Drinks & Smoothies

We love making easy breakfast smoothies to help stick in our diet plan, and get some extra nutrition.  This Wild Berry Banana Smoothie is definitely a favorite for our house, especially since it is so simple to throw together.  We have posted numerous times about our love for our Ninja Auto IQ blender, and yes we did receive it several months ago as part of a review program, but it is seriously the best thing in our kitchen.  That blender has become a daily use item that we just don’t know how we lived without.  Making fun new smoothies every day is now easy, quick and well – one of the best things we’ve done for our diets in years!

Wild Berry Banana Smoothie

We honestly grab what we have on hand to throw into smoothies usually, but this is a combination we really love.  For years, I didn’t like blueberries.  I’m not sure what changed in the last two years, but I suddenly love keeping frozen wild blueberries on hand for things like smoothies or to go with yogurt or frozen yogurt treats.  They just add a great pop of flavor, and since they are so full of antioxidants, I know they are a great choice in our diet.  While the Wee Child isn’t a fan of straight blueberries, he loves them in smoothies.

We toss a ripe banana, a few fresh ripe strawberries, a few frozen wild blueberries, a dash of orange juice and a bit of plain vanilla nonfat yogurt into our Ninja for this smoothie.  My Beau and I usually add a scoop of greens to the mix for an extra kick, but you could also simply add in a handful of spinach or kale to add to the nutrition of your smoothie.  The Wee Child doesn’t notice a bit of difference in flavor when we do this, so a great way to sneak in some veggies into his diet.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Wild Berry Banana Smoothie

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

6 mins

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Frozen Wild Blueberries
• ½ Cup Sliced Fresh Strawberries
• 1 Ripe Banana
• ⅓ Cup Orange Juice
• ½ Cup Vanilla Fat Free Yogurt

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and pulse until smooth.
2. May add more juice or Almond Milk if desire thinner consistency

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We love the Ninja for this because we can simply flip it over, hit blend and walk away.  It takes under 90 seconds for this blend to be creamy and smooth.  I prefer using some frozen fruit in my wild berry banana smoothie and others instead of ice.  I don’t want to water down what I am drinking.  Adding the frozen berries gives it that super cold feeling I need, without adding the ice that has no real nutritional value.  If you prefer to add a bit more protein, you can substitute the orange juice for a bit of unsweetened Almond Milk instead.  We love it that way as well.

If you like this Wild Berry Banana Smoothie recipe then make sure to check out our other great smoothie recipes!

Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Tropical Fruit Smoothie

7 Sneaky Ways To Feed Your Kids Spinach

Everyone loves a yummy smoothie for breakfast, and this Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is one of our family favorites.  Not only does it satisfy that craving for something sweet, it packs a punch of vitamins and protein that are perfect for getting your day off to a good start.  Since we got our Nutri Ninja back in January, smoothies have become a favorite breakfast item for all of us.  Not only are they easy to drink while sitting at our desks working, they are super satisfying and seriously easy to throw together.

Related Reading: 8 Weight Watchers Yogurt Recipes

Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

We have been using PB2 for a few years now.  While we realize it too has disadvantages over natural nut butters when we are really watching calories and points we like to have a boost of flavor and this helps.  For this recipe, we simply throw everything together and blend in our Nutri Ninja blender.  Yes, shameless plug – we seriously love this blender.  If you don’t have one, then use your traditional blender for a tasty smoothie that will leave you satisfied.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

 

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 7-8oz. Fat Free Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1 Cup Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons PB2 Powder

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and mix until smooth

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Why are Smoothies higher in SmartPoints?

Since the addition of the SmartPoints system in the Beyond The Scale Program, Smoothies have become something that is much higher in points.  In fact, they can be a bit frustrating for many to incorporate into their diet plan because the fruits are no longer free.  However, you have to understand that behind this mentality is the fact that the action of chewing food helps signal your brain for the feeling of fullness while simply drinking often does not.  When you are factoring in your meals for the day, a smoothie still can be a great option, even if the points calculated are higher.

Our original points calculations for this recipe were a mere 4 Points Plus.  Having since joined the Weight Watchers Beyond The Scale Program, we have recalculated this and the points are reflected below for this recipe shown at 2 servings for the recipe above. This was calculated with the recipe tool within the Weight Watchers program.

This Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Smoothie makes 2 Servings

SmartPoints per serving: 6 SmartPoints

PointsPlus per serving: 4 PointsPlus

More Weight Watchers Smoothies:

• 25 Weight Watchers Smoothies Recipes
• Weight Watchers Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothie
• Weight Watchers Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Weight Watchers Easy Green Smoothie Recipe
• Weight Watchers Peach Green Tea Smoothie

Weight Watchers Smoothie recipes are one of my favorite fast breakfasts.  Since the Beyond The Scale program came about, how you calculate smoothies is different.  Where fresh fruits and vegetables are typically free, in smoothies they are calculated.  So, in the list below you will see higher SmartPoints values than you may expect on some of these recipes, but they are still amazing and healthy options for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

25 Weight Watchers Smoothie Recipes

This post contains affiliate links. 

We drink Weight Watchers smoothies almost every day for breakfast.  Well, I drink them once or twice a week, but my Beau drinks one every single morning.  That means we use a blender a LOT in our house.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t think there was much to the hype behind the Ninja Auto IQ Blender until I got one.  We are on year 2 of using this daily and it still works just as good as the first day.  Our smoothies are done in under 60 seconds.  Seriously, if you are going to invest in a blender – this is the one.

Avocado Smoothie from Chocolate Covered Katie – 2 PP

Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie from Recipe Girl – 2 PP

Very Berry Smoothie from That Rebel Chick – 2 PP

Kale Apple Green Smoothie from Cooking Canuck – 3 PP

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from LaaLoosh – 3 PP

Tropical Strawberry Smoothie from LaaLoosh – 3 SP, 2 PP

Papaya Smoothie from Simply Nourished Living – 3 PP

Banana Chocolate Almond Smoothie from Emily Bites – 4 SP, 3 PP

Raspberry Peach Tea Smoothie from Emily Bites – 4 SP, 2 PP

Berry Vanilla Power Shake from Emily Bites – 4 PP

Decadent Date Smoothie from Simply Nourished Living – 4 PP

Easy Berry Banana Smoothie from Cooking Canuck – 5 PP

Healthy Coffee Banana Smoothie Recipe from Cooking Canuck – 5 SP, 3 PP

Strawberry Kale Smoothie from LaaLoosh – 6PP

Tropical Green Smoothie from Recipe Girl – 6 SP, 8 PP

Carrot Cake Smoothie from Simply Nourished Living – 6 PP

Weight Watchers Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothie from You Brew My Tea – 6 SP, 3 1/2 PP

Weight Watchers Strawberry Banana Smoothie from You Brew My Tea -7 SP, 3 1/2 PP

Weight Watchers Easy Green Smoothie from You Brew My Tea – 6 SP, 3 1/2 PP

Tropical Mango Pineapple Smoothie from Cooking Canuck – 6 PP

Banana Bread Smoothie from Emily Bites- 7 SP, 5 PP

Chocolate Breakfast Shake from Slender Kitchen – 8 SP, 7 PP

PB Banana Green Smoothie from Emily Bites – 9 SP, 7 PP

Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie from LaaLoosh – 9 SP

Apple Pie Smoothie from Slender Kitchen – 11 SP, 6 PP

Making a Weight Watchers smoothie is a great way to get an easy meal in on the go.  There are tons of flavors, and you can easily customize for your own preferences.  I like adding in Greens, Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, or even Hemp Hearts to add even more superfood or protein.  If you do that, though, you’ll need to recalculate the points values.

I use the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder in my account to calculate the points on recipes, but you could also purchase and use the Weight Watchers Smart Points Calculator.  Smoothies are a unique thing within the Weight Watchers world.  Since eaten fruit is free, many don’t understand why smoothies have higher points.  The difference is that when you drink something your body isn’t feeling as full as when you eat it. So, Weight Watchers has given smoothies higher points for this reason.  You can easily take in a lot larger calorie count of fruit than your body needs just to feel satisfied. They are still a great option for many, and make an excellent substitute for a milk shake.

