Fast, delicious, low carb protein smoothie to help get those fruits and vegetables in and stave off morning hunger.
Summer always makes me crave smoothies. A sweet, cool smoothie helps my body deal with the hot weather and helps replenish fluids after a long hike or swim. It's easy to throw fruit in the blender and mix, but what if you want something that has less impact on blood sugar?
I created this recipe because I wanted to enjoy a fruit smoothie without the worry that my blood sugar would sky-rocket. By including fiber and ingredients low in added sugar, this smoothie is packed with nutrition and flavor.
I often make these smoothies as a quick breakfast or snack, and even freeze some for my son to enjoy as a popsicle. He has never turned down this smoothie even though he knows that it has kale in it (and he is not a fan of vegetables!!). In fact, he once told me the smoothie tasted like vanilla and chocolate ice cream!
For an extra special treat, make popsicles out of the smoothie to enjoy on a hot day.
If you are someone who struggles with breakfast or has a child that struggles to get the recommended 3-5 servings or fruit and/or vegetables in daily, give this smoothie recipe a try. It’s amazing what this combination can do to hide the flavor and fibrous texture of kale.
Ariela's Best Smoothie Recipe
Takes 5 minutes total to prepare.
Nutrition Facts:
Makes ~1 liter of smoothie with a total of 51 grams carbohydrate per liter with the use of vanilla greek yogurt, unsweetened soy milk and mixed berries for the fruit. The smoothie pictured here contains 82 grams of carbohydrate per liter as it was made with oat milk and a frozen tropical fruit blend.
Ingredients:
1 medium banana
1 cup of frozen or fresh fruit
Handful of spinach or kale
¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup soy milk or alternative
2 scoops protein powder
Sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg
Tools:
blender
measuring cups
popsicle mold
mason jars for storage
Method:
Put all ingredients together in the blender. Blend on high until smooth. Enjoy!
Tips:
For those who are sensitive to color, use blueberries or blackberries to hide the green from the spinach or kale. You could also use some low sugar cocoa powder.
As you get used to having greens in your smoothie, try a smaller portion of them and add more when you feel ready.
Add a little honey or 1/4 cup orange juice if you like a sweeter drink.
Add 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil to provide those helpful omega-3 fatty acids. Adding nut butter would be another option but this tends to change the flavor more than the flax seed oil. Neither addition would change the carb count for this smoothie.
I tend to use whey protein and look at the ingredient list to find the brand with the least additives possible and with very little added sugar. There are many other types of protein powders that work great but may alter the flavor of the smoothie. Just make sure your protein powder does not have a ton of extras put in it (as in protein powders from the gym designed to "get you pumped").
Store leftovers in a mason jar so that you can easily take them to go. Since the smoothie separates overnight, the mason jar makes it simple to shake and enjoy, no utensils necessary!
I hope you enjoy this tasty smoothie on your way to work, as an afternoon pick-me-up or on a hot summer day. Help your kids expand their fruit and vegetable arsenal by giving this smoothie a try. It's amazing how many kids will agree to trying a smoothie even if they know it has vegetables in it. My son looks forward to these smoothies even though we struggle to get him to eat any vegetables. For an extra special treat, make popsicles with the smoothie to enjoy on a hot day - you can see him enjoying the smoothie above.
Share your own recipes or pictures of your smoothie. Do you have anything that you add to your smoothie to boost the nutrition? Anyone add different types of vegetables into their smoothie? Which vegetables work the best for you and your family?