It’s getting warmer and we may be craving more smoothies. I love love love smoothies when it’s hot out as a meal because they are so refreshing. A lot of the time people throw in some milk (or water) and fruit and call it a day and they’re left feeling hungry an hour later. Well to me that smoothie is just a bowl of fruit blended up leaving me with a high sugar non filling snack. I eat all my smoothies as meal replacements. I really hate that word because it makes it sound like a quick fix but my smoothies are truly a meal. Without any more babbling, here are my essential tips and ingredients to make a smoothie filling.
The key to a smoothie keeping you full and to have it as a meal, is to add a protein source and healthy fat. EVERY smoothie I make always has these two or I’m never going to be full. There are so many different options you can add.
Another key factor is to make it large. Honestly, the single serving blender is sometimes not enough. If I am making a smoothie for breakfast or lunch (basically a meal before my workout) then I’m fine but if I already got a sweat on for the day then I need a full blender and those smoothies come out to be about 3 cups. Yes I drink it all. For reference, my smoothies usually are about 350-500 calories (I’m currently eating in a deficit, eating about 1800 calories). You’ll have to adjust your smoothie size depending on what you need to fuel your own body!
STAPLES:
Protein powder
It is a must and I honestly do not see why you shouldn’t put some in. One scoop of protein powder can contain 15-22 grams of protein on average. That is a quality serving for a meal such as this one. I personally buy plant based protein as dairy hurts my stomach. Choose a protein powder and flavor that will work for you. My smoothie staple is vanilla as it goes with any combination of fruits you could want!
Chia seeds/hemp seeds/flax seeds
These types of seeds are a good source of healthy fat… aka they’ll keep you full. I rotate between chia and hemp. I add chia seeds to my oatmeal a lot of the time, so I picked up hemp seeds to add to my smoothies for a balance as I find I tend to have both of these meals in one day. They do also have a small small amount of protein which is an added bonus. I wouldn’t rely on it as your primary source of protein though, use it as a fat. If you’re worried about feeling the “crunch aspect” blend them up so they seamlessly blend into your smoothie!
Nut butter
I love peanut butter. A lot. My love for peanut butter got so bad at one point I restricted myself to half a serving twice a day. If I hadn’t done that I would be eating double servings every chance I got, which is just not balanced.
Side note:
I now get around that restriction by having flavored almond and cashew butter options… Doesn’t feel like I’m breaking my rule if I’m eating a serving peanut butter and a serving of flavored nut butter. They are different. My rule applies to PEANUT butter. HA
Back to what I was saying…
Nut butters are awesome to add to a smoothie as they are a healthy source of protein and fat. Now if you can’t have nut butters because you’re allergic, I am so sorry. BUT if you can have them, add them in. So yummy.
Avocado:
Great source of healthy fat and makes your smoothie ultra creamy. And avocados are great. End of story. I usually use bananas in my smoothies and use one or both of the other healthy fat options but if I have an avo on hand, sure I’ll throw it in.
All of these ingredients I mention are the secret to success with creating a smoothie to keep you full for hours. I usually have the protein powder and a seed every single smoothie and then use the avocado and nut butters as an additional yummy item. Throw these few things in with whatever fruit you’re craving, add some water or milk and VOILA a filling yummy smoothie.
If you have any smoothie staples that you incorporate to help keep you full, please please comment down below. I legit make a smoothie almost everyday when it’s hot so I’m always up to try something new.
Happy sipping!
Em
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