Benefits of Healthy Low Carb Smoothies

Healthy low carb smoothie recipes will make you one of the most nutritious — and delicious — meals on earth. Healthy low carb smoothies are loaded with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes that come in a whole-food form that's easily digested and assimilated.

The fruits and vegetable blended together in healthy smoothie recipes provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber that will do wonders for your health — and build up your body’s defenses against disease.

In addition, when fruits and vegetables are blended, the plant fibers are broken down just like when you chew them. And chewing food more thoroughly means that you'll absorb more of the nutrients.

Healthy Smoothies Detoxify Your System. Healthy low carb smoothies retain the fiber from the fruits and the vegetables you use. The fiber works to improve digestion and helps your body naturally rid itself of toxins. Fiber also helps you feel more satisfied, and maintains that feeling longer.

Best Ingredients to Use for Low Carb Smoothie Recipes

Smoothie recipes are made up of three primary types of ingredients: a liquid base, fruits and vegetables. Let's start by looking at your options for a smoothie liquid starter.

Water can be used as a base for your low carb smoothie; it has the lowest amount of carbs of all - zero. Then there's milk, yogurt or some type of dairy-free milk substitute such as almond milk, soy milk, rice milk and others. You can find some of these products with as little as 2 grams of carbs in an eight ounce serving; check the nutritional label on the package.

You'll want to avoid using fruit juices as a starter for your low carb smoothie recipes, since they're typically very high in carb counts and have no fiber.

Green leafy vegetables are a popular ingredient for low carb smoothie recipes; they are very low in carbs. Spinach and kale, for example, have just seven grams per cup. Leafy greens are harder to pulverize into a smooth consistency, so you may need a high-power blender, such as a Vitamix or BlendTec, if you use these ingredients.

The bulk of the carb content in your low carb smoothies will come from the fruits you add to your smoothie. If you want to keep your carb count as low as possible, use the least amount of fruit you can. Berries, melons, peaches and papaya contain the lowest levels of carbs among fruits.

Sweetening Your Low Carb Smoothie Recipes

If you want to sweeten up your low carb smoothies, the best thing to use is stevia. This all natural sweetener comes in a powder or liquid, and has no calories or carbs. If you're unfamiliar with stevia, you should know that it only takes a tiny bit to add enough sweetness to your smoothies — so add it judiciously until you get familiar with the right amount to use. I shouldn't have to tell you not to use artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet or Splenda — they're toxic!

Chilling Your Low Carb Smoothies

Is there's anything more satisfying than a cold, creamy smoothie? There are two ways of chilling your healthy smoothie recipes:

Ice Cubes - a good way of thinning down a smoothie that's too thick and chilling it at the same time.

Frozen Fruit - has the advantage of not diluting the taste, and also giving your healthy smoothies a creamier texture. It's very easy and convenient to create a stash of frozen cut-up fruit, so you always have some on hand.