Protein smoothies recipes, all made without powder! These protein smoothies for kids and adults contain four ways to cram protein into your mouth; vegan, too!
We've got a little problem on our hands. What you've been seeing on the outside is not what's going on inside.
On the outside (in my social media channels, lol), it appears my Camille is a great eater. Her favorite foods are broccoli, plain yogurt, garlic-dill sauerkraut, carrots, raw orange bell peppers, etc. All of that is true.
Struggling with kids that don't like meat:
However, what you don't see is that she hates meat. Protein is a struggle for us. Camille spits out red meat like it's the devil, obliges to eating chicken once a month max, and firmly believes that any brown crispy coating on meat is repugnant (yep, she won't eat fried chicken). Oh, and then she kicks me while I'm down and has ambivalence towards beans.
There are exceptions to the rule, though: Camille loves salmon and shrimp.
I know I shouldn't get mad about the fact that my kid would rather grab fistfuls of Brussels sprouts, hoover Castelvetrano olives, and pop cherry tomatoes like grapes---I'm just worried about her getting enough protein. And worrying is a Mom's easiest job in life.
If left to her own devices (and I feel very strongly that children should not tell us what they want to eat, we should teach them (be a parent!)), she would only get her protein from milk and yogurt. The kid loves milk of any kind--almond, coconut, cow, walrus. Kidding on the walrus part. (but remember my walrus milk latte?)
I limit her consumption to about 1 cup a day, and hope that will encourage her to seek protein elsewhere. It hasn't.
I'm finally willing to accept that my kid is a vegetarian.
Now, I'm going to keep serving her meat. But, if I take a step back, I see why this happened. I don't eat a lot of meat, and I never really have. Plus, I definitely didn't eat it more than a time or two a week while pregnant or nursing. I feel like she just maybe didn't develop a taste for it?
Why I need protein smoothies recipes:
I did make her a few baby food recipes using meat (see: mango chicken meatballs and baby Bolognese with spaghetti squash and chicken in carrot-cumin sauce!)
And then there's the fact that I've been making excuses for her. She's pretty late at getting her teeth (I talked about it in my nut-free granola post), and so I thought she just couldn't chew the meat. But when I see her chowing down on pretzels and crispy homemade graham crackers, I know it's just an excuse.
All I can do is try to meet her protein needs in other ways. Plant-based protein ways. So, I developed these protein smoothies recipes for her over the last few months, and she absolutely loves them. I can't express how good it feels after your kid downs a healthy smoothie. It almost makes you wanna get a 'world's greatest mom' coffee cup. Almost. Until they pull their diaper off and pee behind your arm chair.
Protein in smoothies without powder:
O N E: Strawberry-Banana Tofu Smoothie. Look, I realize there's a special level of hell for people like me that hide tofu in recipes, but at nearly 3 grams of protein per ounce, I'm doing it for the kids.
Into the blender goes 1 ¼ cups of filtered water, a 4 ounce chunk of sprouted tofu, 1 ½ cups frozen strawberries, 1 sliced frozen banana, 1 tablespoon honey, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Blend and add more honey if you think your kid needs it. (~ 11 grams of protein). And please don't give honey to kids younger than 12 months old.
T W O: Chocolate-Coconut Hemp Smoothie. Hemp seeds are my freaking favorite. And not just because I swear they calm me down (probably wishful thinking), but I'm also very into their nutritional profile! Just 3 tablespoons have 9 grams of protein! And since Camille will literally eat anything with chocolate in it, she loves this smoothie. I also have these homemade protein bars with hemp that we make weekly!
I use: 1 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¼ cup dried (unsweetened) coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds. (~11 grams of protein)
T H R E E: Piña Colada with Peas! I realize I'm lucky that my kid loves the color green and will drink this just because it's pretty. But here's the thing: I tasted this before I gave it to her and was seriously surprised by how good it is! I put the blender back on the base and made myself one, too! Admittedly, peas only have 4 grams of protein per ⅔ cup, which is less than what I was hoping for, but since they're green, we get bonus points for that.
It's nothing but: 1 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can, 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple, ⅔ cup cooked peas. (~6 grams of protein)
F O U R: Peanut Butter & Jelly. My kid had never tasted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until last week. She didn't love it. But, she loves this smoothie because it has frozen grapes in it.
It uses: 1 cup 2% milk, 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter and 1 cup frozen grapes. (~16 grams protein)
I make these smoothies in double batches and freeze them. The night before I want to serve one, I move it to the fridge to defrost. In the morning, I pour it into a sippy cup--sometimes I have to add more water or milk to thin it out. The smoothies with coconut milk need to be slightly warmed since the fat tends to solidify on top of the jar. Give it a quick stir and serve for breakfast or at snack time.
Additions to your vegan protein smoothies:
-cashews soaked overnight in water (extra protein!)
