10 dietitian-approved low-sugar smoothies you’ll love
Updated: Jun 23
Low-sugar smoothies are a balanced way to get your day off to the right start or to tide you over between meals. They supply the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and basic materials your body needs to manage stress, elevate your mood, and stay focused and productive. However, it’s easy to go overboard with sugar in smoothies, so it’s helpful to learn the dos (and don’ts) to create a low-sugar healthy smoothie that tastes sweet.
First, I'll share the basics of smoothie-building and a formula to help you create customized smoothies. Then, I'll offer 10 smoothies that have NO added sugar! They're sweetened naturally with fruit!
How to make low-sugar healthy smoothies
Here comes the fun part. Here are the ingredients to mix and match to make smoothie magic. When adding ingredients to your blender, start with the liquid, then add your protein source, frozen or fresh fruit, greens, healthy fat, seasonings, and ice. This will help it blend more easily. If you find your smoothie isn’t blending well, add more liquid and give it a good stir.
Fruit. Start with 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit. Some of the sweetest fruits for smoothies include strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, bananas, pineapple, cherries, and peaches. One quick note--people often think fruit sugar is bad, but that’s not true. Fruit is a whole food that supplies healthful vitamins, minerals, and compounds in a matrix that includes some naturally occurring sugar. So, you don’t have to worry about the sugar in fresh fruit.
Meanwhile, If you start with frozen fruit, you’ll get a thicker, creamier smoothie, which is tastier and more filling. Also, if you want to add a date or a prune or two, go for it. These dried fruits are especially sweet, so they’ll naturally sweeten your smoothie without adding sugar.
Veggies. Add 2 cups (or two fistfuls) of fresh greens or 1 cup of frozen greens, frozen cauliflower, raw carrots, or fresh or frozen zucchini. Note that zucchini is very watery, so cut down on the liquid if you’re using zucchini. Feel free to experiment with other veggies, too. These are my favorites, but you might like something else!
Protein. Add ¾ c. plain Greek yogurt (or choose a low-sugar yogurt in vanilla or another flavor) or a clean protein powder (with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners). See my recs for low-sugar yogurt and clean protein powder below!
Plant-based fat. Toss in ½ to 2 tablespoons nut or nutless butters, chia, hemp, or ground flaxseeds, or 1/3-1/2 avocado. You can also use a combo of these ingredients, such as ½ tablespoon of peanut butter and ½ tablespoon of ground flaxseeds.
Liquid. Use ½ -1 cup unsweetened low-sugar plant-based milk or dairy milk or the same amount of coconut water, pre-steeped tea (such as green tea or chai), cold or room temperature coffee. I always start with the lower amount of liquid and add more until I reach a creamy, thick consistency.
Seasonings. Experiment with cocoa or cacao powder, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, unsweetened matcha powder (sourced from Japan), and vanilla extract. Use these to taste. I tend to go heavy on seasonings!
Ice. Toss a handful or two of ice cubes in the blender because ice adds more volume (read: bigger smoothie), and because it’s really cold, it takes longer to sip. That helps you drink more slowly and mindfully, making your smoothie more satisfying on every level. I tend to add lots of ice.
Blend
Using a powerful blender will help you get the perfect smoothie texture. I’ve sampled numerous blenders. Here are a few blenders at different price points that work well.
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Protein to add to low-sugar smoothies
Low-sugar yogurt
My favorite low-sugar yogurt is siggi’s because all of their flavored varieties are very tame in added sugars, and I can’t say that about any other mainstream brand. I’ve been working with siggi’s for the past two years, and I’m so excited because they completely align with my values.
All of their flavors are truly delicious, but for the sake of making a low-sugar smoothie, you can explore their coconut, cherry, mixed berry acai, and peach varieties. Siggi’s also makes my favorite plant-based yogurt because it has 10 grams of protein and a reasonable amount of added sugar.
Note that I use affiliate links for the products I vet for my readers. It doesn't cost you anything to shop through these links, and you're under no obligation to shop or purchase through my site.
Low-sugar protein powder
If you’re looking for a clean, low-sugar protein powder, I recommend Noosh Almond Protein for a flavorless, vegan option. Naked Rice and Simply Fuel Chickpea Protein Powder are two excellent choices if you're allergic to nuts and want a vegan option.
