This healthy watermelon smoothie for weight loss combines the flavors of watermelon, banana, lime, and mint. The smoothie is refreshing, low calorie, and aids in weight loss. It's the best watermelon smoothie.
Smoothies are our go to drink during the summer. We make them for snack and for breakfast most days. They’re healthy, packed with nutrients, and help us stay cool in this hot summer weather.
Jump to:
- About the Banana Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
- How Does This Watermelon Smoothie Recipe Help with Weight Loss?
- Health Benefits of Watermelon
- The Ingredients to Make the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
- How to Choose the Right Watermelon
- Making and Prepping the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
- Variations of the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
- Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
About the Banana Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
This weight loss smoothie only contains five ingredients. Yep, that’s it. It’s plant based, whole food, low fat and completely vegan. It’s also extremely low calorie.
You’ll need a high speed blender to make this and to be sure you don’t have any large pieces of ice or banana wandering around your smoothie.
Don’t like super thick smoothies? Don’t worry, this is not that. Watermelon is 92% water which means once it’s blended you’ll get a nice watermelon juice blended with banana. Since we only use 1/2 banana for one serving it will not be overly thick.
This smoothie is meant to refresh and hydrate you. It keeps you full and satisfied longer.
How Does This Watermelon Smoothie Recipe Help with Weight Loss?
When it comes to weight loss a good diet is where it starts. They say to lose weight it’s about 80% eating properly and 20% about doing the right exercise. This means prioritizing food that’s nutritious while not being too calorie dense from fats and oils. I’m happy to say that this watermelon smoothie falls within those guidelines.
Watermelon smoothie calories are low because it's mostly water. After analyzing this recipe using a recipe calorie calculator, this watermelon smoothie has only 149 calories per smoothie. It also contains, protein, calcium, iron, and potassium. Watermelon also contains an amino acid called arginine which is known for burning fat quickly.
Unlike most smoothies, this smoothie is made up of mostly water from the watermelon instead of being packed with fruits and veggies. This means you stay full longer without all the calories, so it’s a win win.
Health Benefits of Watermelon
Aside from the weight loss benefits, watermelon alone does a lot of great things for the body. Here are a few of those:
- Helps you keep hydrated
- Can lower blood pressure from an amino acid called citrulline
- Loaded with lycopene which is an antioxidant that can lower the risk of cancer and diabetes
- Helps protect your joints from inflammation using beta-cryptoxanthin
- Promotes good eye health with vitamin A
And the list just keeps going on and on.
The Ingredients to Make the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
Sometimes smoothie recipes can have a lot of calories in them, especially if they’re being used as a meal replacement. If you buy them at the store they can have added sugars and syrups that defeat the whole purpose of healthy eating for weight loss.
When it comes to low calorie we want to keep it simple. That’s why this recipe only has 5 ingredients. None of which are dairy, sugar, or powders of any kind. No need to go to a health food store to grab anything because all of the ingredients can be found at your local super market.
Watermelon: opt for a seedless variety, if you’re into organic that will work too
Banana: the more spotty and ripe your banana is the sweeter it will be and the easier it is to digest. Consider letting your bananas sit out on the counter for a few days before eating
Lime: this fruit is full of antioxidants, it reduces inflammation, and is packed with vitamin C, it aids in weight loss, improved digestion and more
Mint: this is optional but adds that fresh and cooling flavor to your smoothie. You’ll know what I mean when you try it. Mint is a good source of vitamin A and contains a lot of antioxidants as well. Especially compared to other herbs and spices.
Ice cubes: To ensure your smoothie is nice and cold, obviously.
How to Choose the Right Watermelon
There are so many different types of watermelon out there. In fact there are over 1,200 varieties that can be planted. They also come in a variety of colors such as:
- white
- yellow
- pink
- orange
- red
In a farmers market where you have so many options of watermelon to choose from, it can be difficult to decide on what type would be best for a smoothie. You really can't go wrong with any seedless variety. Find a watermelon that's sweet and ripe, this will make your smoothie super tasty. Here are a few things to look out for.
- When shopping, look for a watermelon that's heavy for its size. This usually means it'll be sweeter and juicier.
- Review the size of the watermelon. Find one that's uniform in shape, round or oval, and stay away from uneven bumps.
- Look for an orange field spot. The darker yellow the field spot, the more of an indication that it was on the vine longer and is sweeter. A white field spot is an indication that it's not very sweet.
- Larger webbing or sugar spots mean the watermelon is more sweet.
- Find a watermelon that's dark and dull. When a watermelon is shiny it's an indication of being underripe.
Making and Prepping the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
Making the watermelon banana smoothie recipe is super easy. Simply place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. It’s that simple.
If you’re someone who likes to meal prep for the week like I am, consider placing all the ingredients except the ice cubes in an air tight container in the refrigerator for you to use in the morning before work and school. Consider portioning out enough for the week.
Alternatively, for a more long term storage of the ingredients use the freezer. Place watermelon and banana in the freezer. To freeze the lime, you could squeeze the lime juice over the watermelon before freezing. For the mint, freeze by placing the mint leaves without the stems into an ice tray. Fill with water then freeze.
To make the smoothie from frozen ingredients, place the frozen watermelon, banana, and a few fresh mint ice cubes in the blender and blend until smooth. Because all of the ingredients are frozen your smoothie will be a bit thicker but still absolutely delicious and refreshing. No need to add additional regular ice cubes to this mix since the ingredients are already cold and frozen. If you find that it’s too thick you can add extra water.
Consider freezing the ingredients before your fruit goes back. These can keep for about six months as long as they are sealed in an air tight container or freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Having everything measured out ahead of time is a great way to plan ahead for healthy eating.
After you have blended your watermelon, I don't recommend storing it. The smoothie particles will separate from the juice. It is best served straight away.
Variations of the Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
If you’re looking for ways to switch up the watermelon smoothie you'll have to try these watermelon smoothies. These variations add a few extra ingredients that will transform the recipe for watermelon smoothie. They are especially great for mixing it up every morning if you get sick of drinking the same drink.
- Add pineapple instead of or in addition to the banana for added benefits and to give it a tropical spin. The pineapple smoothie will taste like a vacation. The watermelon and pineapple smoothie for weight loss is extremely effective.
- Looking to add some probiotics to your life? Add a dollop of greek yogurt.
- Have some extra blueberries on hand? Add them for a red white and blue twist on this smoothie. The blueberry watermelon smoothie benefits are endless and contains even more antioxidants than without the blueberries.
- Want more fiber, vitamin K, and other vitamins? Add a handful of spinach. I promise you won’t taste it and yes your smoothie will turn green. It will be delicious. The watermelon spinach smoothie weight loss outcome will be great. Plus spinach is super low calorie!
Watermelon Smoothie for Weight Loss
Equipment
- 1 high speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped watermelon
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 1/2 lime squeezed
- handful of fresh mint
- 1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
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