Getting your daily veggie intake on an Anti-Candida Diet can get tedious and be at-times difficult but there is always a way to get creative with it. Lately I have been turning to smoothies to get the job done when I cannot bother with another salad and I am here to help YOU on how to make a Candida-Friendly Smoothie of your very own (and the crowd goes wild). I know what you are thinking. How can I drink a smoothie when I am avoiding fruit? Well, technically (depending on what Candida Camp you fall into) you can enjoy very small servings of fruit as long as they are low in sugar. For me, I have to be very strict about this lest my symptoms rear their ugly head (which is why it’s so important to Inventory Your Symptoms as seen in my ABCs of Candida Overgrowth post). Every body is different so do what your doctor tells you and then explore based off of what you know is best for you and how your body responds.
I’m not going to lie, I miss smoothies with more fruit in them…mainly bananas. I miss bananas dearly. But I have found chia seeds to give a really great substitute as a thickener so for the time-being, finding swaps and learning to love them are key with a Candida diagnosis. I will dive more into this later in another post but it really is more than just getting through these several months. My bad habits got me into this situation so during this diet I HAVE to learn how to undo some of the damage and that means I’m not going to like it at times. And that is okay. I must remain willing to learn how to incorporate it into my daily life regardless. So onward I go, drinking green smoothies that are mildly sweetened…
Making a Candida-Friendly smoothie is rather easy. There are just six (though not limited to) basic parts to creating a green drink that is safe for your belly:
Candida-Friendly Green Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- 16 oz. homemade nondairy milk
- 1 c. fresh spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- 5 frozen strawberries
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- liquid stevia to taste
- Optional: DIY Protein Powder
Instructions
- Throw everything into your Black and Decker Personal Blender until smooth.
- Adjust flavor with liquid stevia.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 0.6g
- Sodium: 30g
- Fat: 26g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 15g
- Protein: 8g
Another important factor of smoothie-making is a good blender. Let’s be real. You do not need to break the bank by spending $500 on a blender that I speak not of, which by the way I am not saying is not a good blender. It really is. It’s just very pricey. And big. And for those of us who don’t have that sort of money to spend on a kitchen appliance or even have the storage room (you should see how SMALL my kitchen is), I give you the Black and Decker Personal Blender. I was so surprised at what a great blade this blender has! An “S” blade is very important for me to have because I am an avid homemade nondairy mylk maker and it’s the best blade for pulverizing the crap out of cashews and almonds. But wait it gets better! This personal blender only costs $30 at Target. I know. I will give you a moment to catch your breath.
It comes with 2 individual smoothie cups, lids included, 1 blade, and one heck of a powerful motor for such a little guy. I highly recommend this blender* to anyone who has a budget, looking for a compact blender to store, dabbles here and there with blending or even for those who make daily smoothies. Just shove the goods in, blend, cap it and off you go. Easy! You can purchase the blender in store or online (click here to buy). Hooray for many options!
Now it’s your turn to take this guide and create your very own Candida-Friendly Smoothie! Go explore and if you find a good combination, I’d love to hear about it on Instagram. Or here!
*Please note that I was not compensated by Black and Decker for this review. I was, however, given a blender to sample for free but these opinions are completely my own. I love it. You will too
I love the basic recipe with variations. I “think” i may have a candida problem because I am developing successive food allergies and that is a sign of a leaky gut. I am doing my best to find things that I CAN eat with my busy life. Smoothies are something I can make and take with me so that is great.
To other’s comments–there is a LOT of different info about different candida diets out there. They contradict each other on some specific foods. For example, one book I just recently read suggested that sweet potatoes are okay but most ban them. Yet, it seems I am not having as much problem with them as I am having with non-dairy yogurt. Yogurt = probiotics so it should help right. Not for me. I agree that people should listen to their bodies. When I start sneezing or have post nasal drip after eating a food, I know it isn’t one MY body tolerates well–at least not now.
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I was encouraged to read the comments as I’ve
Struggled with celiac. For a long time.
Smoothies sounds great- I will follow York suggestions. I’m tired of salads and yogurt & used to love fruit. But a little low glucemic fruit OK. Thanking you from Ruth **(***
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I used some frozen avocado, spinach, a green tart apple (for 3 servings), almond milk, a little bit of mint and some lime juice, plus sweetener. Very good!
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Great recipe! This is perfect for people with candida. I have also found fresh frozen coconut purée in the freezer section which also might be good to add.😊 it’s called inner-eco puréed coconut.
Hi Cara, I read through your blog and it definitely motivated me to start my own plan with all the helpful insight you provided. 2019 will be my best year ever in regards to my health, that will lead me to improve in many areas of my life. Thanks Cara for sharing God bless you❤
‘CHOOSE YOUR LOW SUGAR FRUIT’????? What?? you do NOT have fruit if you want to clear the candida! Where did you obtain your nutritional degree… oh yes… you dont have one.
