Broccoli Smoothie for Losing Weight
A broccoli smoothie is a different way to enjoy this vegetable that’s so rich in fiber, iron, and other nutrients. Below, we’ll tell you more about the contributions that this drink can make when you’re looking to lose weight.
There are foods that, despite their nutritional properties, don’t have a pleasant taste for some people. And broccoli’s one of them. If you’re one of these people, you can try this broccoli smoothie. Un combination with other foods, you achieve a rich and delicious flavor.
Broccoli smoothie recipe
In regard to weight loss diets, the selection of foods your include is very important. If you want to lose weight, broccoli is a good option because it’s rich in fiber. Therefore, we suggest the following recipe.
Ingredients
- A cup of coconut water (250 ml)
- Half of a banana*
- A cup of broccoli, chopped without the stem (85 g)
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (3 g)
- 1 teaspoons of organic honey (25 g)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients together in a blender
- Process until they’re smooth and creamy.
- Drink right away as part of your breakfast or as a snack in order to take advantage of all the nutrients.
*Note: Kiwi, avocado, or green apple can be substituted for the banana.
The Benefits of Broccoli
According to data from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, broccoli’s high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as being low in calories and fats.
By adding a regular dose of this green vegetable to your diet you can satisfy your daily nutritional needs and lose weight at the same time.
Since broccoli contains a lot of fiber, this broccoli smoothie helps you to feel full, eat less, and burn more fat. Broccoli also contains a lot of vitamin A, C, K, and calcium.
One cup of broccoli provides double the amount of vitamin C and K that the body needs each day. The best thing about it is that broccoli only contains 40 calories.
Not to mention, broccoli also has a high water content, which means that it adds volume to your meals without adding empty calories.
In this smoothie, the strong flavor of broccoli is hidden by the taste of the other ingredients, which makes it easier to drink.
Read this article too: 3 Ways to Make Broccoli
Benefits of Coconut Water
One of the other ingredients in this smoothie is coconut water, a liquid which is perfect for weight loss and re-hydrating.
One cup of coconut water contains 46 calories and essential nutrients. Coconut water helps you build light muscle, reduce cholesterol in the blood, and increase your metabolic rate. This all results into having less fat accumulated in the body.
Fat that is already stored in the body is used as a source of energy, which helps if you just want to see muscle.
Coconut also contains anti-oxidants which help get rid of reactive oxygen species. These are the main cause of many disease, conditions, and ageing.
Coconut water also to improve insulin sensitivity.
The Benefits of Banana
Bananas are high in fiber, potassium, carbohydrates, vitamin C, and important minerals. Although they contain a lot of carbohydrates, bananas have a medium glycemic index, so they won’t cause sudden spikes in your blood sugar levels.
By keeping your blood sugar levels and metabolic rate under control, the body will burn more fat in order to get energy.
A medium-sized banana contains:
- 92 calories
- 27 g of carbohydrates
- 3 g of fiber
- 14 g of natural sugar
- Essential micro-nutrients
What banana does in this broccoli smoothie is to add a thicker texture. It contains enough moisture to liquidize well with other ingredients without becoming too watery.
Check out this article too: Bananas and Cinnamon Can Help You Sleep
The Benefits of Cinnamon
Cinnamon regulates blood sugar levels and increases the body’s insulin levels.
Given that high blood sugar levels can cause increased fat accumulation in the body, cinnamon helps prevent you from getting excess fat, which in turn helps you lose weight.
It also influences how sugar is metabolized by the body and stops it from being metabolized into fat.
Furthermore, cinnamon slows down the pace of foods moving from the stomach to the intestines. As a result, you’ll feel more full after consuming it.
Cinnamon also helps the body process carbohydrates more efficiently, which also helps you lose weight.
In this broccoli smoothie, the cinnamon adds aroma and flavor. With it, you’ll notice that you no longer need to add more fruits or sugars to get a delicious result in this homemade drink.
Try the broccoli smoothie!
As you’ve been able to see, there are many original preparations to complement your diet, such as a broccoli smoothie. Get ready to take advantage of them to enjoy food in a different way and also provide yourself with extra nutrition. Your body will thank you with health and well-being.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Chun Loong Ho. et al. Engineered commensal microbes for diet-mediated colorectal-cancer chemoprevention. Nature Biomedical Engineering. Vol 2, pages27–37. (2018).
- Conzatti A, Froes FC, Schweigert P, Perry ID, Souza CG. Clinical and molecular evidence of the consumption of broccoli, glucoraphanin and sulforaphane in humans. Nutr Hosp. 2014 Nov 30;31(2):559-69.
- Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. 5 reasons to love cinnamon. (2014).
https://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-of-cinnamon
- Sandhya VG1, Rajamohan T. J Med Food. Beneficial effects of coconut water feeding on lipid metabolism in cholesterol-fed rats. (2006)