Coffee Protein Smoothie Recipe for Smoothie Newby

[aggie96]

I need a coffee chocolate protein smoothie recipe that does NOT use protein powder.

I stink at smoothies. Too thin. Too thick. Not icy enough. Had to blend too long to get smooth. I bought a Vitamix a couple of years ago imagining all these wonderful smoothies to no avail.

I am trying to get some natural protein in DD13 who hates eating first thing in the morning (like me) but must because she leaves for school very early. She hates all the usual, yummy breakfast protein sources (eggs, meats, pb, yogurt, etc). She loves a Starbucks on occasion so I thought about trying to make a Starbucks-type smoothie with some protein. Minimal coffee is preferred but I am hoping to use it as a gateway-drug to protein in the morning. :) I am looking all over the internet but only finding recipes with low protein ration or with protein powder.

...and is there a trick to the order of blending or something to get consistency right?!

Please help me be better at smoothies!

Side note: I read about a Hive recipe that uses frozen strawberries and mangoes with some chia seeds, almond milk, and Greek yogurt to make a smoothie, but I am not sure in what quantities and how to blend. <insert embarrassed emoji here>

[JIN MOUSA]

How much protein (in grams) are you hoping to get into the smoothie?

[aggie96]

Maybe 8-12g? Probably equivalent to 1-2 eggs. I wish the girl would just eat eggs. She would eat eggs up until puberty.

[aggie96]

Maybe someone could help with where to start on amounts using these ingredients to keep me from making 15 smoothies and spending $$$ on trials:

Almond milk (maybe chocolate flavored?) (maybe frozen in cubes)

Almond butter (for protein)

Cottage cheese (for protein)

Greek yogurt (protein and creamy)

Banana (frozen?)

Cut oats (or what raw oats to use, don;t want to cook first)

Cocoa powder

Coffee (just chilled or frozen in cubes)

[regentrude]

You could start with the amount protein you want (like the amount of greek yoghurt that has however much protein you like), add fruit, and add liquid gradually. If it's too thick, add more. You can simply stop the blending and taste. Just add ingredients until it has the consistency and taste you want. I use frozen banana to make it creamy, and frozen fruit instead of ice cubes. But never according to recipe, just by taste and feel

ETA: and that's why I don't really understand a wasted smoothie. If it's too thin, add more thickening; if it's too thick, add more liquid. You can rescue any smoothie, unless you have added something disgusting

Edited August 20, 2018 by regentrude

[regentrude]

Does she like nuts? Those are easily portable and she could take them and eat at school when she is actually hungry

[alisoncooks]

I've no experience but a quick Google of "protein frappachino recipe" comes up with lots of tasty looking blog posts!  I might have to try some out. ?

[KungFuPanda]

I am not a fan of breakfast. I can face a smoothie around 10-11 a.m. I make my morning smoothie with banana, yogurt, oatmeal, almond powder, and cinnamon. I don’t know the protein count; I just like the taste and it holds me until I’m ready for more substantial food. 

I make this smoothie so often that I keep oat flour and almond meal with a bit of cinnamon mixed to and ready to go. (I make the oat flour in my Vitamix.) in the morning I do a scoop of flour mix, a scoop of yogurt, and the banana, so it’s fast. Costco has whole milk Indian yogurt in a big tub. 

[Kanin]

I used to make a peanut butter chocolate banana "smoothie" drink before I realized it had a bazillion calories. It was soooo good though. For a teenager, I think it would be great in the mornings and last her till lunchtime.

I put in:

1 banana

Couple tablespoons of PB - add more to be thicker, add less to be thinner

1 tablespoon or so of cocoa powder

Honey or other sweetener if needed - I found the banana made it sweet enough for me

Add to desired thickness: Coconut milk (from a can, for lots of fat/calories/fullness!), whole milk, or other kind of milk (almond milk, etc)

I always add less liquid and then blend for a few seconds, and then add more liquid if necessary. If you mess up and make it too thin, you can add more PB or more banana. Cocoa powder also makes things thicker.

When I made this drink, I liked to make it about the thickness of really rich chocolate milk. Your DD could slurp it down in a flash!

 

[6packofun]

Try Bolthouse Farms smoothie beverages as a base with maybe a little yogurt and lots of ice.  Their Protein Plus chocolate has 16g of protein in 8 oz. Use less if that's a bit too much protein, add some almond milk or yogurt if you want, 2-3 tbsp? of coffee and ice.

They make a coffee protein drink you could use, too.  https://www.bolthouse.com/products/beverages/

Add banana or other fruit or spinach, etc. as she gets used to it.

Edited August 20, 2018 by 6packofun

[happi duck]

When I make green smoothies I first blend the water and greens, then put in the unfrozen stuff and last is frozen fruit.  That way the greens are blended enough but the frozen fruit is still cold and not overheated by the vitamix.

