Smoothies are becoming increasingly trendy and marketed as a health food.
Easy to prepare, portable and suitable for all kinds of tastes, it’s no surprise that diets based around drinking smoothies have become more popular as a result.
However, there are always issues with just consuming one type of food group and neglecting others.
This article will cover what to consider when starting a smoothie diet plan, offer an example 21 day smoothie plan and alternatives to follow.
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What is the 21 Day Smoothie Diet?
The 21 Day Smoothie Diet was created by self-proclaimed nutritional expert Drew Sgoutas, with the aim to help people healthily lose weight and keep it off.
It aims to teach the body to crave healthy foods instead of sugar bu consuming more fruits and vegetables in the form of smoothies and reducing processed food.
The plan prescribed by Drew Sgoutas is available as an e-book and includes replacing two meals with smoothies, eating one meal with whole foods and up to two snacks per day.
However, any diet that promises quick weight loss without robust scientific evidence is usually considered a fad. They are often very restrictive with few or unusual food combinations.
Since you are replacing multiple meals with smoothies, it is likely to be considered a fad.
What are the Benefits of Smoothies?
Can Increase Fruit and Vegetables Consumption
Since smoothies can combine a variety of fruit and vegetables, they may up your intake, particularly if they replacing meals that don’t contain many.
This ensures you consume a more vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Studies show eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases and other issues, including:
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduced blood pressure
- Reduce risk of cancer
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Better weight loss long-term
The World Health Organization recommends around 5 servings (400g) of fruit and veg per day, so consuming a smoothie is a good way of ensuring you meet this. A typical smoothie can usually add an extra 2-3 servings.
Can Increase Fiber Consumption
Foods that contain more fibre can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and other health markers. High fibre foods also keep you fuller for longer, stopping you from overeating.
One study found that people eating high fibre diets had significantly reduced the frequency and death rates from cardiovascular disease (1). Sufficient intake of fiber is also linked to reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes(2).
Many people don’t get enough fiber. The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommendeds 38g of fiber for men per day and 25g of fiber for women per day.
Smoothies can boost your fiber intake as long as the right fruits and vegetables are chosen.
Do Smoothies Help Weight Loss?
Smoothies can be effective for weight loss if they reduce your overall daily calorie requirements.
Although some can find using smoothies to monitor food intake can be useful, it may be that drinking calories doesn’t fill you up as much as eating whole foods.
However, some studies have found that drinking calories within smoothies rather than chewing them doesn’t necessarily lead to overeating later (3,4,5).
Regardless of the differences and other factors that can come into play, you should focus on calories expended vs calories taken in. If you eat fewer calories as a result because of the smoothie, than it is effective.
Generally you’ll want to prioritize foods that are lower in calories but high in protein and fiber. Protein and fiber in particular can help you stay full until your next meal.
Protein can help as various studies show that eating enough protein may help reduce body weight and appetite (6,7,8). This is because protein can help boost metabolism, meaning reducedsugar cravingsand calorie intake (9,10).
Fibercan help increase feelings of fullness, helping you control your portion sizes. Fiber may also promote the release of satiety hormones (11,12). Both of these factors ultimately means that you eat less naturally, without having to think about it.
What Are the Issues with a Smoothie Diet?
Although smoothies can be a healthy food to consume, using them to replace multiple meals in the day can bring issues with it.
May Cause Nutrient Deficiency
Although you can consume lots of healthy fruits and vegetables and even other ingredients like oats and dairy, it may still end up causing nutrient deficiencies as the bulk of the food you’ll consume are smoothies.
For example, there are various foods that can’t be consumed within smoothies:
- Fatty fish is an important source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Legumes are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber
- hole grains are rich in fiber and B vitamins
Eating the Same Meals Everyday Can Be Boring
If you you eat 2 smoothies a day, then over the 21 day plan you’ll consume 42 smoothies. It is very likely you’ll grow tired of eating the same foods everyday and eventually change to something different.
Smoothies can be a good choice of meal and be part of a healthy balanced diet, it just shouldn’t be the only thing you eat.
Short-Term Weight Loss
The issue with diets that are overly restrictive is that they are difficult to follow over the long-term.
This means once you finish the diet, you revert back to old eating habits and lose any benefit that following the diet had. Some studies find that dieters often end up heavier than before they started their diet (13, 14).
Therefore, if you want to lose weight or get healthier, a better alternative is to find a diet or sustainable way of eating that you can maintain indefinitely, rather than looking for a quick fix.
Example 21 Day Smoothie Diet Plan
The meal plan below is a typical diet plan that would be followed by someone doing the 21 day smoothie plan.
Since there are various health issues that have been highlighted in consuming a diet made of mostly of smoothies, we’ve ensured that
- All smoothies contain lots of fruits and vegetables as well as other foods like oats, nuts and seeds
- Third meals containing foods that are generally missing from the smoothies
- Ensuring third meals are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals to minimize issues as much as possible.
Snacks can be eaten too, but choose healthy options like fruits, nuts and seeds that contain essential vitamins, minerals and fats.
