• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Diabetes Everyday

Living your best life with diabetes. Toby Smithson provides professional guidance with personal experience.

  • Diabetes EveryDay
  • Work With Toby
    • Toby in the Media
      • Interviews and Articles
    • Toby’s Books
    • Speaking Out About Diabetes
  • Sharing Toby’s Knowledge
    • Understanding Diabetes
    • Eating Healthy
    • Being Physically Active
    • Medications and Monitoring Health
    • Reducing Stress
    • Staying Motivated
    • Diabetes Resources
  • Meet Toby
    • Contact Toby
  • YouTube Channel
  • Newsletter
You are here: Home / Eating Healthy / Are Smoothies Good For My Diabetes?

Are Smoothies Good For My Diabetes?

January 8, 2021 By Toby Smithson

Everybody loves smoothies, but if you have diabetes you may want to make sure that the smoothies you drink love you back.

Welcome back to Diabetes EveryDay, I’m Toby Smithson, here to share credible information about diabetes management. Be sure to subscribe to my channel by pressing the red button and please sign up for my monthly newsletter via my DiabetesEveryDay website.

Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel

Are Smoothies Okay For People With Diabetes?

There seems to be a continued beverage trend here in the US about drinking smoothies. For most smoothies, they are fruit-based so it appears to have an important food group that is packed with nutrients. Typically a smoothie will contain some liquid- fruit juice, milk, plant-based milk, water, or maybe iced coffee. And the smoothie may have yogurt or avocado or nut butter to add creaminess, there could be some 0 cal, 0 carb flavorings added, like spices, and then the main ingredient of fruits and/or vegetables along with some type of sweetener. So…are these smoothies a good choice for people with diabetes?

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, AND a person with diabetes, this is what starts rolling around in my head when I hear about smoothies.

Smoothies and shakes can add more carbohydrate and total calories so they may not be effective for weight management.

Be Sure To Check Out – More Evidence Suggests the Mediterranean Diet is an Effective Diabetes Management Strategy

Smoothies and Diabetes – Key Points

Point 1: Is the smoothie I’m drinking too high in calories or carbs for me?

Point 2: I want to know what the ingredients are in the smoothie. Check the ingredients in your smoothie recipe or if you are buying a smoothie at a restaurant, check to see if they have the nutrition information already calculated in both these scenarios. Is the smoothie made with just fruit or are there other ingredients? And if there are other ingredients, will those ingredients have an effect on your blood sugar, whether to help slow down the blood sugar rise or give your blood sugar a spike.

I did a quick check at a restaurant that serves smoothies, and they range from 410 to 780 calories and 43-131 grams of carb per serving. I found a restaurant that will use a low-calorie sweetener option, which brought down the calories to 190 to 680 and 43 grams to 101 grams of carb per serving. So this can give us a quick glimpse at the calories and carbs we are getting from a smoothie. Were you surprised or is that level of calories and carbs what you anticipated? Please understand that yes, the fruit is great food, but adding several fruits to a beverage won’t make it a healthier beverage for your blood sugar results.

Ok now to Point 3: When are you drinking this smoothie? Is it for breakfast? As a snack? Before bed? Be aware that this could simply be a healthy halo. I’m glad you are eating more fruit, but the combination of ingredients could make a difference in your blood sugar results.

If your smoothie is just fruit, a low-calorie sweetener, and maybe some water, your blood sugar may see a rise compared to a smoothie that contains a source of protein.

There was a small study showing that whey protein could have a glucose-lowering effect, but it was a small study and the positive results were shown in those who were lower in body weight, had in target triglyceride levels, and lower GLP-1 (which is an amino acid peptide) concentrations in their blood. The whey protein stimulated insulin secretions in people with type 2 diabetes which would offer a lower blood glucose level.

The Take-Away

As you have heard me say before, portion size matters, and balancing out your carbs throughout the day is an important strategy for blood sugar management.

Remember you can do your own research on how your blood sugar is affected by what you eat. Check your blood sugar before the smoothie and 2 hours after drinking the smoothie. If you are having the smoothie as a bedtime snack, check before the smoothie and before breakfast the next morning. Does your blood sugar stay steady? Is your blood sugar remaining in the target range of under 180 one to two hours after the smoothie?

Be Sure To Check Out – Thoughts About Blood Sugar Monitoring

Thanks for watching, until next time, cheers to your health.

