Hope Harrell: Personal Trainer + Nutrition Coach

How to Build Smoothies That Actually Fill You Up!

When I was working my 8-5, smoothies were the best way that I could stay consistent on getting all my fruits and veggies in. I used to not be hungry first thing in the morning, and sometimes I still am not. Smoothies were easy for me to make in the morning and take with me to have later in the morning when I was actually hungry.

Some smoothies, though, really are not satiating. They do not fill you up and leaving you wanting more food less than an hour later. Part of this has to do with drinking vs eating your calories. When we eat food, our brains send signals that we are full sooner than if we drink calories (hence why we can drink soda and not feel full at all). Another more prevalent reason is we may not be building our smoothies with all of the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

This post will show you the base skeleton of a smoothie as well as some examples of smoothies that are tried and true in my house. They are crowd pleasers for even the pickiest eaters!

First, let’s talk about what to add to a smoothie to make it filling: protein and fat. It is really easy to add carbs to a smoothie because all fruits are a great source of carbohydrates, and most smoothies are made of a good amount of fruit. Adding protein can be done in multiple different ways, but the main two sources will be protein powders and greek yogurt and/or cottage cheese. The protein powder can add a nice flavor like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or peanut butter, and greek yogurt makes your smoothie thick and creamy. Both are incredible options to make your smoothie more filling.

The next thing you can add is healthy fats like nut butters, chia or flax seeds, or avocado. All are great sources of fat that not only give you healthy omega 3s (so good for the brain), but they also keep you full for longer!

If you are a picky eater who doesn’t like veggies as much (this was me for so long!) spinach and kale are really easy to add by the handful to smoothies that do not change the flavor at all. It is a perfect way to sneak in the extra fiber and micronutrients.

Below is the skeleton of a smoothie:

1 cup frozen fruit of choice
1-2 handfuls of spinach or kale
1 banana for thickness and sweetness*
1 cup of any milk (dairy or non dairy)

Add ins can include but are not limited to:

Oats
Chia or flax seeds
Any nut butter (peanut and almond are my favorite)
Additional non frozen fruit
Protein powder
Greek yogurt (unflavored is best because it takes on the flavor of your smoothie and eliminates processed sugar!)
Honey, agave, or maple syrup for sweetness*

*if you use an extra ripe banana, you will naturally add a lot of sweetness to smoothies. So if you don’t use those ripe bananas for banana bread, then add them to your next smoothie and you may not even need any extra sweetener!

How to Meal Prep a Smoothie

Smoothies are by far one of the easiest meals to meal prep, especially if you are using this meal for a busy morning. To prep, take your frozen fruit and place one cup of it in a bag. If you want to go above and beyond, you can label each bag for what day you are going to use it! Have your bananas, spinach, and milk ready to add to it in the morning and you are all set!

Enjoy!

Now you are ready to build your own amazing, nutrient dense, filling smoothie! Here are my favorites of all time. Like this post if you learned something new, and comment if you tried one of these! I can’t wait to see all the delicious smoothies y’all make this guide!

As always, here’s to becoming the healthiest version of yourself.

Hope’s Tried and True Smoothies:

Mixed Berry
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1-2 handfuls baby spinach
1 banana
1 cup milk (might need more, can use any milk of your choosing)
Optional add ins
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1-2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder
1-2 TBSP chia or flax seeds
2 TBSP almond butter

Tropical Paradise
1 cup frozen mango, peaches, and pineapple
1-2 handfuls baby spinach
1 banana
1 cup milk
1-2 scoops vanilla protein OR 1/2 cup greek yogurt
1-2 TBSP chia seeds

Banana PB
1-2 frozen bananas
2 TBSP peanut butter
1/3 cup oats
1 scoop PB2 (a peanut protein powder)
1 scoop chocolate protein
A few chocolate chips!
1 cup milk (chocolate almond milk would also taste great here)

Vanilla Blueberry Almond
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
2 TBSP almond butter
1/3 cup oats
Splash of vanilla extract
1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder OR 1/3 cup vanilla greek yogurt

Jason’s Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 cup milk
1/2 scoop PB2
1 scoop chocolate protein
Dash of honey