Looking for a delicious, healthy smoothie to charge up your morning? Try one of these additions in your smoothies to make your smoothie healthy and delicious. Having diabetes does not mean you have to keep away from the foods you love, but it does mean that you have to make healthier choices. A smoothie is filled with nutrition; it will give you energy for hours with no blood sugar spikes and no frequent hunger pangs. We have curated a list of the best diabetic-friendly smoothies. Keep scrolling!
Benefits of Smoothies
Making a smoothie that is well-suited to a diabetic meal involves choosing tasty and nutritious ingredients that won’t lead to a glucose spike. A diabetic friendly smoothie should be rich in the following components-
- Fibre
Fibre benefits blood sugar control by slowing down the entry of sugar into the bloodstream. Because of its complex starch structure, fibre takes time to break down during the digestive process. Moreover, it also aids digestion. Good sources of fibre include fruits, leafy greens, seeds, and nuts, etc. - Protein
Protein also slows the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream, making for a long-lasting energy source. Ideal protein sources for a smoothie include peanut butter, coconut milk, oats, flax seeds, etc. - Fat
Fat is essential to keep blood sugar balanced by slowing glucose absorption, just as fibre and protein. Fat also lends creaminess. Healthy fats that are smoothie-worthy include coconut milk, Greek plain yogurt, avocado, etc.
Ingredients to Choose While Making a Diabetic-friendly Smoothies
One of the most exciting aspects of smoothies is that the variations are limitless. Next time when you’re looking for an easy breakfast that won’t spike your sugar levels, add some of these ingredients to your smoothie to enhance flavour and texture along with essential nutrients.
Avocados
It is recommended to add avocados to the morning smoothies as a replacement for dairy. This smooth and creamy fruit is rich in fibre and low in sugar and contains good fat. The fat and fibre combination is a recipe for a healthy heart as good fats improve your good cholesterol levels while fibre increases satiety, thus improving weight loss. Moreover, avocados are also good for eye health.
- Add a quarter of a medium-size avocado to your smoothie. To prevent overeating and reduce waste, cut a whole avocado into quarters and put single servings in freezer bags.
Pro tip: Avocados taste delicious in green smoothies, and they go well with dark cacao, too.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They also offer a vegetarian source of calcium, contain antioxidants, and come loaded with magnesium and potassium. Eating a diet that’s rich in magnesium and potassium can help regulate blood pressure. Chia seeds have a very mild flavour, but they can make a smoothie slimy if used more than required.
- Simply sprinkle 1 tbsp chia seeds on top of a prepared smoothie to gain a nutrition boost. You can make chia gel by soaking the seeds in water first if you’d prefer to blend the seeds into the smoothie.
Flaxseed
Ground flaxseed is very nutrient-dense. Most of the calories in flaxseed particularly come from omega-3 fatty acids. These fats may help you with blood sugar management if you have type 2 diabetes.
Use ground flaxseed meal instead of the whole seed to receive the full health benefits. The body finds it difficult to break down the whole flaxseed, so it can’t access the omega-3-containing oil and fibre. You’ll enjoy the mild, nutty flavour, and it blends well because it is fine in texture.
Read More: Herbal Drinks for Diabetics: Top 3 Drinks for You
You can pack a lot of nutrition into one smoothie and get a delicious treat. As long as you don’t add extra sweeteners and stick with healthy ingredients, you can enjoy these treats regularly. Whether you want a good on-the-go breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up, this list has something for everyone.
