5 lower sugar, banana-less smoothies to try right now

5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Trying to keep your sugar consumption under control? These 5 lower sugar, banana-less smoothies are here to help! With ingredients that are high in fibre, healthy fats and quality protein, you’ll feel fuller for longer and keep your blood sugar in check. Get that blender ready!

Smoothie season is almost heeeerrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee!!!! (Said in my very best Oprah voice.)

And you get a smoothie! And you get a smoothie! And you get a smoothie!

(You guys have seen the Oprah memes I’m referring to, right? If not, you probably think i’ve totally lost it… which is quite possible.

As of this month, Eat Spin Run Repeat is 8 years old, which pretty much makes me a grandma in blogger years. SO much has happened since I started in 2010. Heck, Instagram and Snapchat weren’t around, Pinterest was only 1 month old, and I didn’t have a clue what SEO was – or how to take a good food photo, which is kinda important when food makes up about 75% of the content I post. Ohhhhh, life.

I like to think Eat Spin Run Repeat has improved a lot in terms of photography, recipe deliciousness, and of course, the value that you take away from it. One of my primary purposes and responsibilities (as I see it) is to bring you the information and inspiration you need to live your life to the absolute fullest, and you can count on me to always keep that at the very front of my mind. Your opinion, feedback and comments mean the world, so please never hesitate to get in touch and tell me what you’d like to see.

On that note, I know many of you are similar to me in that you loooove your smoothies, but occasionally fall into ruts with the same ingredients. In my case, because it’s been a gray and dreary start to spring, I’ve still found myself preferring hot, cooked breakfast. BUT…. we’ve got a week’s worth of sunshine in the forecast, and I couldn’t be more excited to say goodbye to what is (hopefully) the end of the rain… at least for a while. Let’s celebrate that sun with some fresh inspiration, and get your blender revved up for smoothie season, shall we?

5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

You’ll be hearing me talk a LOT about sugar in the coming weeks, and yes, that Sugar Detox Program I’ve been working on is finally ready for its debut! But as a preface to the Sugar Detox launch, I want to talk about the sugar we find in smoothies.

Smoothies tend to be fruit-based recipes, and therefore can rank pretty highly on the sugar scale. Did you know that some cafes and smoothie bars actually add more sugar to their fruit smoothies? It’s not uncommon to find agave nectar, honey, maple syrup and other forms of sweetener behind the counter, all of which are used to further enhance the way a smoothie tastes. That’s a lot of sugar to be consuming, whether at breakfast or any other time of day!

You won’t find any added sugar or sweeteners in the 5 banana-less smoothies below, and as the title of this post implies, none of them contain bananas either. But why, you may ask?

As a higher-sugar, lower-fibre fruit, bananas do cause a bigger increase in blood sugar and insulin than lower-GI, less-sweet fruits. That means you’re more likely to find yourself craving something sweet just a couple of hours after drinking your banana-based smoothie. It can also mean that your mood and energy levels aren’t as stable as they would be if your blood sugar curve wasn’t shooting up and falling down so quickly.

The 5 smoothies below are packed with produce – vegetables, in most cases – as well as other fibre-rich ingredients, protein and healthy fats – all of which help to keep the blood sugar curve more steady, and less rollercoaster-like.  I think you’ll soon see that bananas don’t have to be a prerequisite every time you fire up your blender, and you just might find yourself eating more veggies too. Let’s put those theories to the test!

Low Sugar Lemon Coconut Matcha Green Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

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Low Sugar Lemon Coconut Matcha Green Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Low Sugar Lemon Coconut Matcha Green Smoothie


  • Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Description

Bursting with coconutty, zesty lemon flavour, this Low Sugar Lemon Coconut Matcha Green Smoothie is sure to get you revved up and energized for the day.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  • Toss all ingredients except ice in a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add ice to adjust the consistency and blend again.
  • Pour into a glass or bowl. Sprinkle coconut, lemon zest and other garnishes on top if you like, then serve.
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Category: drinks + smoothies
  • Method: blender

Raspberry Peach Sunrise Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

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Raspberry Peach Sunrise Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Raspberry Peach Sunrise Smoothie


  • Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Description

Bright and sunny, this layered Raspberry Peach Sunrise Smoothie is rich in fibre to keep you feeling full, as well as healthy fats (thanks, chia seeds!) to improve skin health.


Ingredients

Scale

For the berry layer:

For the peach layer:


Instructions

  • Blend all ingredients for the berry layer, then pour them into a glass.
  • Blend all ingredients for the peach layer, then pour them on top of the berry layer.
  • Swirl the smoothie around to blend the layers and make it look pretty, then stick a straw in and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Category: drinks + smoothies
  • Method: blender

Blackberry Acai Hemp Smoothie Bowl | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

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Blackberry Acai Hemp Smoothie Bowl | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Blackberry Acai Hemp Smoothie Bowl


  • Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Description

Get ready for a megadose of antioxidants with this Blackberry Acai Hemp Smoothie Bowl. Packed with berries but low in sugar, this is an acai bowl that won’t send your blood sugar soaring.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  • Toss everything in the blender in the order listed, except garnishes. Blend until completely smooth.
  • Pour into a bowl, add the garnishes and serve with a spoon. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Category: drinks + smoothies
  • Method: blender

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Smoothie


  • Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Description

Get your cookie fix in liquid form with this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Smoothie. Oats and raw cacao contain naturally-occurring compounds that trigger the release of feel-good hormones in our bodies, so count on this one the next time you need a mood boost.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 scoop chocolate Vega Sport Performance Protein
  • 1 big fistful of mild-tasting greens (optional – you won’t even notice they’re there)
  • 3 tbsp gluten-free oats
  • 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice or chopped peeled zucchini
  • 1 pitted date (optional – the smoothie still tastes great if you omit this.)
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • pinch of ground cloves and nutmeg
  • 68 ice cubes
  • low-sugar granola, your favourite nuts and/or dairy-free chocolate chips, all optional, to garnish

Instructions

  • Toss all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add a bit more ice if needed to thicken.
  • Pour into a glass and garnish with your toppings of choice. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Category: drinks + smoothies
  • Method: blender

Lean Green Apple Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

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Lean Green Apple Smoothie | 5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Lean Green Apple Smoothie


  • Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Description

For those of you who love a good tart green apple as much as I do, this Lean Green Apple Smoothie is for you! With a twist of lime and plenty of greens to help you hit your daily quota, this low-sugar smoothie is a great way to start the day.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 scoop vanilla Vega Sport Performance Protein or Vega One
  • 1 big handful of your favourite mild-tasting greens, such as spinach, chard, baby kale or romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored
  • 1/4 ripe avocado, pitted and skin removed
  • 1 lime, skin completely removed, flesh only
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp chlorella powder or spirulina (optional – this will make it extra green and a little goes a long way!)
  • 1” piece of fresh peeled ginger, optional
  • 6 ice cubes

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients except ice to the blender and blend until smooth.
  • Toss in the ice cubes and continue until no clumps remain.
  • Pour into a glass and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Category: drinks + smoothies
  • Method: blender

5 lower-sugar, banana-free smoothies to try right now | Angela Simpson, Eat Spin Run Repeat | #cleaneating #plantbased #healthy #lowsugar

Alright, now I’d love to hear from you. What’s your go-to smoothie right now? Are there any fun ingredients you can’t get enough of?

2 thoughts on “5 lower sugar, banana-less smoothies to try right now

  1. Wow 8 years! Congrats! I’ve been along for the ride for the past 6-7 years and it had only gotten better & better ?

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