Are you too busy in the morning to sit down for a healthy breakfast? I understand! Getting out of the house in the morning – whether it’s taking kids to school or hurrying to work – can be a mad rush. Expecting to eat a filling breakfast like eggs and toast may be entirely unrealistic for you. Or, you may be the type of person who simply feels sick eating a lot in the morning.
If this sounds like you, I have a great healthy breakfast option for you – my superfood breakfast protein smoothie!
Is a protein smoothie good for breakfast?
This protein shake is my go-to breakfast every morning. Why? It’s filled with both macro and micronutrients that provide lots of energy and essential vitamins. The fiber from oats, fruit and seeds plus protein help to keep you full. All of the other benefits of each ingredient is listed below.
It’s also good for breakfast because you can carry it with you to work or simply take you time sipping it alongside your morning coffee. This is a great option if you’re someone who is in a rush in the morning and you don’t have a lot of time to make, sit down, and eat breakfast. If you don’t like to eat breakfast right away and would rather take it with you for later, this smoothie is ideal.
One other reason I recommend smoothies – whether for breakfast, snack or lunch – is because it is an easy way to get in so many different nutrients. With typical meals it’s hard to find ways to fit in superfoods like flaxseed, chia seeds, spirulina, beet root powder, etc. When you make a smoothie you can simply toss all of these fantastic nutrients in, blend them up and barely taste them!
What You Need to Make Your Protein Shake
1. Blender or food processor
I use the Oster Blender and Food Processor and it works really well. It has a sharp blade that excels at chopping and blending things up quickly. It comes with a food processing unit as well as a 24-oz shaker-type bottle with a drinking lid. After you blend up your smoothie, all you do is put on the lid – no extra containers needed!
2. Healthy Ingredients
Below are the ingredients used in this superfood shake. I include quite a few ingredients in this recipe for optimal health benefits, but if you don’t have some of them it’s okay! You can add in other things you love or take out anything you don’t like. Use organic versions of all these ingredients whenever possible. I get all of my ingredients from either Costco or Amazon. I’ve provided links as applicable to help you find my favorite items easier.
Ingredients are listed below in the order I put them into my Oster cup. I find that putting the powders on top of the oatmeal helps to keep them from clumping up in the water and sticking to the sides of the cup so you can consume them more easily.
- Liquid – first you’ll need a base liquid. Filtered water is great, but you can also add a plant-based milk or fruit juice. I personally mix water with a splash of orange juice for the vitamin C. I do not recommend using all juice due to the high sugar content.
- Flax seeds & chia seeds – these provide omega-3 fatty acids which aren’t found in a lot of other foods. Omega 3’s are important for reducing inflammation, brain function, and cellular strength. Flaxseed can also be helpful in balancing women’s hormones, and both seeds have fiber to help slow down digestion for lower blood sugar levels after a meal. Grind a small batch of these each week and keep them in the refrigerator so your body can absorb them. Consuming the whole seed makes it hard to digest and it will most likely go out of your body the same way it came in without absorbing the nutritional benefits.
- Organic spinach – add a handful of this to get iron, vitamin A, C and K, folate and potassium.
- Bananas – peel bananas, then freeze them ahead of time in a Ziploc bag or container. I break them in half to put into my shake when ready. Bananas provide potassium and fiber while giving a nice, creamy texture to the smoothie. Bananas also tend to blend well with most flavors, allowing you to customize your shake with vanilla, chocolate, berry, peanut butter, etc.
- Berries – I like to use a frozen berry blend from Costco (raspberries, blackberries and blackberries) to get a variety because they are packed with antioxidants that protect our cells from damage and our bodies from things like cancer, disease, aging, etc. They also help reduce inflammation, have vitamin C and fiber, and are a lower calorie fruit. Frozen berries also add texture to your shake and help to keep it cold.
- MCT oil – I like this as a natural source of energy and a healthy fat, and in some studies MCT oil has shown to support fat loss. Fats will help slow down the digestion of this shake to keep you full longer.
- Oatmeal – this is your main source of whole grain carbohydrates in the shake and provides fiber, B1 and B5, and minerals like copper, iron, zinc, and manganese. Make sure to use old fashioned or quick oats rather than steel cut oats which will not blend well.
- Greens powder – doTERRA’s greens powder is my favorite because it is non-GMO and gives you 1-2 servings of fruits and vegetables in each scoop. The mixed berry flavor is very sweet (sweetened with monkfruit and stevia) which adds lots of flavor and added essential oils assist in better digestion.
- Protein –One of my favorites is doTERRA whey protein, but they also have a vegan option. Orgain is one of my other vegan favorites and has a few different flavors like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. It includes some greens, probiotics, vitamins and minerals and tastes great. I also use collagen and hemp seed proteins. I usually mix two proteins together to get benefits from each and will vary between all of them.
- Spirulina or Chlorella – I switch off between spirulina and chlorella because they have many similar benefits. They can help to detoxify the body from heavy metals and are full of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, protein, and antioxidants.
- Maca powder – maca is good for energy, mood, endurance and even libido.
- Ceylon Cinnamon – adds flavor and sweetness and can help to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Beet root powder – the nitric oxide in beet root helps supports blood flow and has been shown in some studies to help improve athletic performance and endurance.
- Adaptogenic Mushroom powder – depending on the types of mushrooms in the blend you choose, medicinal or adaptogenic mushrooms can help strengthen the immune system, support brain function, improve energy and endurance, reduce inflammation and reduce stress.
Protein Smoothie Recipe
Now, simply mix them together in your blender and enjoy!
Below is the recipe I use, but this is specifically for my calorie needs and will vary by person. The serving amount of ingredients like maca, beet root, etc will be on the package you buy, so exact amounts are not listed. Depending on how much of each ingredient and brand used, this averages to about 400-450 calories.
If you want more personalized nutrition and help knowing what is best to eat for your body and goals, contact me for a free consultation.
- 8 oz Water
- 1 oz orange juice
- 1 tbsp ground chia seed/flaxseed mix
- Handful spinach
- 1 tsp MCT oil
- 1/2 large banana
- ½ cup mixed berries
- ¼ cup oatmeal
- Beet root powder
- Maca powder
- Ceylon cinnamon
- Spirulina or Chlorella
- Mushroom blend
- 1 scoop collagen protein
- 1/2 scoop doTERRA whey
- 1 scoop Orgain protein or collagen protein
Want more smoothie ideas? Download these anti-inflammatory smoothie recipes for free and print them out to remind you to try them!
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