You May Also Enjoy

  • Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Squares
  • Can People With Diabetes Eat Fruit?
  • Fruits and Veggies, good anytime
  • Food Diary Shown to Double Successful Weight Loss Efforts

Filed Under: Eating Healthy

Toby Smithson Diabetes Everyday

Subscribe on YouTube

Toby Smithson dynamically combines her knowledge as a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian nutritionist with her life experiences successfully managing type 1 diabetes for more than five decades.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Keys to Living Well – Toby’s Posts

Recent Posts

  • Diabetes Nutrition with Shelf Life February 26, 2021
  • 3 Easy Tips for Managing Blood Sugar February 26, 2021
  • Five Ways to Practice Diabetes Self-Compassion (and forget perfection) February 26, 2021
  • Sesame-Infused Steamed Haddock February 18, 2021
  • Diabetes Question- Can I Eat Oatmeal? February 4, 2021

Post Archives

Before Footer

tobysmithson

359

tobysmithson

View

Mar 1

Open
Happy #NationalNutritionMonth! Loving this list of #dietitiantips for #mealprep  Anything new that you plan on trying?  @christinejbyrne @myfitnesspal @kimyawitz_rdn @weight.loss.dietitian @bethstark.rdn @amydgorin @chefgirl_nutrition @no.waste.nutrition @cheerfulchoices @nutrigirl66 @jsmartnutrition @prettynutritious_ @amandaterillo @eatright_pro #eatrightpro #nnmchat #healthyeating #mealprepping #mealprepideas https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/tips-from-dietitians-for-better-meal-prep/

Happy #NationalNutritionMonth! Loving this list of #dietitiantips for #mealprep Anything new that you plan on trying? @christinejbyrne @myfitnesspal @kimyawitz_rdn @weight.loss.dietitian @bethstark.rdn @amydgorin @chefgirl_nutrition @no.waste.nutrition @cheerfulchoices @nutrigirl66 @jsmartnutrition @prettynutritious_ @amandaterillo @eatright_pro #eatrightpro #nnmchat #healthyeating #mealprepping #mealprepideas https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/tips-from-dietitians-for-better-meal-prep/ ...

tobysmithson

View

Mar 1

Open
Took the opportunity to #relax at the beach. Our #englishspringerspaniel  loved letting the breeze blow her hair and watching other dogs swim in the ocean ❤️ #relaxationtime #englishspringerrescueamerica #loveourdog @smithsonanthony

Took the opportunity to #relax at the beach. Our #englishspringerspaniel loved letting the breeze blow her hair and watching other dogs swim in the ocean ❤️ #relaxationtime #englishspringerrescueamerica #loveourdog @smithsonanthony ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 26

Open
Took my #englishspringerspaniel for a walk to the #beach to meetup with her sister. I feel like this photo can be straight out of a movie. What’s the caption you’d write for this photo?  #relaxationtime #stressrelief #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspanielsofig #diabetesmanagement

Took my #englishspringerspaniel for a walk to the #beach to meetup with her sister. I feel like this photo can be straight out of a movie. What’s the caption you’d write for this photo? #relaxationtime #stressrelief #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspanielsofig #diabetesmanagement ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 24

Open
Nobody asks for this job but if you’ve been diagnosed with #type1diabetes or #type2diabetes, you are a “ #Diabetes Manager”. 
Note: #healthylifestyle is number 1 on the daily task list. #healthyeating #exercise #monitoring #bloodsugar #diabetesmanagement 
#diabetescommunity #diabetesonlinecommunity  #diabeteslife  https://youtu.be/BmV54BJZ0aQ

Nobody asks for this job but if you’ve been diagnosed with #type1diabetes or #type2diabetes, you are a “ #Diabetes Manager”.
Note: #healthylifestyle is number 1 on the daily task list. #healthyeating #exercise #monitoring #bloodsugar #diabetesmanagement
#diabetescommunity #diabetesonlinecommunity #diabeteslife

https://youtu.be/BmV54BJZ0aQ
...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 24

Open
Trying something new this year for our #vegetablegarden by growing #tomatoes and #bellpeppers via a #hydroponicgarden .  Does anyone have any tips for replanting in my garden after last frost date?  #haveaplant #freshtomatoes #healthyeating #stressrelief #freshvegetables #southcarolina

Trying something new this year for our #vegetablegarden by growing #tomatoes and #bellpeppers via a #hydroponicgarden . Does anyone have any tips for replanting in my garden after last frost date? #haveaplant #freshtomatoes #healthyeating #stressrelief #freshvegetables #southcarolina ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 21

Open
#diabetes #diabetestype1 #diabetestype2 #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunity #diabetessupport #diabeteseducation #type1diabetes #type2diabetes

