Blueberry High Protein Smoothie

High protein smoothies are classic breakfast “meals” on a slow carb diet. This high protein blueberry smoothie hits the 3 key criteria components of a smoothie for this diet: 1) it tastes great, 2) the blueberries have enough fiber to mitigate their carb level, 3) and it keeps energy levels high until the next meal.

Jump to: Recipe | What NOT to add | Substitutions and Add-ins | Health Benefits

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What “NOT” to Add to Low Carb Smoothies

It took me a while to buy in to the smoothie trend, but I’m fully on-board now, as long as you leave out the bananas and high fructose fruit and the high lactose dairy.  

Berries or avocados are really the only fruit that works in a low carb smoothie. While berries do have carbs, they are minimal compared with other fruit and they have a lot of fiber per volume. They also are rich in many micronutrients.

Coconut milk or almond milk is a low carb way to get a dairy-like flavor. You could forgo the milk entirely and just add water if you want to lower the fat. Fat will help you stay satiated however, so don’t look at fat as a diet enemy.

Smoothies can be a great way of getting leafy greens and protein into our diets, both of which have a high correlation with weight loss success.

If berries are the thing that tips you over to protein smoothies, use them! If you track your carbs, the thing to watch is to stay under your total daily goal for carbs.

Low Carb Substitutions

I never get tired of protein smoothies for breakfast and look forward to my go-to blueberry smoothie each morning.  

If you do get bored with the same thing every day however, here are a range of low-carb compliant ingredients that you can substitute in to the above standard (or simply add in):

• avocados
• romaine lettuce instead of spinach
• undistilled apple cider vinegar (if you have digestion issues or flatulence)
• peanut butter (not much, it’s dense in calories)
• cottage cheese (high protein)
• MCT oil, or coconut oil
• cacao nibs

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Here’s a quick breakdown of the nutritional benefits of blueberries from the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC)

• Have the highest level of antioxidants out of any fruit. The high levels of antioxidants can help neutralize free radicals, which have been linked to the development of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and conditions associated with aging.
• Low in calories and fat, and high in fiber. There’s only about 80 calories in one cup, plus almost no fat. And one handful of blueberries has enough fiber to meet your daily requirement.
• Rich in vitamin C. One cup gives you about 25 percent of your daily value. And who just eats one cup of blueberries?
• They have anthocyanins. Remember these from biology class? These flavonoids, which occur naturally in blueberries, may help counter the buildup of plaque in your arteries and improve heart health.

More Low Carb Breakfast Ideas:

• Low Carb Baked Eggs with Chile Verde Sauce
• Low Carb Chorizo and Eggs (Breakfast or Dinner)
• Low Carb Eggs on a Bed of Bacon & Spinach
• Low Carb Zucchini Frittata for Breakfast
• Low Carb Blueberry Breakfast Popsicles

Non-Low Carb Drinks

If you love blueberry drinks and aren’t concerned about a low carb lifestyle, you might be interested in this recipe for homemade blueberry shrub syrups for cocktails (or mocktails)

Recipe for High Protein Blueberry Smoothie