Reviewed by The Mom Store editorial team, October 2026. See our editorial policy.
A homemade smoothie can be a perfectly good part of a pregnancy diet, as long as the ingredients are safe and it does not become your main way of eating fruit. The useful details are about what goes into the blender and how much of it you drink.
How a smoothie fits into a healthy pregnancy diet
The NHS guide to a healthy diet in pregnancy recommends at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day, some protein rich foods every day, and fibre from fruit, vegetables and wholegrains to help prevent constipation. A smoothie can help with all three on days when nausea makes a full plate hard to face.
There is one catch. The NHS page on what counts towards your 5 A Day says juices and smoothies count as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink, and suggests keeping them to a combined 150ml a day. Blending fruit releases the sugars it contains, which can damage teeth, so the NHS advises having smoothies with a meal rather than sipping them between meals. In practice that means a small glass with breakfast, and whole fruit for the rest of your portions.
Ingredients that work well
- Fruit and vegetables: banana, mango, apple, papaya, guava, berries, spinach, cucumber or carrot. Wash them thoroughly first. The NHS explains that soil on produce can carry toxoplasma, a parasite that can harm an unborn baby.
- Something with protein: pasteurised milk, homemade curd made from boiled or pasteurised milk, or a spoon of peanut butter or soaked nuts. This makes the glass more filling than fruit alone.
- Fibre: a spoon of oats or ground seeds such as flax.
- Flavour: cardamom, a little ginger, mint or cinnamon instead of sugar or honey.
A few combinations that suit Indian kitchens: banana, curd and cardamom; mango, spinach and milk; apple, carrot and a little ginger; or a savoury sattu and buttermilk blend with mint and roasted jeera in summer.
What to leave out
The NHS list of foods to avoid in pregnancy is the best guide here:
- Unpasteurised milk, cream, yoghurt or ice cream. These can carry listeria. Use packet milk or milk you have boiled, and curd made from it. Ask about pasteurisation at juice stalls and cafes, or skip dairy based drinks there.
- Too much caffeine. Coffee, matcha and cola based shakes count towards the NHS limit of 200mg of caffeine a day. A cup of instant coffee has about 100mg.
- Herbal powders and teas. The NHS notes there is not much research on herbal teas in pregnancy, suggests no more than 4 cups a day, and advises avoiding liquorice root. Skip detox powders and herbal mixes in smoothies unless your doctor has approved them.
- Added sugar, syrups and lots of dates or honey. The fruit is already sweet, and the sugar adds up quickly once it is blended.
Shop bought or cafe smoothies are often much larger than 150ml and may contain added sugar, so a home blend gives you more control.
If you have gestational diabetes
If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, check with your diabetes team or dietitian before making smoothies a regular habit, and follow their advice on portions and blood sugar testing.
Smoothies do not replace the folic acid supplement the NHS recommends in pregnancy, or any iron or other supplement your doctor has prescribed.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.
