A smoothie is not complete without at least one source of protein to keep you feeling full throughout the morning. While many people experiment with protein powders to get their fix, they often look past the protein-packed ingredients sitting right on their shelves.
While adding protein powders like whey, vegan pea, or SmoothieBox's collagen peptides are also great ways to pack some protein in your smoothies, mix things up with these alternative protein sources for different flavors and textures.
1. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a common smoothie add-in. It has a creamy texture that makes your smoothie silky. Yogurt is also packed with a protein called casein, containing all nine essential amino acids. Yogurt also contains calcium for bone health and probiotics for gut health. Plain Greek yogurt contains around 18-20 grams of protein per 6 ounces. Greek yogurt is a delicious add-in to SmoothieBox's Berry Smoothie Mix.
2. Nut Butters
There are multiple health benefits of adding nuts to smoothies! Peanut, almond, and cashew butters are extremely popular and packed with healthy fats. Adding nut butter into smoothies gives them a thick consistency with a sweet and nutty taste. A tablespoon of nut butter contains around 4 grams of protein and a healthy serving of monounsaturated (good) fats. Almond butter is a delicious add-in to SmoothieBox's Green Smoothie Mix.
3. Seeds
Small seeds can pack a big punch! Pumpkin, flax, chia and hemp seeds are some of the best super seeds for smoothies. They are all highly regarded for having lots of nutritional value despite their small size. Pumpkin and chia seeds have 3 grams of protein per tablespoon, and hemp seeds have around 4 grams. Since the serving sizes of these seeds tend to be around 2-3 tablespoons, you can get up to 12 grams of protein from the seeds alone! Flax seeds are delicious in all four of SmoothieBox's Smoothie mixes, but especially tasty with the Orange Smoothie Mix.
Protein-Packed Organic Smoothies
Each SmoothieBox smoothie contains about 4 grams of protein, but you can customize each flavor to your taste and dietary needs. Try these four protein-packed Super Smoothie recipes:
- Berry Pie Smoothie »
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie »
- Pecan Pie Smoothie »
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie Bowl »
References
Casein. (2020, August 26). Wikipedia.org.
Talmadge, C. (2017, November 9). 24 Ways To Add Protein To Your Smoothie Without Powder.