For this month’s HH Newsletter freebie, my awesome intern put all my high protein smoothie recipes into a printable ebook! She also added this awesome graphic that I thought I’d share with you guys today! (This post was originally published in 2015, with just a list, no awesome graphic like below!)
I also did a facebook live yesterday. Couldn’t figure out how to see my comments or if I was even live, nevertheless, I made a smoothie! You can watch that below too (note I cut it down quite a bit so you could get the good points faster!)
Smoothies are healthy, easy, portable and delicious, so naturally, they make an awesome breakfast! One of the most common questions I get asked is about what should go in a morning smoothie?
All to often smoothies are loaded with sugar and not a lot of substance, leaving you feeling hungry quickly after! Luckily, with a few simple tweaks, you can build a super healthy smoothie with more staying powder!
There are three keys to building a filling smoothie that can tide you over for a significant amount of time, they are a good dose of protein, a healthy fat, and enough fiber! Start by making sure all three pieces are there and you are sure to have a smoothie that will keep you full for hours! Note, if you are having your smoothie POST workout you may want to include more
Nd you are sure to have a smoothie that will keep you full for hours! Note, if you are having your smoothie POST workout you may want to include more
you are sure to have a smoothie that will keep you full for hours! Note, if you are having your smoothie POST workout you may want to include more healthy carbohydrates for recovery!
The Magic 3 Ingredients
Don’t Forget Protein
You want to make sure you have healthy protein in your smoothie. Protein helps initiate satiety hormones which tell you are full, meaning when you add protein to your smoothie it automatically will keep you fuller longer.
Protein also takes more energy to break down, increase the calories you expend digesting that meal. I usually recommend a minimum of 15 grams for a small sized female and a minimum of 30 grams for a small male. (Read this for more tips on to how to get enough protein throughout your day. )
Add Healthy Fat
The biggest mistake people make when trying to replace a meal with a smoothie is forgetting the healthy fat. Healthy fat is also responsible for keeping you fuller for longer. Plus, healthy fats make the smoothie more creamy and taste better!
Don’t skip them, throw in a handful of nuts, 1-2 tablespoons of seeds or nut butter, or use a high-fat milk or coconut milk. If you want to be really adventurous, a half of an avocado will make your smoothie creamier than cream, it’s delicious! ( Why you need healthy fat and 15 ways to get enough. )
Get A Punch Of Fiber
Most people load their smoothies with fruit and forget all about the protein, healthy fat, and fiber. Fiber is important to keep our digestive systems running smooth and to keep us full. While their smoothie tastes delicious, it’s mostly sugar with a tiny bit of fiber.
I usually recommend limiting fruit to 1/2 to 1 cup and getting extra fiber by doubling the number of veggies you use. You can get adventurous but I think the easiest to add veggies with minimal effect on flavor is spinach and carrots!
Ground flax seeds as well as chia seeds, both provide healthy omega 3 fats, but also provides a good dose of fiber. (They are also really great for hormone health.)
If you are a meal prep champ and prefer pre-made protein shakes, without all the fillers try this recipe for healthy pre-made portable protein shakes:
Love smoothies, but don’t have a lot of time in the morning? Check out my review on SmoothieBox smoothie delivery subscription services!
Or try one of these delicious and unique protein smoothie recipes:
Hi Kelli,
Thanks for adding me to your 90 day challenge email . Loved all the great tips and recipes ! I really appreciate all your hard work and commitment .
Thanks again
Kim Corl -Flynn
No problem KIm!
Smoothies are my absolute favorite breakfast! I drink one usually with protein powder, banana, and strawberries post workout then also have a piece of toast or oatmeal with almond butter for a healthy fat. I’ve considered adding other extras like spirulina, maca, or matcha powder. What extras do you recommend?
all those are great extras! totally depends on what you are looking for each one of those you listed has totally different benefits! Maybe I should do a whole post on smoothie extras!
I am all about the smoothies (I was about to say when its hot, but really just all the time). If I am having one for a meal, I find that adding a couple tablespoons of oats to it helps it stick with me longer.
Yum – oats in a smoothie are delicious and it makes it thicker!
Good question! Here’s my fav combo – Korean pear + mango.
Reason: 1. Delicious, delicious, delicious (with the sweet and sour favor). 2. Pear has deflaming power and mango has lots of fiber, so it’s super healthy.
Sometimes, I add in 1tsp turmeric powder to boost that cooling and calming power of the drink. For ppl who arent into turmeric’ flavor , not adding it still cools you down.
I don’t think turmeric adds a ton of flavor, I think it’s a great way to add an anti-inflammatory boost! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome!
Love this! Nut butter is always a great one!
I’ve been adding frozen cauliflower to my smoothies and loving it! I put a recipe on the blog.
I saw that on someone’s post, my immediate reaction is GROSS but then that’s how I felt about spinach at first and I’m okay with that now. Nevertheless in smoothies is the only way I eat spinach, I eat cauliflower all the time, almost for every meal!