After having your Lap Band put in place, you want to make sure that you are developing the type of long-term healthy eating habits that will prevent you from gaining weight back in the future. Smoothies are looked at as one of those healthy options that can help you in achieving this goal. Smoothies are nutritious and easy to make. They are also versatile, giving you an endless array of options that you can explore as you find smoothies that will suit your hunger needs for breakfast, lunch, or any time of day.

However, smoothies are not always as healthy as you might think. In fact, there are some smoothies that would be better classified as milkshakes. Loaded with calories and tons of sugar, you need to be careful that you aren’t accidentally making yourself a recipe for disaster every time you turn on the blender.

When you are making a smoothie, you want to avoid calorie heavy foods like:

• Nut butters
• Ice cream
• Sherbet
• Artificially flavored yogurts

Before you start adding foods to your smoothie, talk to your weight loss surgeon and your nutrition specialists to find out what foods you ought to be eating. Then, follow the healthy principles of making a weight loss smoothie to create something that is healthy and calorie appropriate. Try to add more vegetables than fruits, and to use non-fat milk as a base.

While your Lap Band is designed to help you feel full after smaller meals, allowing you to more easily cut back on what you are eating without constantly feeling the pangs of hunger, the Lap Band doesn’t always help against calories from beverages. Smoothies can pass through the restricted portion of your stomach easily, meaning that you may feel hungry again rather sooner than you might originally expect.

A great alternative to making your own smoothies is to use a meal replacement shake that is approved by your weight loss surgeon as being a healthy food choice. Using a weight loss shake in lieu of a smoothie to replace your breakfast or lunch will ensure that your smoothie stays within your calorie budget, and that it is loaded in all of the nutrients and vitamins that you need to stay healthy after Lap Band surgery.