[regentrude]

If she doesn't like eating in the morning, are you sure she would actually be able to consume a protein rich smoothie? (I would probably throw up; I can only handle some light carbs if anything at all)

[Peaceseeker]

Is she on board with the early morning high protein breakfast?  Everyone was always trying to force me to eat breakfast but I was always fine at school til lunch.  The most I wanted to do was a snack around 11 am, but if I couldn't have that I was ok til lunch.  

Could you just give her a snack to pack in her bag in case she gets hungry if she is not in the mood for breakfast?

[KathyBC]

For a 1-2 person smoothie, I start with about 1/2 cup of frozen berries and 1/2 cup of milk. Sometimes I add yogurt, sometimes I can sneak in some spinach or Swiss chard with no one noticing. Then I add sweetener to taste (I would have none; if dd will actually drink it, I do), and adjust milk and/or berries to consistency. If this drives you crazy, once you find your mix, write it down. I did that for awhile at the beginning but this is the strategy that works right now.

[aggie96]

She can handle the protein in the morning. She feels much better when she has more protein in her meals vs carbs, but she craves the carbs, which gives her headaches or grumpies (especially around her cycle). We tried to go light breakfast with protein bar-type morning snack (only 1 class allows) and then better lunch. But "better" lunch opportunities are limited based on cafeteria menu and how long her lunch has to last before she can eat it (late lunch period). I think we have maximized everything we can do with lunch and snacks.

She just doesn't like any breakfast foods except waffles (which she is sick of eating after doing it every school morning for 2 years), pancakes, biscuits (plain), and chicken minis from Chick-Fil-A.  She used to eat peanut butter on her waffles and pancakes, but she is so tired of peanut butter, too. She is willing to try all kinds of things and eats "exotic" stuff that I won't touch. However, she won't eat something everyday or even often unless she REALLY likes it. Thus my plans for a "Starbucks" smoothie.

We made attempts at both chocolate smoothies and choc-coffee smoothies. She thought they were OK. But they weren't very yummy (and I agree). We drank about 4-6oz each. They definitely were not something that makes you say, "Hey! I'll have a smoothie!" ? Greek yogurt was a little too tangy but not too bad (can keep). The banana and peanut butter flavors came through too strong. The almond butter was too nutty (but I LOVED it). She said she prefers the berry smoothies. So tomorrow we will work on a berry version with greek yogurt and then cottage cheese for proteins. Found a ground flax seed combo at grocery store to add in. That was a keeper.

We will keep trying. Thanks for the tips and recipes and thoughts to consider. I'm excited about the cottage cheese one tomorrow.

Edited August 21, 2018 by aggie96

[regentrude]

If the lunch options aren't great, what about packing lunch?

For breakfast,  would she eat food that doesn't scream " breakfast "? Dinner leftovers?

[madteaparty]

I leave a deconstructed smoothie for my kids in the morning. I add ground up flax seeds to mine and  youghurt. My kids will eat it so long as it’s sweet enough—I use a bit of maple syrup to sweeten.

I also make my own chocolate syrup for days I’ve truly given up. A swirl of syrup into full fat raw milk and done. 

 

[Katy]

This is much easier to do with protein powder.  Vanilla protein powder, ice, instant coffee, vanilla almond milk are quick and easy.  Yogurt is natural but adds a tang that must be covered up with some sort of sweetener.  You can also freeze coffee into ice cubes, or cool it and use it as the liquid and use a small amount of flavored creamer instead of milk to get very close to a frappuchino texture.

And you can get perfect consistency every time by learning to measure your ingredients.  Write down everything that goes into the blender.  If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of more liquid at a time until it's right.  Write it down and do the math so you know exactly how much to use. It should take less than half an hour to figure out a recipe that works perfectly every time.

[Katy]

You can make protein pancakes - mix vanilla protein powder, vanilla extract, and egg whites, cook like pancakes, top with berries and a tablespoon of syrup, perhaps with a dollop of whipped cream.  It tastes like sugar but is MUCH better for feeling good, and it doesn't taste like eggs.

[KathyBC]

9 hours ago, Katy said:

This is much easier to do with protein powder.  Vanilla protein powder, ice, instant coffee, vanilla almond milk are quick and easy.  Yogurt is natural but adds a tang that must be covered up with some sort of sweetener.  You can also freeze coffee into ice cubes, or cool it and use it as the liquid and use a small amount of flavored creamer instead of milk to get very close to a frappuchino texture.

And you can get perfect consistency every time by learning to measure your ingredients.  Write down everything that goes into the blender.  If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of more liquid at a time until it's right.  Write it down and do the math so you know exactly how much to use. It should take less than half an hour to figure out a recipe that works perfectly every time.

Ooo, inspiration: vanilla Greek yogurt with cold coffee... sounds like a yummy treat.