Smoothie Recipes That Shake Off The Weight - Cut Sugar, Not Taste!

Have you ever experienced a “gut feeling” that something wasn’t right? We might call it intuition or a sixth sense, and we might dismiss those feelings as completely illegitimate—just because you have a feeling in your belly doesn’t mean there’s logic involved. But that thought process is actually wrong. What we interpret as gut feelings is actually the work of the enteric nervous system, a series of nerves and synapses that’s just as complicated as the system in your brain.

In fact, most of your serotonin, the “feel-good” brain hormone that modern antidepressants work on, is located in the gut, not in the head. Why does this matter? Because a healthy body, and a healthy mind, start with a healthy gut. Keeping your digestive system in balance is the first and most important step in longterm weight loss. That’s why, when I created the New York Times best seller Zero Belly Diet, I centered it around a set of nutrients that help balance the gut and set you up for a flatter belly and a lifetime of greater health. And because fans were so passionate, not just about their dramatic results but about the delicious smoothie recipes in the book, I’ve designed a whole new series of easy-to-make, crave-worthy smoothies to work with your digestive system in a way that helps end tummy troubles, reduce inflammation, and bring bloating to an end. By enjoying these creamy shakes, you’ll help reset your hormonal system, increase your resting metabolism, and dramatically reduce the inflammation that can lead to weight gain and a whole host of chronic health issues.

"HOT" CHOCOLATE

The heat from the cayenne makes the chocolate flavor pop.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ 1 Tbsp cacao powder
➤ ¼ avocado
➤ 1 cup ice
➤ 1 tsp cayenne pepper
➤ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ 1 scoop chocolate plant-based protein powder

Nutrition facts: 295 calories / 15 g fat / 16 g carbs / 8 g fiber / 3 g sugar / 29 g protein

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CONFESSION

This recipe is adapted from one of our favorites from Zero Belly Cookbook. We loved it so much we had to include it here as well. For 150-plus recipes that melt belly fat first-featuring foods
you love-check out the cookbook today.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ½ banana
➤ ¼ ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and quartered
➤ ¼ cup black beans
➤ ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ ¼ cup chocolate plantbased protein powder
➤ 6 ice cubes
➤ Water to blend (optional)

Nutrition facts: 300 calories / 9 g fat / 34 g carbs / 11 g fiber / 9 g sugar / 25 g protein

BACK IN BLACK

Some of my favorite restaurants offer a blackberry-and-spinach  salad, so I was inspired to blend them up along with a squeeze of lemon. Glad I did.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ½ cup frozen blackberries
➤ ½ lemon
➤ 1 cup spinach
➤ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ 1 scoop plain or flavored plant-based protein powder

Nutrition Facts: 219 calories / 4.7 g fat / 18.5 g carbs / 8 g fiber / 7 g sugar / 28 g protein

POTATO? SWEET!

Bananas and sweet potatoes both add starch, but that’s why the cinnamon is in there. Adding cinnamon to a starchy meal helps stabilize blood sugar and ward off insulin spikes, according to a series of studies printed in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ½ cooked sweet potato, cooled, with skin off
➤ ½ frozen banana
➤ ½ tsp cinnamon
➤ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ 1 scoop plain plant-based protein powder

Nutrition Facts: 280 calories / 5 g fat / 34 g carbs / 6 g fiber / 14 g sugar / 28 g protein

MR. BEAN

You won’t even taste the secret ingredient here.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ¼ cup kidney beans
➤ ½ frozen banana
➤ ½ cup frozen strawberries
➤ You won’t even taste the secret ingredient here.
➤ 4 mint leaves
➤ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ ¼ scoop plain plant- based protein powder

Nutrition Facts: 340 calories / 4.5 g fat / 53 g carbs / 11 g fiber / 14 g sugar / 24 g protein

COCO-CARAMEL APPLE

Nutmeg, one of the top Zero Belly spices, contains a compound called macelignan that helps protect cells from sun damage, according to a 2012 study in Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. For a vitamin-A boost, consider adding some pureed pumpkin into the mix.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ 1 Pink Lady apple with peel, cored and sliced
➤ ¼ cup unsweetened light coconut milk
➤ ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
➤ 1 tsp nutmeg
➤ 1 scoop plain plant-based protein powder
➤ 3 ice cubes
➤ Water to blend (optional)

Nutrition Facts: 299 calories / 16.9 g fat / 12 g carbs / 3.8 g fiber / 5.5 g sugar / 27 g protein

KALE 'N' HEARTY

Want to keep your belly biome happy? To make sure your gut is in good shape, you need to feed your abdominal allies something called fructooligosaccharides, or FOS, a type of fiber found in fruits and leafy greens. This drink will get the party started and help heal your gut while enticing your taste buds.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ 1 cup kale
➤ ½ cup chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
➤ ½ pear, seeded and quartered
➤ 1 scoop plain or vanilla plant-based protein powder
➤ Squeeze of fresh lime juice
➤ ½ cup water
➤ 2 ice cubes

Nutrition Facts: 217 calories / 1 g fat / 26 g carbs / 5 g fiber / 11 g sugar / 28 g protein

THE PEANUT BUTTER CUP

Like a Reese’s, but without the bad carbs! A classic from the original Zero Belly Diet.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ½ frozen banana
➤ ½ Tbsp peanut butter
➤ 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
➤ ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ 1 scoop chocolate plant-based protein powder

Nutrition Facts: 258 calories / 6 g fat / 20 g carbs / 5 g fiber / 14 g sugar / 30 g protein

CHICORY ROOT BEER

Add chicory to the list of overlooked fat-fighters. More nutritious than lettuce or even kale, chicory is the primary source of inulin, the soluble fiber that's added to products like Activia to promote a healthy belly biome.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ½ cup chicory
➤ ½ cup spinach
➤ ¼ apple with peel, seeded and quartered
➤ ½ frozen banana
➤ 1 tsp chia seeds
➤ 1 cup water
➤ 1 scoop plain plant-based protein powder
➤ Touch of honey Water to blend (optional)
➤ After blending, add a splash of soda water for fizz.

Nutrition Facts: 231 calories / 2 g fat / 27 g carbs / 5.5 g fiber / 14 g sugar / 28 g protein

RASPBERRY WALNUT CAKE

No fruit carries the fiber punch of raspberries They grow wild along the driveway of my house in Long Island, and friend's children will often collect a big bucket in early July. Otherwise, I opt for the frozen variety, which are nutritionally superior to most of what you'll find in the produce section of your supermarket.

YOU’LL NEED

➤ ⅓ cup frozen raspberries
➤ ½ frozen banana
➤ 1 Tbsp walnuts
➤ ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
➤ Water to blend (optional but recommended here)
➤ For topping: 1 piece of dark chocolate, grated

HOW TO MAKE IT

➤ After blending, grate dark chocolate on top of smoothie and serve.

Nutrition facts: 285 calories / 7 g fat / 26 g carbs / 7 g fiber / 12 g sugar / 30 g protein