Protein Powder Breakfast Smoothies: Recipes for Almond Pear, Orange Creamsicle and More

Despite the fact that the advice surrounding breakfast has varied so much over the years, we know one thing to be true: Taking the time to make breakfast only to hear our stomachs rumbling at 11 a.m. is never the goal. We want our morning meal to leave us feeling full, energized and ready to attack the day.

Enter these sips from the new cookbook Protein Power Smoothies. “When you set the tone for the day with a high-protein, low-carbohydrate smoothie, it can help to regulate your hunger, making you feel like you are in control of your body and food choices instead of feeling like your body is bossing you around,” says author and registered dietitian nutritionist Heather DiBiasi. Try one of these delicious and good for you recipes!

Almond Pear

(Serves 1)

1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp. almond butter
1 Bartlett pear, cored and roughly chopped
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 cup zucchini, roughly diced or chopped, frozen
1 1 ⁄2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions:

1. Place vanilla protein powder, almond butter, pear, ground flaxseed, zucchini and unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

More delicious ideas:

For slightly sweeter fall flavor with a pop of tartness, use a Fuji or Honeycrisp apple instead of the pear.

Make it chocolate by using chocolate protein powder and unsweetened chocolate almond milk.

If you don’t have almond butter on hand, use peanut butter or cashew butter instead — cashew will have a milder flavor. You could even swap in 1 ⁄8 cup of almonds, though that may change the texture a bit.

PER SERVING: 449 calories, 30 grams protein, 46 grams carbs, 13 grams fiber, 26 grams sugar, 18 grams fat.

Orange Creamsicle

(Serves 1)

1 serving vanilla protein powder
2 tbsp. canned coconut cream
1 tbsp. psyllium husk
1 orange, peeled and broken into segments
1 cup frozen yellow squash, roughly chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ⁄2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 1 ⁄2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Place vanilla protein powder, coconut cream, psyllium husk, orange, frozen yellow squash, vanilla extract, orange zest and unsweetened almond milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve.

More delicious ideas:
If you can’t find canned coconut cream, buy a can of full-fat coconut milk and scoop the coconut cream off the top.

You can use frozen zucchini instead of yellow squash — it won’t affect the flavor, just the color of the smoothie.

Feel free to replace the psyllium with flaxseed or chia seeds.

PER SERVING: 513 calories, 27 grams protein, 85 grams carbs, 36 grams fiber, 40 grams sugar, 14 grams fat.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry

(Serves 1)

1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp. cacao powder
1 tbsp. almond butter
1 tbsp. psyllium husk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 ⁄2 cup frozen spinach
1 1 ⁄2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Place chocolate protein powder, cacao powder, almond butter, psyllium husk, frozen strawberries, frozen spinach and unsweetened almond milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

More delicious ideas:

For even more indulgent chocolate flavor, try chocolate almond or hazelnut butter and/or unsweetened chocolate almond milk.

If you have chia seeds or inulin powder in your pantry, you can use either in place of the psyllium husk.

Cacao powder will deliver the most antioxidants, but you can also use cocoa powder in a pinch.

PER SERVING: 397 calories, 20 grams protein, 63 grams carbs, 41 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar, 20 grams fat.