I haven't posted a new smoothie recipe on the blog in so long, mainly because I am sticking to my everyday green smoothie at the moment. But this morning, I fancied something different and thought it was a good opportunity to post a new smoothie recipe to the blog. I wanted to create a protein packed smoothie that is ideal for days when you have an early breakfast and don't want to be starving again come 10am. This means looking at the protein content of the smoothie and adding some good sources of plant based protein.
I often get emails and comments asking if a smoothie is enough to fill you up until lunchtime and my answer is that I don't know; it depends on the person, what's in the smoothie and the time between breakfast and lunch. I usually have a two course breakfast; a smoothie first thing in the morning and then have something like porridge or chia seed pudding after having my shower and getting dressed. However, if I want to just have a smoothie and get going, I make sure that I add oats and seeds to my smoothie to keep me satisfied for longer. For instance a smoothie made from kale, cucumber, apple and almond milk would not keep me going in the same way as a smoothie that includes oats, seeds, nuts, avocado and banana.
So back to today's smoothie; I am focusing on the protein. I have added good sources of plant based protein such as hemp seeds, chia seeds and oats. I didn't add any leafy greens to this smoothie as I have a green juice waiting for me in the fridge, but you could easily add a cup of spinach of kale for a little extra protein (not to mention all the other good stuff).
While I had this smoothie for breakfast, it also works great at any time of the day. For gym goers, this might be a good smoothie to have straight after working out to build up your muscles.
I have checked the protein content of this smoothie using the nutritional data on the packaging of the main protein sources and it comes in at a cool 24.7grams of protein which is pretty great considering an adult woman's recommended daily amunt is 46g and an adult male's recommended daily amount is 56g (the recommended amount may increase depending on how active you are). I didn't include the small amount of protein in the banana and blueberries. I also didn't include the protein in the almond milk as protein content varies between homemade and store bought almond milk and in the latter case between brand.
I have included the gram weight in this recipe as I wanted to be exact when checking the protein content from the nutritional labels. I have also included the cup/tbsp measurement as I know this is such an easy way to measure out our smoothies in the morning.
This recipe makes 1 large smoothie. Enjoy.
Blueberry Protein Punch Smoothie
30 grams (2.5 tbsp) chia seeds (6.4g protein)
30 grams (2 tbsp) hemp seeds (11g protein)
40 grams (0.5 cup) of oats (4.5g protein)
16grams (1 tbsp) cashew nut butter (2.8g protein)
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/2 banana
1 1/2 cup of almond milk
Juice of a lemon
Method:
1. Place the chia seeds, hemp seeds and oats in a blender and blend into a powder.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend into a smoothie. Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container int he fridge for up to 24 hours.