Keto Smoothie Questions Answered

by Blendtopia ☀️ August 17, 2021

Let’s face it, "dieting" is hard. Which diet should you follow? Which one gets you the most results? Which is the easiest to follow? Which is the best for your body? While we don’t have all the answers, we can tell you that we are HUGE fans of the keto diet and so are tons of other people! If you’ve never heard of the keto diet and are completely new to the scene, we have a great blog post to help you out, Keto 101: A Beginners Guide to the Keto Diet.

One of the best parts about the keto diet are the smoothies! Yep, you heard us correctly - SMOOTHIES! It’s true, if you decide to jump on the ketosis bandwagon, you can still indulge in delicious, healthy smoothies all the time! You’ve probably got questions, and we’ve definitely got answers, so let's dive in!

What ingredients make good, keto-friendly smoothies?

Oftentimes when dieting, one of the hardest things to do is deciding what you can eat and what can’t you eat.

We won’t lie, when your first getting started with the keto diet, it may be a little intimidating to figure out what is considered keto and what isn’t considered keto, especially when we’re talking about delicious, indulgent smoothies. That’s why we’ve compiled a list just for you of delicious keto smoothie ingredients.

Berries: Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries
Seeds & Nuts: Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds
Low-Carb Vegetables: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Kale
Low-Carb Fruit: Lemon, Lime, Coconut, Cantaloupe, Watermelon
Plant-based milk: Unsweetened Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, Hemp Milk, Cashew Milk
Nut Butters: Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Cashew Butter (all with no added sugar
Coconut Oil: Solid or liquid MCT
Cacao: Also Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Powder
Avocados

Can keto friendly smoothies be sweetened?

A question we get here at Blendtopia ALL the time is whether or not smoothies or other keto dishes can be sweetened, and the answer is a resounding yes!

While typical sweeteners like sugar, honey, and syrup are out of the question, you still have options. We want to help you learn how to sweeten a smoothie recipe using ingredients that are acceptable for keto diets, that’s why we’ve compiled this list:

Monkfruit (both solid, powdered, or liquid extract)
Stevia (both powdered and liquid)
Erythritol
Xylitol

There are some cheaper, easier to find sweeteners like Sucralose (Splenda), however we like to stick to more natural options whenever possible.

Keep in mind when using sweeteners like Stevia, Erythritol, and Xylitol that they are not equal substitutions for sugar and are often times a lot sweeter than you’d expect. It’s important to start small and increase as necessary for taste.

If you're looking for ways to upgrade your keto smoothies, check out the best keto smoothie recipes or How to Make a Smoothie Sweeter.

Chocolate? Did you say CHOCOLATE?

Yes! We said chocolate! Adding chocolate to your keto smoothies is a great way to indulge your sweet tooth without breaking your diet. Just remember that milk chocolate or chocolate with added sweeteners are out of the question. You should always stick with dark chocolate, or pure cocoa powder, or even better - cacao!

If you want to know how to make a chocolate smoothie that is keto approved, we’ve got just the recipe for you! Check out this amazing recipe for a delicious, easy to make Keto Mint Chocolate Smoothie:

Keto Mint Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups Cashew Milk
1/2 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Butter
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Peppermint Extract
1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:
Using an ice cube tray, freeze your cashew milk for several hours until solid. Once solid, combine all ingredients in your blender and blend using the pulse function until you reach the desired consistency. Open the lid and take a little taste. If it tastes delicious as is, great! Pour and enjoy with a friend. If you prefer it on the sweeter side, add your choice of keto-approved sweetener from the list above. This makes two servings, so be sure to share it with someone, or cut the recipe in half.

We understand that DIY isn’t for everyone. That’s why we’re proud to offer this delicious Keto Chocolate Chai Smoothie kit. It is full of amazing, delicious keto-approved ingredients and is super easy to use. All you have to do is add the mix to your blender with 12-14 fluid ounces of your dairy-free liquid of choice.

Which is best, fruit smoothies or green smoothies?

A lot of people wonder which type of smoothies are best, fruit smoothies or green smoothies? The answer is simple, both! Variety ensures you can access all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and proteins you need to be healthy. The great thing about smoothies are they can be tailored to your liking and adjusted to taste as necessary. If you are new to smoothies, you may feel better about sticking to fruit smoothies. For those who are feeling braver, green smoothies are just as good.

Check out our blog post on how to make a healthy fruit smoothie AND how to make green smoothie! If you’d rather buy a pre-made smoothie mix that only needs an added liquid, try our delicious Keto Berry or Keto Green Smoothie kits! Or, if you want to try both, we also offer a variety box!

Keto (and Paleo) isn’t all about losing weight, but can smoothies be used to help lose weight?

The reasoning for "dieting" or making a holistic dietary change is different for each individual. For some it’s about lowering cholesterol, boosting energy, or other things like helping build up immunity and just ensuring a healthier overall life. For a lot of people, though, it’s more about weight loss. If that’s you, you might be asking if keto smoothies can help with weight loss. Well, the answer is yes and no.

What it all comes down to are the ingredients you use to make your smoothie - the nutrition facts. If you add a lot of high sugar ingredients, you’re not going to achieve the results you want. But if you choose better-for-you ingredients that have healthy fats and low carbohydrates and also helps boost your energy, then absolutely! Bonus: If you want to know how to make smoothies for weight loss, we recommend our great blog post, How to Make a Healthy Smoothie.

Can I add protein powder to my keto smoothie?

Absolutely! a post-workout shake (or smoothie) is an excerllent way to recharge your body, stay in ketosis and adds a creamy texture to your smoothie that many people enjoy. However, many protein powders have a high dose of carbohydrates, including sugars, that can pull you right out of ketosis. On a typical ketogenic diet, you need to consume 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates a day. Look for brands that are keto or paleo specific, are plant based or contain collagen peptides.

How about you? What are your burning keto questions? Leave your comments below! And be sure to come follow Blendtopia on Facebook to stay connected, and follow us on Pinterest to get even more ideas for maintaining our mental, physical, and emotional wellness.