More Weight Watchers Recipes:

• 50+ Weight Watchers SmartPoints Snacks
• Weight Watchers Cranberry Banana Bread Recipe
• Weight Watchers Banana Coconut Muffins

Did you know that as we age, we often lose our sense of thirst? That means, we often lose our sensitivity to when we need to drink. 

That’s why it is good to have plenty of healthy non-sugary drinks on hand to encourage us to keep our fluid intake up. Vitamin waters and other such beverages add a lot of sugar that isn’t healthy, and sometimes having a tasty, sugar-free drink is just the thing to make thirst-quenching pleasure. 

That is why we recommend cucumber water. Cucumber water is easy to prepare, and having pitcher in the fridge can also prevent non-hunger related eating. 

Because we sometimes don’t feel our thirst, we can mistake it for hunger. So when you open the fridge and a fresh container of cucumber water is waiting for you, you might try drinking first. 

After you drink then see if you are truly hungry, or if have you been answering your body’s need for hydration with food. 

In addition, there are fact-based benefits to cucumber water, beyond the obvious one being hydration. Cucumber water can also aid in weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and the promotion of healthy skin.

Cucumber water tastes great, is not expensive, and is easy to prepare. It turns water into a treat, adding vitamins, antioxidants, and more, to promote overall health. 

It may even benefit bones and muscles, and can be a preventative for some major diseases, such as diabetes and even cancer.  

Hydration is absolutely key to the body’s proper functioning. Doctors recommend between six to eight glasses of water, minimum, per day. 

Water is essential for the functioning of all organ systems. And you know how tired and sluggish you can feel if your body’s hydration needs go unanswered. 

Many common health problems can be solved with an increase in water. But often, we just don’t “feel like it”. That’s when many turn to sugary drinks, which go down easier, but can really harm your body. 

Cucumber water is an elixir.  It brings the water that your body needs, with its refreshing flavor and zero calories.

If you are sweating a lot, due to exercise, hot weather, illness, or hormones, your body’s needs for dehydration are even higher. 

Most people are struggling with their weight, especially in our modern world, in which many are forced by work and lifestyle into a sedentary lifestyle. 

Overly rich foods, and the sugars that are hidden within many processed foods, make weight control an uphill battle. If you can relate to this, than the last thing you need is the addition of empty calories through sugary drinks. 

These add nothing to your health nutritionally, and actual are harmful, creating pre-diabetic conditions that can turn into full blown diabetes with weight gain as you age. 

Drinking cucumber water can actually aid in weight loss, by helping your organ systems to function better. Just like a dry river that limps along, collecting waste and becoming shallow and muddy, our bodies don’t function well when we are water starved.

Having enough water also makes you feel full with smaller portions, and discourage excess snacking, making it easier to lose weight. Cucumber water will help your metabolism and filtration organs function better.

Antioxidants

Cucumbers can prevent oxidative damage, by adding antioxidants to your diet on a regular basis. This helps to prevent cell damage and lower levels of oxidative stress. Antioxidants in cucumbers include magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and K. 

Blood pressure

Most modern diets contain higher than healthy sodium levels. The potassium in cucumbers can actually help lower blood pressure, and keeping hydrated is an intuitive plus when avoiding high blood pressure. 

Cancer prevention

Cucumbers also contain high levels of flavonoids. This substance may actually help prevent cancer. 

In fact, a 2012 study found that the dietary flavonoid fisetin, which is found in abundance in cucumbers, may help to slow the progression of cancers, such as prostate cancer. 

In addition to antioxidants, cucumbers also have compounds called cucurbitacins,  as well as a group of nutrients called lignans, which may have a role in protecting us from cancer. 

Muscle health

The potassium in cucumbers provides energy to muscles, as well as aiding in muscle recovery after accidents or health crisis that can cause muscular atrophy and muscle loss. 

It also helps soothe sore muscles, and is a good addition to a high output, active lifestyle, to help you feel your best. 

Healthy skin

Keep your hydration levels up and you help your body remove toxins and keep your skin healthy. The vitamin B5 found in cucumbers is known to be good for acne and other skin problems. 

Proper hydration can help the body to flush out toxins and keep the skin healthy. Cucumbers are also rich in vitamin B, which can help with acne and other skin problems. Cucumber water can help soothe your skin from the inside out. 

