21-Day Smoothie Diet: Healthy or Not?

The 21-day smoothie diet is a popular weight loss diet that involves substituting two meals with healthy smoothies.

The plan was conceptualized by health coach Drew Sgoutas in his book The Smoothie Diet. This book is available online for $47. The book also includes meal and snack ideas, shopping lists, meal schedules, and recipes to prepare healthy smoothies.

How to Follow the 21-Day Smoothie Diet?

Smoothies can provide nutrients from fruits and vegetables (Image via Unsplash/Joanna Kosinska)

The 21-Day Smoothie diet aims to create a calorie deficit by replacing two regular meals with smoothies and retaining one solid meal and two snacks per day.

The plan should continue for 21 days and can be repeated according to your weight loss goals. This plan keeps the calorie intake at around 1500 kcals a day, which might help some people lose weight.

However, calorie requirements may vary based on many physical and lifestyle factors, including your age, body size, health status, and physical activity level.

Foods to Eat and Avoid

Smoothies made with fresh fruits and vegetables are recommended (Image via Unsplash/Jugoslocos)

Replacing meals with smoothies made out of the following foods is recommended on the 21-Day Smoothie Diet:

Fruits: oranges, pineapples, kiwi fruits, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, pears, apples
Vegetables: kale, cauliflower, bell peppers, spinach, carrots, broccoli
Protein foods: duck, chicken, turkey, salmon, eggs, legumes, Greek yogurt
Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, oats, popcorn
Nuts and seeds: flaxseed, almonds, cashew, walnuts, chia seeds, peanut butter, almond butter
Fluids: soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, coconut water
Condiments: garlic, nutmeg, cardamom, nigella seeds, ginger, parsley, mint, cinnamon
Natural flavoring and sweetening agents: unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, honey

The 21-Day Smoothie Diet advises limiting your intake of sugary beverages and processed foods, including processed meat, refined carbs, and fried foods.

While following the 21 day smoothie diet, the consumption of the following foods is discouraged:

Processed meat: pepperoni, sausages, salami, bacon, ham
Refined grains: white rice, white pasta, white bread, tortillas
Fried foods: French fries, donuts, fried chicken, fish sticks, cheese sticks
Processed foods: instant meals, cookies, chips, pretzels, baked products
Sugar-sweetened beverages: soft drinks, sugary tea, sports drinks, energy drinks

Learn how to include cheat meals in your diet.

Best Smoothies for Weight Loss

Here are a few easy and simple smoothie recipes to include in your 21-day smoothie diet:

1) Chocolate Almond Butter Yogurt Smoothie

This recipe contains almonds and yogurt, which are the best high-protein snacks to boost metabolism.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup of milk (low-fat)
1 cup plain greek yogurt

Instructions:

Add the milk, yogurt, cocoa powder, and almond butter into a blender.
Blend for about two minutes till it's smooth.
Pour into a glass and garnish with grated coconut and dark chocolate shreddings.

2) Vegan pea protein smoothie

Homemade smoothies are healthier than sugary beverages (Image via Unsplash/Joanna Kosinska)

Pea protein powder provides a good amount of amino acids and are good for muscle gain. If you're a vegan, you can include this recipe in your 21-day smoothie diet.

Ingredients:

3 scoops of pea protein isolate
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup of blueberries
Vanilla essence
1 tbsp of cocoa powder
Stevia as a sweetener

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients into the blender, and blend for a couple of minutes.
Pour it into a tall glass; add ice cubes, and enjoy.

Try out these post-workout smoothies.

Side Effects of 21-Day Smoothie Diet

This kind of diet might not be safe for everyone. Replacing meals with smoothies can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Solid food can provide more macro and micronutrients when compared to liquid foods. Throughout the 21-day smoothie diet, one can feel less energetic due to nutritional deficiencies.

Replacing meals with smoothies can also increase the intake of natural sugars. Sugars present in fruits can trigger a spike in blood glucose and insulin levels when consumed in excess.

Bottom Line

A 21-day smoothie diet can be beneficial for certain people aiming for weight loss. However, this diet has very little scientific evidence to boast about its health benefits. Replacing meals with smoothies can deprive you of several nutrients. Consult with your health professional before trying out this diet.