We all love smoothies! Smoothies are sweet, thick, creamy–and also quick and easy to make. They’re great when you have 10 minutes in the morning before you have to rush out of the house to make it to work.
But sadly, most typical smoothies aren’t as healthy as you might think they are. When I see recipes loaded with banana, mango, dates, or multiple other fruits, I cringe at all the sugars they contain. Yes, these are natural sugars (way better than refined cane sugar), but they will still have an impact on blood sugar and, especially, candida. Did you know that dates have the highest sugar content of any fruit?
When I was first diagnosed with candida related complex, I knew that I couldn’t consume any of those overly sweet fruits (or pretty much any fruit at all). Still, I was determined that I wouldn’t give up my super-convenient smoothies for breakfast on occasion. So I came up with other ideas to create fruit-free smoothies that are all candida diet-friendly.
Take a look at this week’s video to find out what I do to create delicious, satisfying smoothies–without the fruit.
Video Highlights and mentions:
- How much sugar is in your typical smoothie fruits like banana, dates, mango?
- How to use candida-friendly fruits (lemon, lime, cranberry) in smoothies
- How to make your smoothies super creamy without fruit
- My favorite “secret ingredient” to replace fruit for sweetness and creaminess
Resources:
- Living Candida-Free (Book):
- Anti-Candida Digital Cookbooks
- Smooth Operator Smoothie (recipe)
- Subscribe to my YouTube channel
- Candida Kick-Start program
- The Sweet Life Health Club (ongoing special diet support
Q. What’s your best tip for making your smoothies healthier? I’d love to know–please share in the comments!
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Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
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This was very enlightening! Thanks for taking the time to post this. I didn’t realize that sweet potato smoothies can be so great! I love sweet potato and mango/banana smoothies, so I’m eager to try sweet potato as a substitute for mango.
Glad it was helpful, Nancy! And do let me know how they turn out for you! 🙂
Ooh I love your secret ingredient idea. I think my kid would really like that. He’s crazy for them already.
Yay, Becky! I think you’ve got a real advantage, then. 😉 Do let me know how it turns out!
If you skin and chop a Chinese cucumber and freeze the chunks, it makes a very creamy consistency when blended with your smoothie ingredients. Cucumber is my secret trick!
That’s a brilliant idea, Brocka! I use cucumber often but have never tried freezing it. Thanks so much for sharing. Going to try that next time!
I’m so guilty of loading up with fruits!! I had no idea how much sugar was in mango. Thanks for the reminder about sweet potatoes. I tried a sweet potato smoothie years ago which might have actually been because of one of your recipes! But I need to give it another try. My mind just goes to fruit and greens.
I think we all love fruits, Heather! But I have to say, I really love those sweet potatoes, too! (PS So nice to see your name pop up here!! Hope all is well with you!) 😀 xo
I thought baking /roasting sweet potatoes or root vegetables greatly increases the sugars.(?) I was told chopping and rinsing the potatoes several times before boiling the sweet potatoes removes/reduces some of the starch and sugars.(?) I guess it just depends on how sensitive one is. I sure do wish I could make my smoothies with the sweet potatoes and especially with having them baked like you suggested but I can’t. I bet they are really delicious, I sure appreciated you suggesting the cranberry and lime combination and Brocka’s comment that suggested freezing the cucumbers. I will try this, hoping it will work with regular cucumbers (?) thank you so much Ricki you look so healthy and so beautiful it’s awesome to see you. Stay well.
Yes, the glycemic index of baked sweet potatoes is higher than for steamed or boiled. That said, many people are still fine with the occasional sweet potato. In the first stages of the diet, I limited them to a small serving per day at most (though I generally didn’t even eat them that much). So you’re right–it really depends on how sensitive you are to them. Thanks so much for the kind words, Kathy. I’ve come a LONG way since I was diagnosed with candida related complex in 2009! It’s an ongoing process, but I’m happy to continue moving in the right direction. 😀
Thank you so much for this video, Rikki! It is very timely for me because I was just wondering how to make yummy smoothies without fruit sugars.
Glad it was helpful! 🙂