-freshly ground flax seed (grind it in the blender by itself before adding the rest of the smoothie ingredients)
-chia seeds (these don't freeze well, so only add them to the smoothies you're serving right away)
-local bee pollen (during allergy season)
-moringa (google that one. I fell in love with it when I lived in Costa Rica)
-a pinch of Himalayan sea salt (for extra minerals)
-powdered ginger (if Camille's tummy has been upset lately)
We all have our own problems we face when it comes to feeding kids. I happen to think that feeding kids and molding eating habits in a child is such an honorable, overlooked job. The way I see it, you have the power to give your kids a firm foundation to stand on for the rest of their lives with a healthy diet. I know that diet can't prevent all health problems, but it certainly helps.
If you even remotely care about what your kid eats, know that it is more than enough. You're a good Mama. Your kid will be fine. In the meantime, let's have a playdate and drink wine while the kids play, ok? And let's make homemade animal crackers because they're so fun and cute!
Let me know if you love these protein smoothies for kids! And, if you're looking for some smoothie bowls for the adults, how about these vegan açaí bowls from Emily?
High protein vegan smoothies recipes. 1. Decide which smoothie recipe you will make, and then combine ingredients in the order listed into the blender. 2. Blend until smoothie is completely smooth. 3. Store in fridge for one day, or in the freezer for up to one month. To defrost a frozen smoothie, remove it from the freezer the night before and place in the fridge. *Sprouted tofu is often found at natural food stores. I like it because it has slightly higher protein than regular tofu, but regular tofu is JUST FINE! Grab silken or medium firm tofu. **NEVER GIVE KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 1 HONEY. I've elected to leave off the nutrition information for these smoothies, because my nutrition calculator combines all of them into one recipe. Refer to the text to see how many grams of protein each smoothie has. Each recipe makes 1 smoothie. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Protein Smoothies Recipes
Ingredients
Strawberry banana tofu smoothie:
Chocolate coconut hemp smoothie:
Piña Colada and peas smoothie:
Peanut butter and jelly smoothie:
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 151Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 22mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 4g
susan says
So if you daughter loves milk, why limit her to 1 cup a day?
It's a great source of protein.
If she loves fish, go with making seafood dishes. My kids love tuna burgers.
Christina Lane says
Because I feel like the more milk she drinks, the less actual food she eats. Milk has so many calories that it fills her up, you know? I'm okay with milk AFTER she eats veggies, protein & grains, etc.
loes says
You should be jubilant that your child (please stop using the word kid) doesn't like meat. It's not all that healthy and there is protein in a lot of food.
Have you tried lentil- or other pulse/beanburgers? Soups with lentils? Peanutbutter sandwiches (without the disgusting, unhealthy jelly), but with sliced cucumber? Eggs? When my daughter was a child, she wouldn't eat anything, especially no meat. She survived on the above mentioned and is now a very healthy forty year old, who will eat anything. Still not a great meat consumer, but who cares ......
And one last piece of advice from one (very old) mom to another: don't worry so much. You will be so much happier and your daughter will be fine, I promise.
Sophie says
Just note that the recommended daily allowance for juices or smoothies alongside your other meals is actually very small, less than 1 cup!This is mainly due to the amount of sugar. Coconut milk is very high in fat so use sparingly.
Spanish to English says
This is amazing! Love it!
Stephanie @ Long Distance Baking says
I used to walk around as a child saying I was a vegetarian "but I like taco meat!" Then it expanded to "but I like taco meat and turkey!" and then "but I like taco meat and turkey and chicken and and and...." until one day I realized I wasn't actually a vegetarian. Who knew! I definitely still don't get enough protein though, so maybe I'll start tricking myself into drinking some like you're doing here.
Kylie says
As a vegetarian since childhood, I want to help!
It sounds like you have found some great ways to get protein.
I don't usually have a problem with it because I love beans and tofu, but another great way to get protein is greek yogurt.
When I am worried about my protein intake, I have a bowl of greek yogurt with granola for breakfast, or with wheat germ, that could be a good, soft alternative :)
Amanda says
Thank you for the smoothie recipes, I will have to try these out. I'm sorry to read that it's considered a problem on your hands that your child doesn't like meat. It's a much healthier way of life for their own health and for the planet. I'm glad to read you may be able to accept it.
Christina Lane says
Did you read the part about how my husband and I don't eat meat?
Sara says
It isn't just the protein, it's the iron in foods that she needs. For the rest of her life. I see unhealthy patients who are vegetarian or vegan. They are often anemic, and recover more slowly.
jenny says
This is good
Linda EDWARDS says
Love your receipes, always looking for something to make for myself and grandchildren ,do you have a book as l can't print the receipes thank you
Christina Lane says
Yes, I have 4 cookbooks. Search my name on Amazon (Christina Lane)