Glowing Green Protein Smoothie (21g)
Get glowing with this easy, nutrient-dense green protein smoothie. Creamy and easy to love, it’s packed with spinach, pineapple and orange and a whopping 21g of protein without protein powder!
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It’s a little weird being a dietitian on the internet. Because OF COURSE I’m thrilled when folks take an interest in nutrition…but I am equally mortified when I see it go off the rails.
Like this whole current protein craze we’re currently marinating in: while most of us are not protein deficient, I also know that (in particular) women kind of underestimate the power of consistently adding protein to their meals.
What does the internet do with this information? Try to convince us that we should all be eating gobs of meat or that we can’t possibly survive without protein powder. Neither of which, dear reader, is even close to accurate.
Take this green protein smoothie, for example. Are you wondering where the heck the protein is even coming from? Let me break it down for you: the soy milk adds 8g, the hemp hearts add 7g, and the almond butter adds 3.5g. And the rest comes from the fruit + veg.
So yup, 21 grams of protein…with no protein powder. Which is plenty for some folks. But if you personally need more than 20g at a meal, you could easily boost the protein to 30 or 40 grams by adding some protein powder. You do you. Nutrition is individual.
But even MORE importantly: this vegan protein smoothie also packs in 8 grams of fibre. Which is a nutrient most of us ARE actually deficient in. If you want to feel more full, satisfied and energized, protein plus fiber together is IT. And if you like a little something to go with your smoothie, bake up my easy Banana Bran Muffins to go with it!
Eating more whole plant foods can really help you feel your best…my latest cookbook, Plant Magic, is filled with flavourful and healthy plant-based recipes you’ll LOVE!
Let’s whip up this easy peasy green protein smoothie, shall we?
A smoothie is the perfect way to hit the reset button if you’re feeling sluggish. Pop a bunch of nutrient-dense plant foods into the blender and it’s ready in 3 minutes.
If you’re new to green smoothies, take it from someone who’s been a recipe developer for a looooong time: baby spinach is the way to go. It’s a great base for a green smoothie as spinach is pretty neutral in flavour and blends easily.
More energizing, dairy free green smoothies and juices:
- 5 Minute Turmeric Ginger Smoothie with Greens
- Cucumber Smoothie with Kiwi and Mint
- Protein Power Kale Smoothie (21g)
- 5 Minute Green Blender Juice
Glowing Green Protein Smoothie (21g)
Ingredients
- 1 lightly packed cup baby spinach
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 medium orange, peeled, but reserve a 2 inch piece of peel!
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, or another high protein milk (see below for low FODMAP swap!)
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Instructions
- Place the spinach, pineapple, orange, peel, soy milk, hemp hearts, almond butter, and vanilla in a high speed blender and blend on high 30-45 seconds until smooth.
Notes
8 Comments on “Glowing Green Protein Smoothie (21g)”
Thanks for sharing a non-banana based smoothie! This made a delicious addition to lunch!
I am trying not to forget about my no banana friends! There are a few hiding in the smoothies list…so glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
This recipe looks so good! Can I make this the night before and drink it in the morning?
Hi Karm,
Yes you can make it the night before, but it will separate…but if you don’t mind that, just shake it up vigorously and enjoy!
Smoothie was really good Desiree! Might add a little bit of sweetness next time. Drizzle of maple syrup or banana?
Absolutely! It’s very unsweet…because you can always add sweetness to taste but if it’s too sweet for folks, it’s harder to walk it back. Either one of those will work.
I’ve made this smoothie three times in the last week and like it very much except for one thing – the hemp seeds seem to overpower the other flavors. Is there something else I could use in place of hemp seeds that would still increase the protein? Also, how do you emulsify the almond butter after it separates?
You could swap one more tbsp almond butter for one of the hemp and that should do it! And if you’re making ahead and it separates, just shake it up and it should be great.