Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
This is my favorite smoothie and is on the menu regularly at our house. It’s not too sweet and has 35g of protein - a great way to start and maintain satiety and blood sugar throughout the day. The spinach adds a serving of leafy green veggies without altering the flavor.
Blueberries are known for their antioxidant properties and are rich in phytonutrients, most notably anthocyanin — the same property that makes their skin blue. They are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K. Because blueberries are high in fiber and lower in sugar when compared to other fruits, they don’t cause your blood sugar to spike.
Avocados contain an impressive amount of nutrients and are especially rich in fiber, B6, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E, folate, and copper. Adding some avocado to this recipe allows you to pack in some healthy fat and fiber as well as additional antioxidants.
Ingredients
1 cup organic almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1/3 cup organic frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen avocado chunks
1 - 2 tbsp organic peanut butter
1/2 cup organic frozen spinach
Optional: handful of frozen banana slices for extra sweetness
Add the ingredients to a Vitamix or other high-powered blender in the order listed above and process. Transfer to a cup and top with blueberries.
Makes 1 serving
Options & Notes:
You can substitute coconut milk if you prefer.
I prefer frozen spinach, blueberries, and avocado as it makes the smoothie colder and thicker, but if you don’t have either on hand feel free to use fresh ingredients. I would increase the spinach to at least 1 cup if using fresh.
Blueberries are on the 2023 EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so it’s best to purchase organic if possible.
I like to use wild blueberries, which have twice the antioxidants compared to regular blueberries.
I cut up and freeze fresh avocado, but you can also purchase frozen avocado chunks.
My go to brands for this recipe:
Be Well By Kelly vanilla protein powder
Nutiva organic chia seeds
Whole Foods organic creamy peanut butter (no sugar or salt added)
Three Trees Original Almond Milk or MALK Organic Almond*
Whole Foods organic frozen chopped spinach
Whole Foods organic frozen wild blueberries
*Three Trees and MALK brands are my favorite due to the quality and limited number of ingredients in these products. They do not contain any gums, which are frequently added to non-dairy milks and can cause gastrointestinal issues. However, I do understand that it can get costly if you’re making lots of smoothies! My replacement suggestion would be Whole Foods Organic Original Unsweetened Almond Milk, but feel free to use whatever you love and works best for you.