#diabetes #diabetestype1 #diabetestype2 #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunity #diabetessupport #diabeteseducation #type1diabetes #type2diabetes ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 20

Open
Best picks from myself and fellow dietitians when driving thru the #fastfood lane.  @huffingtonpost_ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/healthy-fast-food-drive-thru_l_5ff5ce55c5b665581f66efe2

Best picks from myself and fellow dietitians when driving thru the #fastfood lane. @huffingtonpost_ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/healthy-fast-food-drive-thru_l_5ff5ce55c5b665581f66efe2 ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 20

Open
Happy #NationalLoveYourDogDay Addie. Rescuing you was one of the best things that happened in 2020! #EnglishSpringer #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerspaniel  #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspaniels #englishspringerrescue

Happy #NationalLoveYourDogDay Addie. Rescuing you was one of the best things that happened in 2020! #EnglishSpringer #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerspaniel #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspaniels #englishspringerrescue ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 18

Open
It was a lot of fun watching a movie that our #englishspringerspaniel loved too! She was listening to every chirp from the magpie in the Penguin Bloom movie. #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspaniels #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerrescue

It was a lot of fun watching a movie that our #englishspringerspaniel loved too! She was listening to every chirp from the magpie in the Penguin Bloom movie. #englishspringerspanielsofinstagram #englishspringerspaniels #englishspringerrescueamerica #englishspringerrescue ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 17

Open
Happy #cannedfoodmonth ! With all the winter storms or heavy rain we’ve experienced, it’s a perfect time to make sure your pantry is well stocked. Video link in YouTube bio. #cannedfoodfan @pacificcoastproducers1971 #cannedfruit #cannedfood #diabetes #cannedtomatoes #diabetesmanagement @cannedfoodfan #healthyeating

Happy #cannedfoodmonth ! With all the winter storms or heavy rain we’ve experienced, it’s a perfect time to make sure your pantry is well stocked. Video link in YouTube bio. #cannedfoodfan @pacificcoastproducers1971 #cannedfruit #cannedfood #diabetes #cannedtomatoes #diabetesmanagement @cannedfoodfan #healthyeating ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 15

Open
Instagram post 17859482681396672

...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 10

Open
Very important message for everyone although this #video is directly related to people with #diabetes . Link to video is in bio under #youtube.  Are you hard on yourself? A perfectionist? Do you show yourself #compassion? Thank you @diabetesredefined for sharing your wisdom. #bekind #bekindtoyourself #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunityonline

Very important message for everyone although this #video is directly related to people with #diabetes . Link to video is in bio under #youtube. Are you hard on yourself? A perfectionist? Do you show yourself #compassion? Thank you @diabetesredefined for sharing your wisdom. #bekind #bekindtoyourself #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunityonline ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 9

Open
Shout out to canned foods during #nationalcannedfoods month. People with #diabetes can choose the option of canned #fruits in natural juice instead of light or heavy syrup. #cannedfoods Pacific Coast Producers Fan Page #cannedfruit #diabetesmanagement #healthyeating #diabetescommunity #diabetesfriendly @pacificcoastproducers1971

Shout out to canned foods during #nationalcannedfoods month. People with #diabetes can choose the option of canned #fruits in natural juice instead of light or heavy syrup. #cannedfoods Pacific Coast Producers Fan Page #cannedfruit #diabetesmanagement #healthyeating #diabetescommunity #diabetesfriendly @pacificcoastproducers1971 ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 5

Open
Looking for some new #recipes that are #hearthealthy ? I’m thankful that fellow registered dietitians @cindykleckner and @chewthefacts loaned me one of their #fish recipes to share with you all.  Check out this video link in my bio. #americanheartassociation  #wearredday #diabetesfriendly #lowcarb #diabetescommunity #dashdiet #healthyeating #type1diabetes #type2diabetes

Looking for some new #recipes that are #hearthealthy ? I’m thankful that fellow registered dietitians @cindykleckner and @chewthefacts loaned me one of their #fish recipes to share with you all. Check out this video link in my bio. #americanheartassociation #wearredday #diabetesfriendly #lowcarb #diabetescommunity #dashdiet #healthyeating #type1diabetes #type2diabetes ...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 3

Open
Thrilled to receive #covidvaccine #2. 
Aside from my happiness of no snow, no freezing temperatures, I’m also glad to live in a small town where it literally took me 10 minutes to drive to the vaccine clinic at the local hospital. #stayingsafe #stayinghealthy

Thrilled to receive #covidvaccine #2.
Aside from my happiness of no snow, no freezing temperatures, I’m also glad to live in a small town where it literally took me 10 minutes to drive to the vaccine clinic at the local hospital. #stayingsafe #stayinghealthy
...

tobysmithson

View

Feb 1

Open
I LOVE this topic on #ForestBathing and even more research has emerged about the benefits during uncertain times. #selfcare #stressfreechallenge @usnews  How to Use Nature to Reduce Stress – and More
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/benefits-of-forest-bathing-for-stress
Research shows that forest bathing offers significant benefits for physical and mental health. New studies show it can also help manage blood sugar levels for people with #diabetes.

