Smoothies can be a great way to start the day or refuel after a workout, but without the right balance of ingredients you can end up with a sugar-loaded drink that will spike your blood sugar levels and leave you hungry shortly afterward.

When made properly, smoothies can be an easy and convenient way to pack a lot of nourishment into one glass, Rebecca Ditkoff, a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nutrition by RD , told HuffPost. Although the primary ingredient is fruit, which is nourishing and beneficial in proper portions, it is still possible to have too much of a good thing, Ditkoff said.

She noted that the amount of sugar in a fruit-forward smoothie can quickly add up and even reach levels comparable to a soda (Liquiterias mean green smoothie has 47.5 grams of sugar while a 16-ounce Coke has 52 grams of sugar ), especially if its not balanced with other ingredients.

Ditkoff recommended skipping fruit juice, which lacks fiber, and limiting the total amount of fruit for one smoothie to 1 cup. Meaning that if youre mixing different fruits like bananas and berries, use half of a small banana and a half cup of berries.