Bone health

Cucumbers contain plenty of vitamin K, as we mentioned earlier. Vitamin K is essential in helping the body form the proteins that make healthy bones and tissues. It can strengthen bones to prevent fractures, and be beneficial for osteoporosis. 

So How is it Done?

A basic recipe is to add 2 cups of cucumbers, sliced thin, to 8 cups of water.  Add to that about ½ teaspoon of salt. 

The thinner the slice, the more the goodness of the cucumbers will permeate the water, filling it with vitamins and nutrients. 

Cover the container and allow for at least 4 hours, or overnight, for the cucumbers to release their vitamins and flavor into the water. Once it is ready, you should drink it within three days, so that you benefit from its freshness. 

It should be kept refrigerated, and you can serve it on ice or straight up, depending on your preference. Once you have made this basic recipe, you can add all kinds of additional ingredients according to your taste. 

Lemons can be a wonderful addition. Lemons are also cleansing and contain vitamin C, and if you like lemon flavor, they can make your cucumber water even more delicious.

Other ideas to spruce up your cucumber water are limes, mint, basil, oranges, melon, ginger, fresh berries, pineapple, or other herbs such as lemongrass, melissa, and sage. 

Be creative, and follow your tastebuds. There are many more options for spicing up your cucumber water, like cinnamon or other spices. Almost any kind of herb will add flavor. 

In fact, you can even add a tea bag directly to the water for extra flavor without calories. Try fruity teas, green tea, or an herb like chamomile. They will permeate the water even without heating. 

There is nothing better on a hot summer day than a glass of this Sugar-Free Lemonade Recipe.  It’s bright and refreshing while having no real sugar.  This makes it perfect for those who are on a diet plan or who may be diabetic.  You don’t have to sacrifice your favorite summer beverage!

Sugar-Free Lemonade Recipe

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As long as I can remember, lemonade has been a favorite drink.  Making this sugar-free has been a must for me this year.  The recipe printable below is a perfect one to add to your recipe collection alongside this Skinny Orange Mango Spritzer Mocktail.

Ingredients for Sugar-Free Lemonade

Water
Stevia in the Raw (or preferred sugar substitute)
1 cup fresh Lemon Juice

Tips for Making Homemade Lemonade

To make the most flavorful lemonade, you want to begin with fresh lemons.  Squeezing fresh lemons is a chore sometimes, but it is well worth the effort.  This Metal Citrus Juicer is affordable and easy to use. If you are like me and a bit lazy in the kitchen, this is a must to have on hand.

To get the most juice out of a lemon, I suggest rolling it to help extract more juice.  Some also have said that putting the lemon in the microwave for ten seconds can help produce more juice.

If you are like me and struggle to drink enough water each day, you may want to add some of these tips for drinking more water to your routine so you don’t feel any guilt about indulging in this lemonade more often.

Choosing a Sugar Substitute for Your Lemonade

Sugar-substitutes can be a tricky subject to discuss.  Many are against any substitute, and others, like me, need to use a substitute due to diabetes or other health conditions.  When at all possible, choose the more natural options.  Some of the popular sugar-substitutes are listed below.

Zero Calorie and Low-Carb Sweeteners

• Stevia in the Raw
• Monkfruit

Natural Sweeteners with Calories and Carbs

• Honey
• Maple Syrup

Favorite Summertime Adult Beverages

If you are looking for something that is ideal for those summer parties but includes alcohol, you need to check out our favorite two cocktails that are low in points.  For those following WW FreeStyle, remember that mixing drinks with sugar-free or diet sodas/syrups is the lowest point option.  Light beer is also only 3 SmartPoints.  So, you have tons of great options!  We love this Skinny Watermelon Vodka Spritzer, or the Skinny Strawberry Gin Cocktail Recipe.

Sugar Free Lemonade Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

When using zero calorie sugar-substitutes, this is a zero point beverage on all WW current and past plans

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 64 ounces of water
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ⅓-1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw

Instructions

1. In a large pitcher, mix together all ingredients
2. Chill until ready to serve
3. Garnish with additional slices of lemon

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