I LOVE this topic on #ForestBathing and even more research has emerged about the benefits during uncertain times. #selfcare #stressfreechallenge @usnews

How to Use Nature to Reduce Stress – and More
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/benefits-of-forest-bathing-for-stress
Research shows that forest bathing offers significant benefits for physical and mental health. New studies show it can also help manage blood sugar levels for people with #diabetes.
...

tobysmithson

View

Jan 27

Open
This is one of the most asked questions... what’s the best #snack? Here is my response...
#diabetes #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunity #healthyeating #nuts @californiaalmonds almonds @superseedz #fruit #haveaplant #cheese #yogurt #tea #coffee #vegetables #chiaseeds 
Video link in bio

This is one of the most asked questions... what’s the best #snack? Here is my response...
#diabetes #diabetesmanagement #diabetescommunity #healthyeating #nuts @californiaalmonds almonds @superseedz #fruit #haveaplant #cheese #yogurt #tea #coffee #vegetables #chiaseeds
Video link in bio
...

tobysmithson

View

Jan 21

Open
Celebrating #NationalOatmealMonth with the lowdown on best and favorite choices for people with #diabetes. Info is good for everyone to hear.  P.S .I eat #oats every morning all year long. #oatmealmonth #diabetesonlinecommunity #diabetesmanagement #healthyeating #carbs #carbohydrates #fiber
@bobsredmill @quaker  #oatmeal #steelcutoats #rolledoats #quickoats #hemphearts @manitobaharvest @almondsmx #pistachios #peanuts #eggenthusiast @wonderfulpistachios @peanutrd @peanutinstitute @egg.nutrition 
Video link in bio.

Celebrating #NationalOatmealMonth with the lowdown on best and favorite choices for people with #diabetes. Info is good for everyone to hear. P.S .I eat #oats every morning all year long. #oatmealmonth #diabetesonlinecommunity #diabetesmanagement #healthyeating #carbs #carbohydrates #fiber
@bobsredmill @quaker #oatmeal #steelcutoats #rolledoats #quickoats #hemphearts @manitobaharvest @almondsmx #pistachios #peanuts #eggenthusiast @wonderfulpistachios @peanutrd @peanutinstitute @egg.nutrition
Video link in bio.
...

tobysmithson

View

Jan 15

Open
Have you tried this yet? Most definitely top of my list of things to do lately. This #video is worth viewing for everyone, not just for people with #diabetes. Link to video in bio  #diabetesmanagement #forestbathing #forestbathing🌲🌲🌲 #type1diabetes #type2diabetes  #type1 #type2 #relaxation #stressrelief #stressmanagement #stressreliever

Have you tried this yet? Most definitely top of my list of things to do lately. This #video is worth viewing for everyone, not just for people with #diabetes. Link to video in bio #diabetesmanagement #forestbathing #forestbathing🌲🌲🌲 #type1diabetes #type2diabetes #type1 #type2 #relaxation #stressrelief #stressmanagement #stressreliever ...

tobysmithson

View

Jan 14

Open
Double thankful: got my #COVID19 #vaccine today and so glad to be living in a small town because it was quick and easy...no waiting in any line, vaccine didn’t hurt, staff was super friendly and people I knew from my neighborhood! #Igotmyshot

Double thankful: got my #COVID19 #vaccine today and so glad to be living in a small town because it was quick and easy...no waiting in any line, vaccine didn’t hurt, staff was super friendly and people I knew from my neighborhood! #Igotmyshot ...

Load More Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed. New posts will not be retrieved for at least 5 minutes.

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Diabetes Nutrition with Shelf Life
  • 3 Easy Tips for Managing Blood Sugar
  • Five Ways to Practice Diabetes Self-Compassion (and forget perfection)
  • Sesame-Infused Steamed Haddock

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Keep in touch with diabetes news.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertising/ Disclosure
  • Contact Toby
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2021 Diabetes Everyday · Website by Market Me Social Inc.