Day 1 – Monday
- Breakfast –Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
- Lunch –Sweet Potato, Mango and Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Chickpea Curry
Day 2 – Tuesday
- Breakfast –Green Smoothie
- Lunch –Vegan Carrot Banana Smoothie
- Dinner – One Pan Mediterranean Chicken
Day 3 – Wednesday
- Breakfast – Cucumber, Banana and Pineapple Smoothie
- Lunch –Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Dinner – Chili Salmon with Chopped Salad
Day 4 – Thursday
- Breakfast –Spinach and Avocado Smoothie
- Lunch –Raspberry Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Roasted Poblamo Soup with Chicken and Sweet Corn
Day 5 – Friday
- Breakfast – Pineapple Orange Green Smoothie
- Lunch – Tropical Cauliflower Smoothie
- Dinner – Vegetarian Mediterranean Lasagna
Day 6 – Saturday
- Breakfast – Kale and Apple Smoothie
- Lunch – Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie
- Dinner – Spanish Vegan Paella
Day 7 – Sunday
- Breakfast – Healthy Strawberry Shake
- Lunch – Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Dinner – Mediterranean Salmon Traybake
Day 8 – Monday
- Breakfast –Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
- Lunch –Sweet Potato, Mango and Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Chickpea Curry
Day 9 – Tuesday
- Breakfast –Green Smoothie
- Lunch –Vegan Carrot Banana Smoothie
- Dinner – One Pan Mediterranean Chicken
Day 10 – Wednesday
- Breakfast – Cucumber, Banana and Pineapple Smoothie
- Lunch –Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Dinner – Chili Salmon with Chopped Salad
Day 11 – Thursday
- Breakfast –Spinach and Avocado Smoothie
- Lunch –Raspberry Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Roasted Poblamo Soup with Chicken and Sweet Corn
Day 12 – Friday
- Breakfast – Pineapple Orange Green Smoothie
- Lunch – Tropical Cauliflower Smoothie
- Dinner – Vegetarian Mediterranean Lasagna
Day 13 – Saturday
- Breakfast – Kale and Apple Smoothie
- Lunch – Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie
- Dinner – Spanish Vegan Paella
Day 14 – Sunday
- Breakfast – Healthy Strawberry Shake
- Lunch – Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Dinner – Mediterranean Salmon Traybake
Day 15 – Monday
- Breakfast –Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
- Lunch –Sweet Potato, Mango and Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Chickpea Curry
Day 16 – Tuesday
- Breakfast –Green Smoothie
- Lunch –Vegan Carrot Banana Smoothie
- Dinner – One Pan Mediterranean Chicken
Day 17 – Wednesday
- Breakfast – Cucumber, Banana and Pineapple Smoothie
- Lunch –Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Dinner – Chili Salmon with Chopped Salad
Day 18 – Thursday
- Breakfast –Spinach and Avocado Smoothie
- Lunch –Raspberry Beet Smoothie
- Dinner – Roasted Poblamo Soup with Chicken and Sweet Corn
Day 19 – Friday
- Breakfast – Pineapple Orange Green Smoothie
- Lunch – Tropical Cauliflower Smoothie
- Dinner – Vegetarian Mediterranean Lasagna
Day 20 – Saturday
- Breakfast – Kale and Apple Smoothie
- Lunch – Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie
- Dinner – Spanish Vegan Paella
Day 21 – Sunday
- Breakfast – Healthy Strawberry Shake
- Lunch – Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Dinner – Mediterranean Salmon Traybake
Alternative Diet to a Smoothie Diet?
If you want to choose a scientifically sound diet that is recommended by health professionals, the Mediterranean diet is one of the best to follow.
You can still technically drink smoothies within the diet, but there is more of a focus on eating whole foods.
It has been ranked the number 1 diet according to the U.S. News & World Report for multiple years, primarily because of the health benefits and because of how easy it is to follow.
Because it is easy to follow, it is also a good option to lose weight sustainably, as it isn’t a diet that is too restrictive and difficult to follow.
Many credible organizations suggest following a Mediterranean diet for longevity and health. These include:
- Harvard Medical School
- Osteoarthritis Foundation Internal
- Mayo Clinic
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
Many studies find very positive feedback from people following the Mediterranean diet across a number of different health markers. We’ve listed some studies alongside the health conditions below.
- Lower risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, (15, 16)
- Lower risk of coronary heart disease (17, 18)
- Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (19)
- Lower risk of breast cancer (20)
- Lower risk of obesity (21)
- Better cognitive function (22)
How to Follow a Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet pyramid below gives a good visual indication of what foods to prioritize.
At the bottom are common staple foods that are to be consumed in large amounts and more frequently. Portion sizes and frequency decline as you go up the pyramid.
The pyramid intentionally does not specify recommended weights of foods or calories. It is only meant to provide an overall look at healthy food choices and their relative proportions.
It does this because good health has been attributed to variation within the overall dietary pattern. The more variety you get within the specified relative allowances per category – the better.
Alternative Smoothie Diet Meal Plan PDF
Even if you want to include smoothies in your diet, then you can include them alongside some of the meals in this plan.
In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Cannellini Bean Salad | Quick Moussaka |
| Tuesday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Edgy Veggie Wraps | Spicy Tomato Baked Eggs |
| Wednesday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad | Salmon with Potatoes and Corn Salad |
| Thursday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Mixed Bean Salad | Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup |
| Friday | Tomato and Watermelon Salad | Panzanella Salad | Med Chicken, Quinoa and Greek Salad |
| Saturday | Blueberry Oats Bowl | Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg | Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash |
| Sunday | Banana Yogurt Pots | Moroccan Chickpea Soup | Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad |
Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:
- A handful of nuts or seeds
- A piece of fruit
- Carrots or baby carrots
- Berries or grapes
Life After the Meal Plan
Find More Recipes On Our Site
Your journey doesn’t end after finishing the plan. It’s about finding recipes that can become staples in your household and creating eating habits that actually last.
We’ve got plenty of recipes online already. Just use the search function on our home page if you’re looking for a specific ingredient or check out our recipe page.
Disclosure
We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.
