If you're looking for a super healthy, high protein breakfast smoothie, look no further than this super simple strawberry smoothie recipe. It's quick and easy meal prep, and not only delicious, but this recipe is also jam-packed with protein, making it the perfect post-workout snack or mid-day pick-me-up. Ready? Let's start blending!
How To Increase Protein In Smoothies?
If you haven't tried adding extra protein to smoothies before, you are going to love it! This easy hack to boost your protein intake is easily prepared by mixing your favourite protein powder with fresh or frozen fruit, greens, nuts and seeds to make a highly nutritious meal. It can be as simple as including a 30-60g scoop of protein powder to your smoothie ingredients, or by including high protein foods in your recipes such as the following:
High Protein Ingredients for Smoothies
chia seeds: are a densely nutritious seeds that provides an excellent plantbased source of clean protein and dietary fibre.
flaxseeds: are a powerhouse of nutrients and also provide a plantbased source of protein for smoothies.
Greek yogurt: is a natural source of clean protein and also probiotics.
nut butters: such as almond butter, cashew, or peanut butter, provide healthy fats and protein in smoothies; use the runny, all natural kind without anything else other than nuts/seeds on the ingredients list.
protein powder: made from whey, casein, or plantbased (pea/brown rice) provides a healthy hit of protein and is super easy to add by dumping in a 30-60g scoop to the blender.
rolled oats: might be top of mind for protein, but they do provide smaller dose and are an excellent high-fibre ingredient for smoothies; add a tablespoon or two for a creamy texture.
silken tofu: is another plantbased or vegan source of clean protein powder and makes for a creamy texture.
As you can see, there are so many easy ways to increase the nutrition and protein content in your morning smoothies. A breakfast that includes a good serving of clean protein is one of the best ways to start off the day and help reduce food and sugar cravings later in the day. Try it for a week straight and see how you feel!
Key Ingredients Used
This protein smoothie is the perfect breakfast recipe for busting those afternoon sugar-free cravings. All you need to make it is a few key ingredients and a high-powered blender. The fabulous thing about this recipe though, is that you can flavour it any number of ways simply by varying the fruit, nuts, seeds, and other ingredients.
milk: you can use any type of milk for this smoothie, but I prefer plantbased milk like unsweetened almond, coconut, oat or non-GMO soy.
banana or cauliflower: use a frozen banana for the creamiest texture and eliminate the need for ice, or instead, for a lower carb version, try steamed cauliflower for added thickness.
berries or high-fibre fruit: you can use fresh or frozen strawberries, but also any berry will do. Try other high-fibre fruits like apricots, green banana, kiwi, mango, pear, or figs.
yoghurt: use Greek yogurt for an extra boost of protein, or try vegan yoghurts like coconut or cashew (just watch for sugar); stir in a scoop of vegan or whey-based protein powder before you blend for an additional boost.
protein powder: adding protein powder makes this smoothie an ideal breakfast or pre or post workout smoothie recipe.
As you can see, adding more protein to smoothies is quite simple, and many of these ingredients are probably already sitting in your fridge or kitchen pantry. You can make smoothies as basic or as gourmet as you choose, based on what you have on-hand, and how much time you have to meal prep.
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Tips For Making Smoothies
The best way to make smoothies is to meal prep the ingredients you plan to use so get the most nutrition and taste from each one. Pop on over to my Meal Planning blog for heaps of quick and easy meal prep tips and click here how to make my famous "smoothie drops" for smoothies on the run.
freeze overripe bananas: whenever you have bananas that are almost past their best, freeze the bananas either in their peel, or pre-chop into chunks and pop into a container. You can then add them right into smoothies for a that delicious creamy texture and flavour
make it thick: adding frozen banana creates a lovely, soft-serve texture to smoothies; also try a handful of ice, avocados, steamed cauliflower or sweet potato.
skip the protein powder: adding protein powder to smoothies gives them an extra energy boost, but you can make this drink without if you prefer.
use a high speed blender: this will get the ingredients nice and smooth. If you don’t have a high speed blender, you may need to stir it a few times, and blend for slightly longer til all of the banana has broken down.
Allergic To Dairy?
Experiment with coconut, cashew, soy or other non-dairy milk to find one that provides you with the best smoothie consistency. Personally, I find a nice, unsweetened almond or even just water to be the best dairy-free option. You can also try coconut water (just watch for added sugars).
Diabetic, Can I Still Enjoy This Recipe?
Balancing your blood sugar is super important to your well-being as a diabetic. You can definitely enjoy this high-protein smoothie recipe (and many of my other recipes) by focusing on using low carb, high fibre fruits like blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, and healthy fats from avocado, nut butter, almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Choose a protein powder that is very low in sugar (less than 3g per serving), and focus on creating smoothie recipes that build off the healthy fats and protein. This'll help keep your blood sugar levels in check.
Just a footnote--if you choose to add dairy-based protein, always go for an organic, grass-fed whey base. And if you are plantbased like myself, opt for a vegan version that has both pea and brown rice proteins to create the full amino chain. For me as a diabetic, I use Aussie Bodies, "Nourish". This brand has 16.5g of vegan sourced protein and only 3 carbs, 0.3g sugar and already 7g of dietary fibre per serving before you even add in the wholesome ingredients suggested above. Winning!
Protein Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie
Blenders ready? I promise you once you taste this strawberry smoothie recipe, you'll be as hooked as I am! It makes such a quick brekkie, a deliciously sweet dessert on a hot summer's day, or for an afternoon snack-- and one you can happily enjoy guilt-free. You only need a few minutes to prepare it, and it is super nourishing.
High Protein Strawberry Smoothie |
Ingredients |
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Method |
In a blender, add the yoghurt, protein powder, oil, sweetener and vanilla. Pulse to combine, then pour the mixture into a shallow pan lined with baking paper. Spread evenly to cover the bottom of the pan. Depending on the pan size, the yoghurt mix should be a few centimetres thick. Add the berries and chips evenly across the top. Cover and freeze the pan with the yoghurt mix for 2-3 hours. To serve, break off or cut into pieces. One to two small piece of bark count as a portion. |
Recipe Options |
You can make this recipe a number of ways using dairy or vegan yoghurt as the base. Add superfood powders to flavour and enhance the nutritional value with a teaspoon of acai berry, blue butterfly pea or spirulina to the mix. This also created colourful bark and is fun and highly nutritious for the kids as well as adults. |
Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner
Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in wholefood nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health and anti-diet culture. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, in her test kitchen and a wellness digital creator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
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