Your guide to making delicious, low sugar smoothies

Smoothies are a godsend for those of us on a quest to live our best lives. Fruits, vegetables and other wholesome goodies packed into one easy to make, portable meal or snack – what more could you want?

Well, less sugar! Health coach Lisa Bryant tells us that a smoothie packed with fruit is also packed with natural sugar. Just by blitzing up some juice, a bit of honey, and a banana, you could be consuming up to 50 grams of sugar. But Bryant says you can avoid worrying about consuming excess sugar in smoothies by choosing low sugar fruits, and pairing them with vegetables and protein.

Choose your fruit wisely
These fruits are high in sugar:

• Banana
• Mango
• Pears
• Pomegranate
• Cherries
• Grapes

These fruits are low in sugar:

• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Kiwi
• Cucumber (yes it is a fruit, we promise)
• Lemons
• Avocado

Banana is your go-to ingredient, right? Bryant’s top tip for replacing this smoothie staple is frozen zucchini or cauliflower – she says they make a great substitute! If you can’t go past bananas, select green ones (not yellow or brown) – a banana’s sugar content increases as it ripens.

Ramp up your veggie content
Vegetables can add a ton of nutrients without wrecking the taste. Often you won’t even taste them but they can totally transform your smoothie. Avocado or cauliflower will add creaminess, carrots boost your immune system and zucchini offers a hit of hydration thanks to its high water content. And you can’t go wrong with leafy greens which are packed with fibre.

Add protein
Protein powder is an easy win. So is a teaspoon of nut butter for protein as well as healthy fats. Greek yoghurt will add tanginess and creaminess, and nuts and seeds will provide fibre.

Blitz it
Blend together a low sugar fruit, one or two vegetables, and your protein of choice. It’s really simple, but if you prefer to follow a recipe try one of Bryant’s 5 Low Sugar Smoothies. They each have less than 15 grams of sugar per serve.