6 Delicious and Filling High-Protein Smoothies (With Recipes)

Last updated: August 21, 2023

Six recipes for delicious high-protein smoothies with lots of different flavors and ingredients to level up your protein intake.

While meat is typically high in protein, there are also many vegetarian and vegan protein sources to consider when trying to increase your protein intake.

Smoothies are also an excellent way to get that extra protein in, sourced from vegetables and other non-meat foods.

Keen to give this a try?

In this article, I am sharing six of my favorite high-protein smoothie recipes that are powerful and nutritious and taste delicious and filling.

How to Add More Protein to Smoothies?

Protein is an essential nutrient that functions as a building block of body tissue. It can be found in every cell throughout the body, including our muscles, bones, skin, and hair. Without protein, our body would not be able to function.

Protein as a nutrient becomes even more critical when you’re doing a lot of physical activity or are on a strict exercise regime. Protein helps the body to recover from all that hard work.

You can, of course, add whey protein powder to your smoothies, but you can also add more natural ingredients to level up that protein content.

Here are some ideas for you.

Spinach and Kale

Two of the most popular green smoothie ingredients, spinach and kale, are quite rich in protein, among other vital nutrients.

One large cup of spinach will add about 3 grams of protein to your smoothie. Kale contains even more protein than spinach. A quick win!

Almond Butter

Almonds are not just a great snack for in the office, but they also work well as an extra ingredient in green smoothies.

Almond butter (or raw almonds) contains around 20 grams of protein per 100 grams.

Spirulina

Have you tried spirulina yet? While it may not taste great, spirulina is one of the most powerful vegan protein sources.

It’s a form of blue-green algae that consists of 50-70% complete protein. Even just one tablespoon of powdered spirulina adds, on average, 4 grams of protein to your smoothie.

Chia Seeds

Originating from Central America, the tiny chia seed is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world.

Add a teaspoon of chia seeds to your green smoothie, and you’ll be adding a good dose of protein, magnesium, calcium, and dietary fiber, without even tasting it.

6 Delicious Protein Smoothies

If you love blending as much as I do, then I’m sure you’ll like the following delicious protein smoothie recipes!

1. Green Protein Power Breakfast Smoothie

Green protein power breakfast smoothie
Green protein power breakfast smoothie (credit: I Love Vegan)

One of my favorite protein-based smoothie recipes is the Green Protein Power Breakfast Smoothie that I found over at I Love Vegan.

Not only does this smoothie have the perfect flavors, but it’s also loaded with a great variety of different nutrients.

The almond milk, baby spinach, and pumpkin seeds work very well with the sweetness of mango and banana. The protein in this delicious smoothie is provided by the pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts, and also the baby spinach.

It’s good to point out that although almonds are an excellent protein source, almond milk is actually not rich in protein. But it does make this smoothie taste better.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup (250 ml) unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Ripe frozen banana
  • 1/2 Cup (125 ml) frozen chopped mango
  • 2 Handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1/4 Cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) hulled hemp seeds
  • Optional: 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

2. Strawberry, Oatmeal and Walnuts Breakfast Smoothie

Strawberry oatmeal walnuts breakfast smoothie
Strawberry oatmeal walnuts breakfast smoothie

If you’re looking for the perfect breakfast smoothie that fills you with all the right nutrients, look no further.

This healthy and filling strawberry oatmeal breakfast smoothie has all the right flavors created by a great mix of ingredients.

The oats, walnuts, and chia seeds in this blend give you a significant amount of protein, while the strawberries, mango, banana, and spinach add plenty of vitamins and fiber to provide you with more than enough fuel in the morning.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 Cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 Cup walnuts
  • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 Cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 Cup frozen mango chunks
  • 1 Ripe banana
  • 2-3 Cups fresh spinach
  • 1/3 Cup plain yogurt
  • 3/4 Cup almond milk

3. Vegan Paleo Green Protein Smoothie

Vegan paleo green protein smoothie
Vegan paleo green protein smoothie (credit: Wallflower Kitchen)

While spirulina may be incredibly nutritious and one of the best vegan protein sources, it also tastes very green. In other words, it’s not the easiest of ingredients to use in your green smoothies.

However, this vegan and paleo green protein recipe over at Wallflower Kitchen is the perfect solution to that problem.

The powerful flavors of raw, fresh ginger paired with the sweetness of the mango and apples make you almost forget that there’s also a teaspoon of spirulina in this delicious drink. And chia seeds and extra hemp powder add even more protein to this nutritious green smoothie.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups chopped mango
  • 1 Cup spinach
  • 2 Small green apples
  • 1 Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 Heaped tbsp hemp protein
  • 1 Tsp spirulina powder
  • 1 Cup unsweetened almond milk

4. Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Healthy chocolate peanut butter smoothie
Healthy chocolate peanut butter smoothie (credit: Mom’s Kitchen Handbook)

Does a smoothie with chocolate and peanut butter sound too good to be true?

Katie from Mom’s Kitchen Handbook brings you this surprisingly healthy smoothie recipe that tastes like a delicious afternoon treat.

Mix the below ingredients in your blender with a bit of ice, and what you’ll get is a delicious, creamy smoothie that packs a nutritious punch. To reduce the total amount of calories, you can replace the peanut butter with peanut powder.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut powder (use butter if you prefer)
  • 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 Teaspoons honey
  • 1 Small frozen banana
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Cup baby spinach

5. Morning Green Protein Smoothie

Morning green protein smoothie
Morning green protein smoothie (credit: Live Simply)

This Morning Green Protein Smoothie recipe with spinach, almond milk, banana, and nut butter that I found at Live Simply is a nutritional powerhouse that works well on an empty stomach in the morning.

What’s great about this smoothie is that it’s not too heavy and not overloaded with sugars either.

It’s designed with nutrition in mind, perfect for a quick and easy breakfast.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup almond milk
  • 2 Cups baby spinach or kale
  • 1 Banana
  • 2 Tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 Pinches ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 Cup rolled oats
  • 1 Teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon hemp seeds

6. Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie

Strawberry cottage cheese smoothie
Strawberry cottage cheese smoothie (credit: Confessions of a Chocoholic)

A smoothie recipe that includes cottage cheese?

When I stumbled upon this strawberry cheesecake smoothie over at Confessions of a Chocoholic, I couldn’t wait to try it out myself. This little pink creamy beverage tastes like delicious strawberry cheesecake disguised as a nutritious, high-protein smoothie.

Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein (11g per 100g) and works surprisingly well in this smoothie recipe, especially with the strawberries and vanilla mixed in.

The tangy flavors and creaminess of the cottage cheese blend perfectly with the other ingredients, resulting in a refreshing and filling afternoon drink.

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 Oz vanilla almond milk
  • 1 Cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 Cup cottage cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
  • 1/8 Teaspoon vanilla

Final Thoughts

There you have it, six great smoothie recipes with a focus on protein content. Blending can be a highly effective way of getting your protein in without consuming meat.

If you’re looking for more great smoothie recipe ideas, check out these resources:

 
 

6 Delicious high protein smoothies

 
Donna Harrison

My name is Donna Harrison, and I created this blog because I am passionate about discovering new foods and learning everything about them. I am also a bit of a smoothie fanatic, and I try to document all my favorite smoothies and other recipes here on Healthy Food Tribe, in addition to recommendations and reviews of my favorite kitchen tools.

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