Red Berry Protein Smoothie Without Protein Powder

This protein smoothie is so simple and delicious, with the addition of white beans making it super creamy and chock full of protein. Don't worry, you won't even know the beans are in there. Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, this is one easy smoothie that will fast make it into your regular routine.

Red Berry Protein Smoothie

Jump to:

• Red Berry Protein Smoothie
• How To Make A Protein Smoothie Without Protein Powder
• A Note On Ingredients
• Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
• Shop This Post:
• Need More Smoothie Recipes?
• Recipe

Ready for a new smoothie recipe with a twist?

This smoothie contains twice as much protein as smoothies sold in grocery stores, which tend to mostly be made of juice.

The trick: for this smoothie, we are going to combine frozen berries with some white beans for an extra hit of protein without the need for protein powder.

You will need:

• frozen strawberries
• frozen raspberries
• plant-based milk of choice (I use almond)
• canned white beans (no salt added, drained and rinsed)
• chopped fresh mint
• hemp seeds
• optional: maple syrup or honey if you prefer your smoothie sweeter
• fresh berries and coconut to garnish

Don't let the addition of the white beans put you off.

They add a nice hit of protein and creaminess to the smoothie, but the flavour is so subtle you won't even know they are in there once everything has been blended smooth.

How To Make A Protein Smoothie Without Protein Powder

As with most smoothies, this is simply a case of adding everything to a high-speed blender and blending until smooth.

Garnish with some fresh coconut and berries to make this smoothie that little bit fancier.

I use a Vitamix, but any good quality blender will suffice

A Note On Ingredients

Not all ingredients are created equally!

Frozen Strawberries and Raspberries

Check the packaging to see where your strawberries have come from, and that there are no unnecessary added ingredients such as sugar.

This is the same for the raspberries.

If you can afford to go for organic fruit, then do that, as berries can tend to be sprayed a lot more than some other fruits.

If there is a glut of strawberries or raspberries in your area you can always buy in bulk and freeze your own to save some money.

To freeze your own berries: wash, dry, and arrange the berries in a single layer on a baking sheet small enough to fit into the freezer (I don't bother removing the green stem from the strawberries as they will be blended anyway). Pop into the freezer. Remove when frozen and transfer to a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag and pop back into the freezer until ready to use.

Canned White Beans

Look for canned white beans with no salt added.

You will need to give the beans a really good rinse before adding them to the smoothie, especially if you are using a canned version that does include salt in the brine.

Maple Syrup Or Honey

If you prefer your smoothie to be sweeter, then you may want to add some maple syrup or honey.

Be sure to purchase maple syrup and not maple flavoured syrup.

Choose local honey over imported honey.

Start with one tablespoon and then add more as required.

Tips, Tricks and Substitutions

If you do not have access to frozen berries, you can always use fresh berries instead.

However, you will need to add a good cup or two of ice.

If blueberries or blackberries are more readily available, they can easily be used instead of the strawberries and raspberries (although please note that the colour of the smoothie will change).

Feel free to add the following ingredients to your smoothie:

• chia seeds: however these will thicken up the smoothie if left to sit, so drink straight away
• flax seeds
• protein powder: for an even bigger protein hit
• collagen (look for vegan collagen if you want to keep this smoothie plant-based)

If you have any other nuts or seeds you like to add to your smoothies then go on ahead and make it yours.

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Need More Smoothie Recipes?

It's always nice to have a few different smoothies on rotation to keep things interesting, so after trying this red berry smoothie, check out these recipes:

• Blueberry Almond Milk Smoothie
• Super Green Celery Smoothie
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
• Creamy Green Mango Avocado Smoothie
• Kale Pineapple Smoothie from Cook It Real Good

Happy Drinking.

xx

Recipe

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.