There are many ways to prepare a protein smoothie, but this one specifically packs a ton of protein & all the carefully chosen ingredients contain other wholesome benefits – it is a nutritional powerhouse that tastes fantastic.
It is easy to prepare (just blend all of the ingredients together). Plus, the amount of each component can be easily adjusted to suit your individual needs and taste.
This smoothie only takes a few minutes to make and is a better option than a ready-to-drink protein shake.
Protein Smoothie Ingredients
Almond Milk. 1 Cup.Low in calories, it is high in vitamins and minerals, including calcium. |  |
Elite Gourmet. 1 Scoop.A blend of whey and casein proteins (the two proteins found in milk), gives you different rates of absorption that will help you feel fuller, longer. |  |
Blueberries. ½ Cup.With the highest antioxidant rate of any fresh fruit, a half-cup of these also boasts 2 grams of fiber. Since blueberries are thin-skinned, go for organic, as conventional versions are more likely to harbor pesticides. |  |
Flax Seeds. 2 Tbsp.High in anti-inflammatory omega-3s, they also contain lots of fiber. |  |
Dark Chocolate. ¼ Bar.Not only is dark chocolate high in vitamins and minerals, it also may have chemicals that improve mood and brain function, and protect against stroke and heart disease. Who doesn’t love chocolate? |  |
Protein Smoothie Nutrition Information
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sodium | Sugar | |
| Silk – Pure Almond – Almond Milk Unsweetened – Original, 1 cup (240mL) | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 160 | 0 |
| Dymatize Nutrition – Elite Gourmet Protein (Casein/Whey Blend) – Milk Chocolate, 1 Scoop – 32.4 g | 125 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 95 | 0 |
| Blueberries – Raw, 0.5 cup | 41 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Trader Joe’s Golden Roasted Flax Seeds Whole Seeds 2tbsp | 90 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Green & Black Organic U.S.A Label – Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa – 35 g bar, 0.25 bar | 53 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 339 | 27 | 16 | 27 | 257 | 9 |
Just blend ingredients together and you’ve made yourself a deliciously healthy, high-protein smoothie that will keep you full for hours.
Let us know if you try this recipe out, or make your own variation.
This is brilliant! A quick and healthy alternative when pressed on time (or heck, not even if pressed on time) to put down a high protein meal following a workout while keeping the fiber and Omegas in check.
Casein has been linked to cancer.
“In fact, the connection between casein and cancer was so profound that the scientists could literally turn cancer growth on and off in the laboratory animals, like a light switch, simply by altering the level of casein protein in their diets. Interestingly, they also found that feeding the animals the same levels of plant based protein (gluten and soy) did not at all promote cancer growth.” -The China Study iby T. Colin Campbell and Jacob Gould Schurman
(Watch the documentary “Forks over Knives)
Chocolate contains a lot of saturated fat, which has been linked with heart disease. Replace chocolate with cocoa powder.
Barbara-
I have issues with the China Study, and do many others. Here are a three
critiques of the China Study, though there are countless others. Still, if that conclusion concerns you, by all means avoid casein. As for saturated fat and heart disease, I addressed that in another Builtlean article (https://www.builtlean.com/2014/01/20/saturated-fat/).
http://chriskresser.com/rest-in-peace-china-study.
/www.westonaprice.org/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/the-china-study-myth
Those are not reputable websites.
Why did I even come here? I knew you guys would be close minded. You just gotta have your meat. All that muscle is made up of corpses!
Everyone has their own beliefs, I think respect is the key, no matter what each one thinks, it is up to each individual to make their own decision on the facts they believe to be true, these “guys” are only trying to do good in posting these for everyone to do well. There is nothing wrong with information and we have an option , either to follow or change the recipe on our own preferences. (:-)
Thanks for your comment, Shelby. At the end of the day we are all trying to help each other and share useful information.
This looks awesome, will definitely give it a try ????
Hi there I tweaked this smoothie a bit by adding a banana and then i used oats and blue berries with the almond milk and chocolate it was awesome. Brilliant indeed. Really woke up my tatse buds
Awesome, thanks for sharing Antonio.
I think I either have a food sensitivity or a food allergy to whey . . . is there an alternative?
thanks 🙂
Hello Monica-
If you are sensitive to whey, some good alternatives are egg white protein or a vegetable protein blend (i.e. pea and rice proteins). Soy isolate is also a viable option, though it’s possible the risks outweigh the benefits. (I don’t think there’s a clear answer.)
Thanks Dr Seltzer.
What do you think of making one’s own protein ‘powder’ out of seeds (sesame, hemp, chia, flax, cumin)~it would Have to taste better than the powdered ones on the market 😛 . . . I haven’t figured out the amounts (1-2 tbsp each per smoothie/shake?) but I think I’d feel better about the *real food* element and those seeds are so small that w/o predigesting them in the Vitamix, I’m not likely to consume them as I’m in ketosis (baked goods are out) . . . although I could ingest them via chia pudding/flax cereal etc . . .
Thanks for being accessible. 🙂
This almost what I consume for my daily breakfast except I substitute a vegan protein powder blend (pea,brown rice and hemp), 2 tbl Chia instead of Flax, 2Tbl Raw Cacao instead of the Dark Chocolate, 1/2 cup of Organic Spinach, 1/4 piece of Avocado and 1 Tbl spoon of Almond Butter. It’s very alkalining, keeps me satieted and my blood sugar is stable.
Looks good Mark! LOVE the Almond butter!! 🙂
I did a nutritional analysis of a ‘smoothie’ comprised of each of the seeds I mentioned with a 2 tbsp quantity each:
Calories: 598
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 20
Fiber: 21
Sugar: 4
Carbs: 34 (Net: 13)
Fat: 44
Protein: 30
This is using Livestrong’s data base.
Thoughts? What else would you add? Maca? Cacao? MCT oil? Coconut Oil?
And while I’m at it, what about the controversy on:
1. Maca (should it be gelatinized?)
2. Raw/Roasted Cacao Nibs?
Monica-
That smoothie looks very healthy and full of nutrients. It does pack a significant amount of fat (about the same amount as a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese- though the fat in your smoothie is much healthier!), so if anyone wants to try it, make sure you’re accounting for it.
Hi Monica, I wanted to respect the aurhors’s original article and only offered my personal suggestions based personal preference. I do alternate between MCT oil and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil depending if I workout as they are both good energy sources.i also add 1Tbl of Black Gelatinized Maca. 1/2 tsp of organic Reishi Mushroom and tsp of Japanese Matcha.
It’s a very potent meal replacement.
I usually make a similar shake with frozen cherries and coconut. Delicious!
Wow, this looks sensationally delicious. Will be making this! Thanks for another great article Marc.
Hola Mark,
do you recommend slim fast? Why or why not
Thank you
No, I would not reccomend slim fast. It’s full of chemicals, sugar and an inferior source of protein. If you need a quick breakfast to go then grab a container of unsweetened Greek Yogurt, handful of almonds or walnuts and a piece of seasonal fruit.
Agreed!
Hi,
This is a great shake recipe but I’d improve it slightly by replacing dark chocolate with raw cacao nibs. That way all nutrients from the cacao would positively add to the recipe. I will most certainly try it with the nibs.
Thank you!
I’ll be trying this smoothie this weekend. It looks like a great post-workout smoothie.