If you’re shopping for a low-sugar protein powder, choose one with minimal ingredients, fillers, manufactured fibers, and sweeteners. Some of my favorites include Naked Whey Vanilla and Naked Whey Chocolate. The ingredients in Vega Protein Made Simple Dark Chocolate and Vanilla are also really clean. All of these varieties are low in added sugars. (If you're interested, learn about the benefits of collagen.)
If you want a flavored version made with no added sugar, I’d suggest Tera’s Whey, made with stevia. However, if you’re eating this regularly, watch other sources of stevia since it’s best not to overdo sugar or stevia.
Note that I use affiliate links for the products I vet for my readers. It doesn't cost you anything to shop through these links, and you're under no obligation to shop or purchase through my site.
Additional sources of protein for smoothies
Here are some other sources of protein that work well in smoothies. (If you're not in the mood for a smoothie, check out my high-protein baked oat breakfast.)
Tofu
Beans
Cottage cheese (my fave is Good culture because it doesn’t have any gums or fillers, and it has gut-healthy probiotics)
10 Must-Try Low-Sugar Smoothies
Here are 10 smoothie recipes that are sweetened naturally with fruit, so they have no added sugar. You'll want to make them on repeat. But I encourage you to feel free to swap out ingredients to make them your own. That's how you become more confident and competent in the kitchen. Now for the smoothie recipes!
Wild Blueberry Peanutty Protein Smoothie
This bright berry smoothie packs 24 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber to keep you full 'til lunchtime.
Lemon Raspberry Smoothie
The cauliflower rice in this smoothie boosts the fiber and the creaminess!
Red Bean Smoothie with Cherries
The addition of red beans makes this smoothie extra creamy. The smoothie has 9 grams of protein, but you can always add some Greek yogurt or protein powder for more.
Almond and Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie
Love the taste of chocolate-covered strawberries? Then you'll love this concoction with no added sugar but all the delicious vibes!
Berry Kefir Smoothie
Kefir provides protein and good gut microbes, and a healthy gut benefits your body and mind.
Green Smoothies
This fruit-and-veggie blend lacks protein, but would be excellent served with eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or another source of protein. The produce brings valuable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and 12 grams of fiber to your meal.
Healthy Berry Banana Smoothie
This smoothie has a secret ingredient: oats. Oats have different types of fibers that help lower your cholesterol and nourish the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie
This is the perfect way to use coffee at the bottom of the pot, and coffee enhances and intensifies the chocolatey flavor in this smoothie.
Blend 3/4 cup frozen cherries, ¼ frozen banana, 2 handfuls fresh, pre-washed kale, 3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, ½ cup brewed coffee (cold or room temp), ½ cup almond milk, and 2 tsp. cocoa powder until smooth.
Matcha-Mango-Ginger Green Smoothie
This is one of my all-time favorite combos, and this amount of matcha adds just 30 mg of caffeine--enough to perk you up without getting jittery. The avocado adds the creamiest, most luscious texture to this smoothie.
Blend 1 cup frozen mangoes, 3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, 1/3 avocado, 2 cups baby spinach, ½ to 1 c. almond milk, ½ tsp. ground ginger, ½ tsp. matcha powder, and ice until smooth.
Blueberry Tahini Smoothie
Tahini is the butter from sesame seeds, and it adds magnesium, iron, and other nutrients, as well as a nutty, rich flavor to this delicious smoothie.
Combine 1 c. frozen blueberries, 3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, 2 handfuls baby spinach 1 Tbsp. tahini, 1 c. almond milk, and ½ tsp. cinnamon in a blender and blend until smooth.
The bottom line on low-sugar smoothies
Packed with protein, fruits, veggies, and healthful fats, low-sugar smoothies are the perfect meal or snack for your body and mind. They help you get more fruits and veggies into your diet, taste delicious, and fill you up in a balanced way.
If you like these recipes and want to eat more plant foods and less added sugar in your life without giving up foods you love, you might like my 4 week meal plan! It’s bundled with a crash course in mindful eating lite (because I eat in front of a screen sometimes, and I bet you do, too), and it’s packed with 60+ recipes, including more low-sugar smoothie ideas!