What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word protein?
I don’t blame you if you immediately started thinking of steak, chicken, or hamburger beef patties. People rarely consider the fact that fruits and vegetables can also be sources of proteins.
Granted, they don’t contain sufficient amounts of protein to provide you with the daily recommended protein intake. But, that is something that you can rectify by taking high protein juice.
Protein juice recipes can help increase your fruit and vegetable intake, resulting in a substantial amount of proteins per serving.
Why do we need proteins, and what benefits do we get from taking high protein juice?
- Proteins are good for your bones
- They help increase muscle mass and strength
- Proteins help improve your mood and can also reduce anxiety
- You will have healthy brain function and learning capabilities
- Drinking high protein smoothies can help in muscle repair and recovery
- Proteins are good for your skin, nails, and hair
- They help balance blood sugar levels
- High protein diets help remedy high blood pressure
- Your appetite, hunger, and cravings will be reduced when you drink the juice
- They help slow the body’s aging process
One of the reasons why people prefer high protein smoothies is because they are highly convenient. You can get the protein you need without having to prepare an entire meal.
We have listed 5 high protein juice recipes that you can conveniently prepare at home.
Green Protein Smoothie
What makes this smoothie interesting is the fact that it’s a green smoothie that’s high in protein. It is an excellent option for people who are on a 1400-1700 calorie plan. The smoothie is also great for anyone looking for a recipe that they can prep in bulk.
You will need:
- ½ cup of non-fat Greek yogurt (plain and unsweetened)
- ½ large banana (peeled and frozen)
- 1 cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1 tbsp. Almond butter.
- ¼ tsp. of vanilla extract (optional)
To prepare the smoothie:
- Put all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition:
17 grams of protein
Carrot Cake Smoothie
As delicious as this smoothie name sounds, it doesn’t actually contain any cake. However, it does contain flavors and ingredients that are often found in carrot cake. That’s part of the reason why it tastes like dessert.
You will need:
- ½ cup of Greek yogurt (low-fat)
- 1 tsp. of honey
- 2 tbsp. of shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- ¼ tsp. of ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. of walnuts (roughly chopped)
- ½ sliced banana (frozen)
- ¾ cup of carrots (grated)
- ½ cup of peeled orange segments (frozen)
- ½ cup of coconut water
- 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
To prepare the smoothie:
- Put all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition:
18 grams of protein
Chia Raspberry Almond Smoothie
The protein sources in this smoothie are the chia seeds, almonds, and Greek yogurt. The ingredient combination results in a rich and flavorful drink. It's a great drink to help fuel your body in the morning since it's also loaded with antioxidants, calcium, and fiber.
You will need:
- 2 tsp. of chia seeds
- 2/3 cups of plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. of honey
- 2/3 cups of almond milk (or any other milk)
- ¼ cup of almonds
- 2/3 cups of frozen raspberries
Prepping your smoothie ingredients:
Stir the yogurt and honey.
Spoon into an ice-cube tray and freeze it.
Later, place the ice cubes into a bag and add the chia seeds, almonds, and raspberries. Set aside a few almonds.
To prepare the smoothie:
- Put all the ingredients in a blender (except for the reserved almonds).
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve into a glass.
- Chop the remaining almonds, put them in the smoothie, and stir.
- Enjoy.
Nutrition:
23 grams of protein
Banana Nut Smoothie
Aside from Greek yogurt, this recipe contains other high-protein ingredients like peanut butter and sunflower seeds. The seeds and the peanut butter will also provide you with healthy fat.
You will need:
- 1 tbsp. of peanut butter
- ½ a cup of Greek yogurt (2% fat)
- 1 ripe banana (peeled)
- 2 tbsp. of roasted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
- ¼ tsp. of vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
To prepare the smoothie:
- Put all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition:
20 grams of protein
Navel Orange Protein Smoothie
If you are looking for a sugar-free protein smoothie, then this drink is perfect for you. It contains pomegranate, and navel orange to help satisfy any sugar cravings that you might have.
You will need:
- 1 navel orange (peeled, cut, and frozen)
- ½ cup of almond milk (unsweetened)
- Seeds from ½ a pomegranate frozen
- 1 tbsp. of almond butter
- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (2% fat)
- ½ tsp. of vanilla extract
To prepare the smoothie:
- Put all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition:
31 grams of protein
The Biggest Challenge with High Protein Smoothies
Proteins are made out of amino acids.
The body can produce some of the amino acids on its own, but there are those that it can't make. Such amino acids are known as essential amino acids.
We can get essential amino acids from complete proteins. But, not all meat-free protein sources are considered 'complete' because they don't have all the nine essential amino acids that our bodies lack.
That is why some people argue whether or not high protein fruit juice recipes can provide people with sufficient amounts of essential amino acids.
The good news is that our bodies can function appropriately even when we spread out our essential amino acids intake throughout different meals in the day. What this means is that we can make up for lack of some of the amino acids in some meals if our diets contain a variety of amino acid profiles.
So, aside from the protein juice recipes, you can also include the following vegetables – and a few fruits - in your diet to make sure that your body can get what it needs:
You’ll find this extremely helpful if you are on a meat-free diet, trying to increase your vegetable intake, or you are a vegan.
- Spinach
- Chia seeds
- Oats
- Broccoli
- Peanuts
- Beans
- Yellow corn
- Green peas
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Hempseed
- Amaranth
- Cauliflower
- Almonds
High protein fruits include:
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Navel oranges
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelons
Wrap Up
As you can see, there's a long list of vegetables - and several fruits - that can help you get the variety of amino acid profiles you need.
There’s still a ton of vegetables and foods like soy products, which you can include in your diet as well. You don't have to resort to protein powders to fulfill your protein needs.
Most of our high protein juice recipes contain Greek yogurt because you can get 10 grams of protein out of 100 grams of the yogurt. We also listed recipes that have a lot of nuts and seeds because they are healthy fat and protein powerhouses.