If you're like most people, smoothies and shakes have a special place in your healthy diet menu. But have you ever asked yourself what goes into your daily smoothie? Fruits? Nut butters? Coconut oil? Heaps of cocoa powder?

When done right, smoothies and shakes can be awesome meal replacements. They can provide you with top-notch nutrition including vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, protein, and antioxidants.

But while they can be complete meals in a cup, you can also end up sipping tons of extra sugar and calories if you're not carefully taking stock of what you blitz in your smoothie maker. Those little add-ons and flavor boosters might be interfering with your weight loss goals and you won't know any better.

So today, we'll be talking about how you can build a leaner, healthier, and tastier smoothie to help with your fitness journey. Here are 7 things you should be adding to your meal replacement shakes today that will level up your smoothie-making game!

1. Liquid

Every great-tasting smoothie starts with a liquid base. This allows you to blend all of the ingredients into a homogenous mixture that's easy to gulp down. You can use dairy-based milk, plant-based milk like almond milk, kefir, coconut water, tea, fresh juice, even iced coffee or tea.

2. Fruits

Fruits are staples in every smoothie. Not only do they add vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your shakes but they also add sweetness. Beware however of the amount of fruit you add in your smoothie since too much can spike up the sugar and carbohydrate count of your beverage.

Add frozen fruits like bananas, berries, cherries, apples, mangoes, pears, avocados, kiwi, passionfruit, and even cooked pumpkin to your smoothie.

3. Veggies

Adding a hint of leafy greens to your shakes not only boosts its nutritional value but also lets you sneakily consume more of the good stuff every day. These veggies are rich in chlorophyll, iron, and antioxidants that help rejuvenate the body, promotes good digestion, and protects you against oxidative stress. Try spinach, lettuce, kale, celery, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, rocket, or arugula.

Some people simply hate the idea of green smoothies because they think it'll make their shakes taste like dirt. If you're one of these people, you can add other veggies too that can add a bit of sweetness or will fade into the background but will still provide you with dietary fiber and nutrients. Adding cucumbers, bell peppers, fennel, or zucchinis to your shakes also lets you add fewer fruits so you can cut back on extra sugar.

4. Protein

Protein plays a crucial role in muscle building and recovery as well as in fat loss. You can add whole food options like 1/2 to 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, or chickpeas into your shake. You can also go for protein powders like whey protein, casein protein, pea protein, or brown rice protein. But be sure to check the sugar content of the protein powder you'll be using.

5. Plant-Based Fats

The truth is your body needs fat to function properly. It is a macronutrient that provides energy that sustains you every day, provides essential fatty acids, and helps curb overeating. Add 1 tablespoon of nut butters, seeds, coconut oil, flax oil, olive oil, or a quarter of an avocado to make your smoothie filling and loaded with heart-loving omega-3s.

6. Grains

Grains add a little more heft to your smoothie and turns them into a complete meal. They can add essential carbohydrates that refuel your glycogen stores which are crucial for post-workout recovery. You can try adding flaxseeds, psyllium seeds, oats, or chia seeds.

7. Boosters

Flavorful add-ons make smoothies tastier, healthier, and more interesting,. You can add flavorings like cocoa powder, cinnamon, turmeric, matcha powder, and even superfood boosters like Oxy Greens which helps boost your smoothie's vitamin content, helps improve your mood, aids with proper digestion, and more!