15+ Best Cancer-Fighting Smoothies

Whether you’re trying to prevent cancer or you’re undergoing treatment, smoothies are an excellent way to get quick nutrition into your body.

Smoothies are easy to digest. Your blender does a lot of the work of breaking down fibers for you so that you can gain the nutrition benefits of the ingredients.

And, if you add ingredients like dark leafy greens or other veggies to your smoothie, you can transform it from just an ordinary blended drink to a superfood powerhouse. Read more of the health benefits of drinking green smoothies.

When I was undergoing my own thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment back in 2012, I ate a ton of smoothies. I was so stressed out that it was hard to eat anything else. I even took some frozen smoothies to the hospital with me. Read more about me.

If you think you don’t like smoothies, try again! It’s easy to vary your milk, fruit, and extras to get a flavor you like. Think about favorite milkshakes or desserts you’ve had in the past – I bet you can evoke similar flavors in your blender.

Here are some tips for making the tastiest and healthiest smoothies using whole foods.

Note: these smoothie recipes are not meant to replace any type of cancer treatment as prescribed by your doctor or medical team. This post is meant to help inform about the potential benefits of these types of smoothies as part of a healthy diet to benefit the immune system and overall health.

Fruit is frozen at the peak of freshness. This means you can enjoy your favorites year-round and don’t have to wait for them to be in season.

The fruit is also usually prepared for you to “dump and go” as it’s been peeled, cored, and chopped. While most fruit is unsweetened, always take a glance at the ingredient list to be sure there is no added sugar.

Try to include a variety of fruits in your smoothies. Choose from berries, mango, cherries, dragon fruit, acai, and more. Almost all fruit is full of vitamin C and has cancer-fighting properties from the antioxidants.

Plus, some cancer patients lose their appetites so adding fruit to your smoothies can be a delicious way to add more appeal.

See my clean eating grocery list for more healthy food shopping tips.

It really is true that you can hide a lot of nutrition in smoothies with vegetables! Leafy greens are so nutritious, but often hard to eat raw or cooked if you aren’t accustomed to their flavors.

Baby spinach can be added raw, and if you don’t add too much at once you won’t notice the flavor (though you will see the color!). Also try kale, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, and more.

Cruciferous vegetables are the most studied and renowned for their cancer-fighting abilities, so opt for these first. These foods can help fight cancer cells and will help transform your smoothies into a nutrient-rich bomb for better health.

Many grocery stores also carry a large variety of frozen vegetables. Butternut squash is a lot of work to prepare from raw with the peeling, chopping, and roasting. But you can easily add frozen, cubed squash to your smoothie from the freezer section! Riced cauliflower and broccoli are very popular right now so they are also sold frozen.

Ideally, you would steam and freeze your own vegetables to help reduce any change of food-borne illness (because the frozen veggies sold in stores are meant to be cooked before served). See my guides for how to freeze broccoli, how to freeze cauliflower, and how to freeze spinach.

Save money by buying your frozen fruits in bulk. I have an extra freezer in my garage partially devoted to bags of frozen berries and other fruits. See more of my tips for eating healthy on a budget.

Fat adds a lot to smoothies – pairing fresh produce with fats really helps you absorb the nutrition. Even if you are paying attention to your weight, you should add some healthy fats to aid in digestion.

Choose healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, coconut meat, or nuts and seeds.

Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and unsweetened coconut can add some fun crunch to a smoothie bowl. See my article with the best healthy smoothie bowl toppings.

Nut butters can add fun flavors like making a Peanut Butter Cauliflower Smoothie!

If you want your smoothie to be a filling meal, reach for your favorite unsweetened protein powder. As always, read the ingredients carefully to make sure there aren’t any hidden sweeteners you don’t want.

See my list of the best paleo protein powders that are all unsweetened with no questionable ingredients.

Adding protein can also be helpful if you are using your smoothies as a meal replacement.

This is where you can have a bit of fun! Cacao or cocoa powder can change the flavor, and cinnamon can add some warmth like making a pumpkin spice smoothie. These extras can also help hide any lingering flavors from your leafy greens.

You can also try adding fresh herbs like fresh mint leaves or cilantro.

Best Smoothie Blenders

If you are making smoothies just for yourself, you may want to try one of the various single-serving blenders on the market (see my recommendations below).

They usually have a cup that screws onto the blade attachment so you can blend right in the cup you are drinking from – just swap out the blade for a drinking lid or straw and be on your way.

A downside to these types is if your mixture is too thick you can’t open a lid to add liquid mid-blend. You also have the risk of leaving your cup at work or somewhere else. And, of course, you can only make one serving of smoothie at a time.

Recommended single-serve blenders:  Hamilton Beach, NutriBullet, Vitamix single-serve container (for use with a Vitamix Ascent)

A standard kitchen blender might work for the most basic smoothie recipes. Look for ones that mention an ice crushing feature or “good for milkshakes.”

This means they should be able to handle a basic smoothie of frozen fruit and liquid, though you might need to add more liquid than desired to keep things moving.

This is a good starter option to see if you enjoy smoothie making. Keep in mind this blender may not be able to fully incorporate leafy greens.

Recommended regular blenders: Hamilton Beach, Oster

The most expensive option is a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. They are powerful enough to pulverize leafy greens and even whole nuts. This is the best option if you like to add a lot of extras to your drink and if you want the smoothest texture.

I have used both of these brands and they are amazing!

Another huge benefit is the ability to make full recipes in your blender such as oat blender pancakes or soups. Many times these blenders can also roughly chop items like onions and garlic so you don’t need a food processor.

A high speed blender is what I personally use and recommend most often. It is a worthwhile investment.

You might also like my round-up of the best Vitamix recipes!

Recommended high-speed blenders: Blendtec, Vitamix

Smoothies can be made ahead. Whether you make extra on purpose, or you make more than you can drink at once after you add all your extras, it is very easy to store.

The texture won’t be the same, but you can store your smoothie in a jar in the fridge. It will separate some but can easily be stirred and ready to go. You can also freeze leftovers in a popsicle mold for a fun treat (see my complete list of clean eating snacks)!

If you prefer your smoothies made fresh, “smoothie packs” are a great option. Add your desired fruit and extras to a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer so you can add to your blender with liquid. You can re-use the bags, just store them in the freezer even when empty so they don’t get moldy.