Protein Smoothie Recipe for Breakfast
Jules Walters • July 26, 2024
I know what it feels like when you have just a few minutes before the start of another busy day.
This protein smoothie is one of my favorites and will get your day off to a strong start. And the best news is that it takes just minutes to make. It’s more like assembling than cooking.
Ingredients for a power protein smoothie
The key ingredients are the protein powder, the milk and the berries. The rest are additions that you can mix in as you like.
I recommend keeping the chia seeds and the cauliflower as it will give you omega 3 healthy brain fats, that’s the chia seeds, and a good dose of antioxidants in the cauliflower.
How much to add, and in which order
The good news is that it doesn’t matter in which order you add everything, as it’s all going to be mixed up. The one piece of equipment you will need is a smoothie blender, which will cost about $50. It’s well worth the investment, particularly if you’re going to be using it each week.
About the ingredients
Protein powder: one scoop
You can choose your source of protein: either a vegetable protein like pea or whey from cow’s milk. One scoop should give you 20-24 grams of protein.
Berries: one cup
Berries are a great source of antioxidants, which help our bodies remove free radicals that we produce every day. Choose your favorite berries: raspberries, strawberries or blueberries – or add a mix of all three.
You can replace fresh berries with frozen ones, straight from the freezer. It works just as well.
Milk: one cup
You can use any type of milk to combine everything together. My preference is unsweetened almond milk for a smooth result. Add one cup and then tip in a bit more till you get the consistency you like.
Cauliflower: few frozen florets
A great trick is to buy a whole cauliflower and cut it into florets, which are the flower-shaped pieces that make up the head of the cauliflower. You can put the florets in a plastic bag and freeze. Just grab a few florets when it’s smoothie time.
Cauliflowers are one of the cruciferous vegetables and, as such, another great antioxidant.
Chia seeds: one tablespoon
These tiny black seeds are packed with goodness. You don’t need to grind them, just add them into the mix as they are. Chia seeds have omega 3 polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to improve brain health.
Turmeric: half a teaspoon
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice thanks to its active ingredient curcumin. It has a slightly bitter taste but you won’t notice it thanks to the berries.
Other ideas
Honey
If you have a sweet tooth, you could add a dash of honey to the mix. The berries have a naturally sweet taste but you might like a little more to balance the tumeric.
Banana – Leave out!
Although a great source of potassium, the average banana has about 21 grams of sugar, which is about five teaspoons of sugar. That’s a lot. Berries have half that sugar.
Also, bananas contain polyphenol oxidase, which destroys most of the nutritional value of the flavanols in berries.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt has more protein in it and less sugar than other yogurts. You could add half a cup for a creamier mix.
Ice blocks
If it’s a hot day, you could throw in a few ice blocks and they’ll break down in the mixing.
And finally, if you’d like to know more about the nutritional content of foods, the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central is a great resource.