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HA, no one said I was an expert, I just had my own experience with candida. And from my own DOCTOR, I was advised I could have very small helpings of low sugar fruit. And guess what? My candida is gone.
Cara – So glad you updated on your candida status! I was just going through your blog to see if you had kicked it. I’m fighting it now – how long did it take?
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It took 3 LONG months! <3
Plus if you look on the candida diet website it plainly says small portions of low sugar fruit is acceptable. Nuff said.
This is NOT true. I am also on a candida diet from my doctor and was told small amounts of barries are ok. I also did a lot of research before starting and many pages said barries are fine in small amoumts due to the low glycemic count
If you do your own research, you will see buried beneath the BS circulating on the internet, fruit detoxifies and heals. I followed a strict candida diet and it didn’t go away for a month. I finally threw in towel and listened to my body who was literally begging for fruit, I can’t believe it has nearly gone away. Everyone trusts their doctors way too much. The same doctors prescribing chemo when the real answer for cancer is out there. Wake up. Educate yourself. Listen to your own body. I bet you’re fussy because of all the restrictions your ‘amazing’ doctor put you on. Now look at me and the author- flourishing, growing, with a fruit juice in hand.
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Oh this looks delicious, I hope my blender is up to it. Will have to try I guess.
Thank you for the great information Cara! I have been working to balance candida levels in my body for almost 7 months, with the initial plan of being on the plan for 12 months. It has become such a part of my lifestyle that I don’t even know if I will go back to eating all of the stuff I ate before. It all just made me feel so awful. I am really enjoying your articles on Candida overgrowth since you seem to have a similar outlook, that it is not a “diet” or a hinderance, but embracing true health. Namaste
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I couldn’t do this diet without my smoothies. I’d like to add that lemongrass is also a nice flavour to add, especially with coconut milk and lime.
Oooooo Mo, that sounds like an awesome addition. Thanks for the tip!
This is great! I tend to rely a little too heavily on bananas to thicken and sweeten my smoothies. Love the suggested options in this post!
Hi Cara,
I’m going to try making this after my next workout. I’ve been dealing with candida issues for years, since I finished antibiotics for lyme disease. It’s been pretty horrible for me and my boyfriend both. We get a rash if we even so look at bread or anything with sugar in it. I’ve been on a bread/sugar free diet for years and still have candida. I take probiotics and have tried anti fungals but nothing seems to get rid of it. I’m thinking I’m in this for life. :/
Have you tried taking grapefruit seed extract and oil or oregano at the same time? Together they may work, but if you’ve taken them alone and it didn’t work the candida might have already become stronger than the single antifungal herb. I’m battling this too!
I was just diagnosed with what I think is a lifelong struggle with Candida and intolerance to sugar and processed foods. My general practitioner is a DO so she put me on a month of Diflucan and the yeast free diet. Although I know it breaks the rules of natural living and has a terrible reputation, have you tried or considered pharmacueticals in the short term? Just a thought….Lyme is a life changer. Good luck!
I was wondering on the ingredients, do you have to have for example, the greens AND the sprirulina and then on the base, is it the non-dairy milk AND ice? I’ve been making mine for about 3 weeks now and not used the Sprirulina because I just didn’t read this carefully enough but I will get some if it’s necessary. I have been using ice and water in addition to the suggestions you put in the diagram above which is fabulous, btw! Thank you thank you! I am working with a nutritionist too so I could ask her but figured I would check with you first.
Looks fabulous! I love smoothies, too, as a way to get those greens in. 🙂 And you are doing so well on this diet–good for you! You will feel SO much better when it’s done that it will all be worth it. And in the meantime, we all get to have incredilble candida-friendly recipes from you! Win-win! 😀
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.
That smoothie looks so freakin’ yummy! So grateful you posted about a blender that works without spending $500+……thank you!
1) Sounds delicious 2) $30 ???? Sign me up.
You HAVE to get this blender. It’s seriously great!
Great post! Although I don’t have candida, I’m always looking for ways to change up my smoothies (or nana ice cream bowls) and this looks like a delicious recipe! Great advice too about rotating foods. I think that’s been the hardest challenge for me since being diagnosed as a celiac about a year ago.
Mmmmm nana ice cream. I cannot wait for the day I can eat bananas again so until then I will live vicariously through you 🙂
Please note that spinach is unusually high in oxalates, much higher than other greens, and 2 C spinach in a smoothie is probably the highest amount of oxalates that anyone can ingest in a single meal. I can assure you from experience that you do not want a kidney stone from an extremely high oxalate diet. I would definitely rotate the greens just to be safe.
Great tip Alice! Thank you for your comment 🙂 I should also note that part of the issue with someone with a system yeast overgrowth is that they tend to eat the same foods over and over (usually the bad stuff) so it’s very important to always been rotating foods in general. So yes, a change in greens is a must!