Smoothies are a convenient on-the-go option for breakfast. They can be a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your day, and if you choose the right combination of ingredients, can fill you up for less kilojoules than you might expect.
How should I incorporate smoothies into my meal planning?
While you’re on a reduced kilojoule plan for weight loss, a smoothie can be a great way to curb your hunger between meals. The key is to keep it low in kilojoules – to do this you can focus on using a range of fresh fruits and vegetables from the Free Foods and Limited Free Foods lists in your Jenny Craig Grocery Guide.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for an easy way to include fruit and dairy foods into your day, combine your favourite combination with some ice for a quick morning or afternoon snack.
It’s good to note that although a smoothie can be filled with healthy ingredients, it can be very easy to consume many more kilojoules than you might if you were to eat those ingredients as whole foods.
Think of a mango and banana smoothie with milk, nut butter, chia seeds, yoghurt and honey – when you separate these ingredients, it might look like this:
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- 300mL milk (a little more than 1 cup)
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 frozen mango cheeks
- 1 tablespoon of almond (or other nut better) spread
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 100g yoghurt (1/2 a small tub)
- 1 tablespoon honey + large handful of ice
If you were to sit down to snack on these fresh ingredients, you would probably stop after the milk and banana because that would be filling enough. However, when you blend this into a smoothie (or buy it freshly made), it’s really easy to drink the whole large cup!
This smoothie could just about give you enough kilojoules to cover what your body needs for both breakfast and lunch!
A smoothie versus the whole food
When you blend fruits, vegetables, seeds and other fibre-rich foods, the blender breaks down the fibre structure, making it quicker for your body to digest – and this can often mean you end up feeling hungry more quickly afterwards.
Whole foods can often be a better choice for eating less and for helping you to feel fuller for longer, so choose the option that you think is right for you.
The bottom line is, smoothies can definitely have their place in your journey to a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. If you’re mindful of the ingredients and the quantities you’re using, you get the benefits of:
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- a healthy and convenient meal on the go
- an opportunity to include more plant foods into your diet
- an increased chance to achieve the recommended daily intakes for fruits, vegetables and calcium rich dairy foods (or fortified plant-based milks).
So why not try one of the smoothie recipes below for a kilojoule-friendly boost of nutrition?
Kiwifruit and Greens Smoothie
The Kiwifruit and Greens smoothie offers a delicious and easy way to boost your intake of vegetables. The Dietary Guidelines suggest we aim for 5 serves of vegetables every day, an amount that most of us find difficult to achieve. With this easy smoothie, you’ll be pleased to know that you can tick 3 serves off your list! If you’re on the Jenny Craig program, you might choose to enjoy this with your lunch instead making a salad. Enjoy.
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 2 small green kiwifruit, peeled (make sure they are ripe as the kiwifruit is the only source of sweetness in this smoothie)
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 5cm lengths
- ½ Lebanese cucumber, cut in half
- 1 small handful fresh baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup water
- Large handful of ice
Method
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Serve immediately.
Variation: You may choose to add ½ cup of coconut water (instead of water) from the fruit serves on your menu if you would like some extra flavour.
Grocery count per serve: 1 fruit serve and 3 vegetable serves. (If you choose to use coconut water, allocate a total of 1 ½ fruit serves and 3 vegetable serves for this recipe)
Mixed Berry Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: yes
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup low fat vanilla yoghurt
- Large handful of ice
Method
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Serve immediately.
Variation: For a sweeter smoothie, add 3 dates prior to blending.
Grocery count per serve: 1 fruit serve and 1 dairy serve. (If you choose to use dates, allocate a total of 2 fruit serves and 1 dairy serve for this recipe).
Mango Breakfast Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 1 frozen mango cheek, roughly chopped
- 1 packet Jenny Craig Roasted Hazelnut & Cinnamon Porridge
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup low fat natural yoghurt
- Large handful of ice
Method
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Serve immediately.
Variation: if you’re not currently on the Jenny Craig program, use ¼ cup rolled oats in place of the porridge listed and add a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup for sweetness.
Grocery count per serve: 1 fruit serve and 1 dairy serve
Banana, Spinach & Pear Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, peeled and halved (this may be frozen)
- 1 medium pear, quartered and deseeded
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 5cm lengths
- 1 small handful fresh baby spinach leaves
- A pinch of cinnamon
- ¼ cup water
- Large handful of ice
Method
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
- Serve immediately.
Variation: a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup can add sweetness if you’re not a fan of cinnamon
Grocery count per serve: 2 fruit serves, 2 vegetable serves, free food.
Green Apple & Spinach Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 1 green apple, quartered and deseeded
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 5cm lengths
- ½ Lebanese cucumber, halved
- 1 small handful fresh baby spinach leaves
- ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup water
- Large handful of ice
Method
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until well combined. This smoothie has a lot of texture, if you prefer it to be a little smoother you can peel the apple.
- Serve immediately.
Variation: a few fresh mint leaves if you have them in the garden can make this smoothie even more refreshing.
Grocery count per serve: 1 fruit serve, 3 vegetable serves, free food.
Banana with Hazelnut & Almond Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 1 small frozen banana
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 large handful of ice
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- a large handful of baby spinach leaves
Method
- Combine 1 packet of Jenny Craig’s Hazelnut & Almond Cereal with all of the other ingredients.
- Blend on high speed for 3 minutes and serve in an insulated cup for a delicious breakfast on the go.
Jenny Craig Grocery Serves: 1 vegetable serve, 1 fruit serve, 1 dairy serve
Mixed Berry, Mint & Green Smoothie
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Vegetarian: Yes
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 1 lebanese cucumber
- 1 celery stalk
- A large handful of spinach (or kale leaves)
- ½ a small fresh beetroot
- A few fresh mint leaves
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- A large handful of ice
- A little water if smoothie is too thick
Method
- Blend on high speed for 3 minutes and serve immediately for a refreshing mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.
Jenny Craig Grocery Serves: 2 limited free food serves, 3 vegetable serves, 1 fruit serve
Or why not try another one of our delicious smoothie recipes?
Tropical Smoothie Bowl
Banana and Cinnamon Smoothie
Green Smoothie
FREE FOODS on the Jenny Craig menu are foods that are low in kilojoules and are great for adding extra volume, variety and flavour to our menus. Examples include the non-starchy vegetables that are brimming with vitamins, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants. We encourage you to eat at least 4-5 servings of these each day – whether you are on the Jenny Craig program or just looking to eat well! There are also herbs, spices and other low kilojoule flavourings such as vinegars, sriracha and soy sauces.
LIMITED FREE FOODS add flavour, variety, and can fill you up for very few kilojoules – check out Jenny Craig’s Grocery Guide for the full list.
If you’re on the Jenny Craig program, speak with your Personal Coach on how you can incorporate this recipe into your personal menu plan.
