Quinoa Smoothie

A protein packed smoothie made with quinoa, greek yogurt and berries. A delicious and healthy snack the whole family will love!

Protein

When you think of a protein shake do you think of those artificial tasting powders that you have to mix for 10 minutes just to get the nasty lumps to dissolve?

Yeah me too…but not anymore! I sometimes worry that my fussy eater doesn’t get enough protein in her diet.

She is good at eating dairy but sometimes we struggle with meat (unless of course it’s chicken in the nugget variety!)

She will however drink smoothies and shakes and including half a cup of cooked quinoa to her drink is a great way to add up to 8 grams of protein to her diet.

Quinoa

Quinoa is a “complete” protein source, meaning that it provides the majority of the essential amino acids our bodies need.

It is also an excellent source of fibre and iron and is gluten free.

So enough of the science-y bit, how does my quinoa smoothie recipe actually taste? Pretty much like a normal smoothie!

You will need to blitz the ingredients in the blender for a little longer than usual to break it all down and make the smoothie, well….smooth!

But it still seems to combine better than a protein powder in my opinion.

Breakfast Smoothie

You can serve this protein smoothie at any time of day, but I think it makes a fantastic breakfast smoothie.

You could also serve it as an afternoon snack to stave off those hunger pangs until dinner time!

Breakfast smoothies are great for those busy mornings. They can be the best way to make sure the kids are getting in plenty of nutrients when you are really short on time!

Another of our favourites is this Choco Banana Breakfast Smoothie which is quick an easy to make and full of healthy oats and banana which will give kids a natural energy boost.

Ingredients

Fruits

I used frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and banana in my quinoa smoothie but you can of course experiment with the flavours and add a whole host of different fruits.

Also the fruit doesn’t need to be frozen. I hate wasting fresh produce so I put any fruit that’s on the turn into a sandwich bag and freeze it, ready to be used for smoothies, shakes and even ice cream!

Milk Alternatives

I’ve used whole milk in this recipe, but you could always swap this out for non dairy alternatives such as:

• soya milk
• almond milk
• coconut milk
• cashew milk

I used this Froothie Optimum 9400 (affiliate link) to make my smoothie and it really breaks down all the quinoa and leaves a lovely smooth consistency but any high powered blender will work too!

Have you tried quinoa in a smoothie yet?

If you try my Quinoa Smoothie Recipe, then please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram.  I always love to see your creations!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

A delicious and healthy kid-friendly Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie packed with hidden spinach and flaxseed for extra nutrition! 

Or This:

Healthy Chocolate Chia Shake

A healthy chocolate shake for kids packed with energy boosting chia seeds! A great addition to your child’s diet.

PRE-ORDER my new book THE FUSS-FREE FAMILY COOKBOOK out 26th January. 100 healthy easy and quick recipes that the whole family will enjoy!

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* The smoothie is a darker colour in the video as I used a different mix of frozen berries that contained more blackberries!