If you make a smoothie then the obvious question is ‘what is the best fruit for a shake’. On this page you will find which fruit to use and why:

• Calories for each fruit
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fibre
  • Vitamins & Antixodants

We will describe the best fruit to use based on your individual goals and objectives – weight loss, sport & exercise, weight gain, body building, etc

What is the best fruit for a shake?

Shakes have been used for well over 20 years as a quick & easy meal replacement – ideal for weight loss or a quick healthy meal.

One of the most popular ways of making a diet shake or smoothie is to combine the shake mix powder with liquid (like milk, water or juice) and some fruit. In addition to adding fruit into shakes many people will also use a bit of fruit as a snack between meals, or as one of the 5 (or is it 10?) per day.

But what is the best fruit for a shake or eat as a snack?

Well if you look at the stats then the most likely fruits you will have in your kitchen is likely to be a Banana, Apple or Orange.

OK they taste good but…

If you want to have a snack or make a shake they are easy to buy, relatively cheap and convenient.

But there are very many alternative fruits you can use or eat that have key advantages.

The key items to focus on are:

• Calories
• Carbohydrate Content
• Fibre
• Vitamins & Minerals

Calories in Fruit

It is very, very easy to blow your diet plan by selecting the wrong fruits to eat.

If you look at the chart below you will see we have included both dried fruits (such as raisins) as well as fresh fruit – mainly because they are often a very easy & ‘convenient’ snack..

So if you are looking to add fruit into your shake focus on the one’s on the right (unless you want to gain weight).

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How about Carbohydrates?

Our easy to follow specialised shake plans are designed so you don’t have to worry about calorie counting, carbs, fat contents, etc.

However if you are trying to lose weight then calories and carbohydrates will matter. If you start adding fruit to your shakes or smoothies this will have an impact on your weight loss plan.

For example one banana contains 100 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrates. One apple can contain as much as 115 calories and 30 grams of carbohydrates.

Limiting carbohydrate intake to 100 grams per day is a common target for people using a moderately carbohydrate-restricted approach to weight loss. If that is the case, eating two bananas and one apple will take up 84 percent of your carbohydrate intake for the entire day. Even if you are eating 1800 calories per day and 40 percent of those calories from carbohydrates (a ‘zone’ type approach), two bananas and one apple will take up 46 percent of your carbohydrates for that day.

Again if you are adding fruit to your shake, or as a snack, focus on the lower value ones…

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How about Fibre ?

Most people don’t eat enough fibre – You should aim for at least 30g a day but (on average) most people in the UK only eat about 18g of fibre a day.

Fibre is important part of your diet and (according to the nhs) can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers, and can also improve digestive health.

There are two different types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Each type of fibre helps your body in different ways, so a normal healthy diet should include both types.

Adding fruit to your shake (or as a snack) is a very easy way to take in soluble fibre.  But again some fruits are better than others…

As opposed to the first 2 charts you should be aiming for one with a high level.

So for example Dates, Blackberries and Cranberries are great, pineapple & pumpkin not so great…

Vitamins, Antioxidants & Minerals

One of the key reasons many people eat fruit is to boost their vitamin intake.

Vitamin C is the obvious one, but some also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, as well as antioxidants.

Superfruits ?

It is claimed that superfruits are the best ones to go for as they are stacked full of vitamins and anti-oxidants.

However….

It can also be seen that going for superfruits is falling for the ‘superfood marketing plot’, which was purely designed to sell more specific types of fruit or fruit juice..

For example the best sources for:

• Vitamin A – are Orange fruits like mango &, apricots
• Vitamin C – are Citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries,
• Potassium – are Bananas, dried apricots and prunes,
• Anti-oxidants – are Black plums, Raisins, Grapes, Blueberries, Blackberries. …

Most fruits will be good for you, the key is to select one you like

So what is the best fruit for a shake ?

For starters our shakes taste great on their own, and in addition all fruits have different benefits & advantages.

However, if you want to lose weight try to avoid blending to many bananas into your shake, or snacking on raisins or dates…

But our own personal Top 12 Fruits are:

1. Blackberries
2. Strawberries
3. Blueberries
4. Cranberry
5. Orange
6. Melon
7. Apricots
8. Pineapple
9. Apple
10. Kiwi
11. Banana
12. Raisins

What would your top 12 be ?

The reason we selected our top 3…

1. Blackberries

Blackberry are a delicious and versatile fruit which has benefits such as better digestive health, strengthened immune defense, healthy functioning of heart and prevention of cancer.

The advantage is that you can buy (or pick) them fresh when in season, or they are available all year round in the frozen section of most supermarkets.

So that you can keep them in your freezer and use when required..

2. Strawberries

The beautiful red color in strawberries makes them a powerhouse of nutritional value. The phenolic acid that gives strawberries their signature color helps to regulate blood sugar. Low in Calories and with a great taste, strawberries are a great option for shake or smoothie.

3. Blueberry

According to research both blueberry & cranberry are fruits with some of the highest antioxidant properties.

Blueberry & Cranberry Smoothie

Blending them into your protein shake will not only help your exercise results but also boost your health (especially important during the ‘cold and flu’ season)

– and even better… tastes great !