Green Protein Smoothie

If you haven’t gotten on the healthy green smoothie bandwagon, I suggest you grab a ticket and hop on board because this Green Protein Smoothie will blow your mind. This smoothie is so delicious. It has lots of spinach and protein and no added sugar!

For more healthy recipes be sure to make my celery smoothie, broccoli smoothie, pineapple spinach smoothie, and banana peach smoothie recipes!

Why This Recipe Works

• Easily customizable. By following this recipe, you’ll learn how easy it is to make a healthy green protein smoothie and customize it to your liking!
• Super tasty green protein smoothie recipe. I used to think green smoothies had to be these vegetable blends with no flavor at all. I’m sure smoothies like that exist, but this is not one of them! This smoothie is packed with healthy, nutrient-rich spinach but the flavor also packs a punch. Not only is this green protein smoothie good for your body, it is so delicious! 
• Zero added sugar. One of my favorite things about this smoothie recipe is that my kids think they are getting a shake, yet I know I’m feeding them a low-calorie green smoothie with zero added sugar. Did you get that? Zero added sugar. 

Ingredient Notes

• Spinach: I like to pack in the spinach to get a delicious spinach protein smoothie! However, if you’d prefer kale green smoothies, you can use kale instead.
• Almond Milk: I like to use unsweetened almond milk, but if you want the regular, go for it! Also feel free to substitute a different milk if you’d prefer. Using a type of milk will give you more of a creamy texture than water.
• Almond Butter: This gives us extra healthy protein and really adds a nice almond flavor.
• Frozen Banana: I love frozen bananas in smoothies! It adds a great subtle flavor and creates an ice cream-like texture to your smoothies.
• Protein Powder: Any brand of protein powder will work. But, if you are vegan, gluten or lactose intolerant, be sure to grab a protein powder that works for you! Oh, and I haven’t tried this recipe with chocolate protein powder, so no promises there ha 🙂  
• Ground Cinnamon: You might think this is a weird add to a smoothie, but the touch of cinnamon in the smoothie adds a flavor complexity that is amazing!
• Ice Cubes: Add ice cubes to get your desired consistency. Fun fact, ice cubes will actually reduce the amount of frothiness from the protein powder. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

There’s a fairly basic structure to follow in creating a delicious green smoothie. I’ll break down the basics here. By following these basic elements, you can create your own green smoothie recipe, too!

1. Pick a green vegetable base for your smoothie. We are using spinach, but you can adapt this recipe to add your own spin. If you love kale, add some kale in — or you can swap out the spinach for kale.
2. Once you have your green base, add a frozen fruit. (You can use fresh fruit, but then you’ll want to add ice to create a frozen smoothie texture instead of a juice.) I like to add frozen bananas.

3. Pick your liquid. You can choose water, milk, plant-based milk products, and more! I use almond milk.
4. Add any other desired ingredients: Options include honey, cinnamon, protein powder, flax seeds, oats, etc. I always add cinnamon because I love the subtle flavor it adds.
5. Add some ice cubes before blending. The ice cubes help reduce the amount of frothiness from the protein powder.
6. Place all of the ingredients in a high-power blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe Tips

Plus, if you use a soy protein, this recipe is also a great vegan green smoothie. If you are vegan, just make sure you select a vegan protein powder option. Whey protein isn’t vegan-friendly, so be sure to double check.

If using or adding kale, be sure to remove the bulky stems prior to adding to the blender. As a note, wash all vegetables and fruits prior to blending.

Add some Greek yogurt for added probiotics and protein. You can also substitute the almond butter with a different nut butter if desired.

For best results, eat right after blending.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

If you want to make this high protein green smoothie ahead of time, I would recommend storing it in the freezer an then blending it again prior to eating. This is also a good method for if you have any leftover smoothie. Store it in the freezer and then add it back to the blender with enough almond milk to blend it to smoothie consistency.

FAQs

More Healthy Recipes

• Acai Smoothie
• Citrus Summer Salad
• Kale and Quinoa Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Breakfast Quinoa Recipe
• Lactation Smoothie

This recipe was originally published on Sept. 1, 2020. It was republished on Jan. 5, 2022, to include additional information and photos.