time – yum.
And I am always making batches of your nut – free granola – I love that stuff!
Will try these soon.
This cauliflower is a great idea but it’s annoying that your nutritional values don’t show up on PRINT. Nobody ever mentioned that to you before? Just add them in, please.
I love smoothie is yummy healthy I erther have smoothie for everyday for morning is batter and have low sugar will make good start
Great recipes and information! Thanks
I’m fructose intolerance neef help.recipes.