This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I believe that any time is a great time for a smoothie, especially when you’re trying to turn it into a meal replacement smoothie. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, post workout fuel, late night munchies, etc— you name it!
Our bodies have some vicious cravings (and also need) vitamins and minerals all day long. Leafy greens and fresh fruit in a blended smoothie always makes for a great option.
I use the meal replacement smoothie recipe below to power my day with whole foods and plant protein, and now you can, too!
Table of Contents
Yet at certain times of day, our body needs different things to thrive. Let’s take actual meals, like breakfast, lunch and dinner. These meals are super important— and can be easily swapped for a green smoothie. You just have to know the right way to do it, which we talk about below.
Health Benefits of a Meal Replacement Smoothies
A smoothie can be a meal replacement if using the correct ingredients. I drink meal replacement smoothies for breakfast or lunch most days. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a hurry and just want to down something asap. Other times it’s because I’m trying to slim down (usually after vacation). Swapping a meal with a smoothie can benefit you in these ways:
- You’ll be more energized thanks to all the fresh, raw ingredients
- They’re super quick to make and drink
- You’re hydrating your body
- Less bloating than usual when eating a meal
- It’ll help with weight loss
How to Turn a Smoothie into a Meal
The key to replacing meals with smoothies is including healthy fats AND proteins. Healthy fats and proteins are the way to go if you want to power up with a green smoothie meal replacement. This combo will keep you feeling full and give you the energy you need to cruise right through ’til your next snack or meal. Below are our favorite options for smoothie meal replacement boosters:
Pick a Plant-Based Protein
Plant-based proteins keep your body full and give you tons of energy. They also help repair your muscles, which is perfect for that post-workout buzz. Oh, kale to the yeah!
- Hemp hearts
- Chia seeds
- Homemade protein powder
- Rolled oats
- Tofu
Pick a Healthy Fat
Healthy fats protect your heart, keep your energy levels up, boost metabolism, and lower bad cholesterol levels. So please don’t skip the fats. They’re actually really, really good for you! And the ingredients below make your green smoothies extra creamy.
- Avocado
- Coconut oil or MCT oil
- Almond butter or other homemade nut butter
- Chia seeds (yep, here they are again! These babies are loaded with healthy fats and protein, making them a great everyday booster)
Examples of Meal Replacement Add-Ins
Smoothies can be the perfect fast food by adding healthy fats and plant-based protein. Use one of these meal replacement booster combos in your next green smoothie. The boosts are measured to work with all 250+ of our smoothie recipes.
- 2 tbs chia seeds + 2oz silken tofu
- 2 tbs hemp hearts + ¼ avocado
- 2 tbs plant-based protein powder + 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 tbs almond butter + 2 tbs rolled oats
- 2 tbs chia seeds + 1 tbs coconut oil
Meal Replacement Smoothie FAQs
Any time is the right time for a smoothie! Personally, we love drinking ours in the morning for a great start to the day. But besides drinking a smoothie as breakfast, lots of rawkstars drink their smoothie for lunch or dinner, as an afternoon snack, or as a healthy dessert.
In case you’re planning on having your smoothie in the evening–most of our smoothies provide a great energy boost similar to a cup of coffee. So if you’re looking for a pre-bedtime green smoothie recipe, we’ve got you covered: Sleep Well Smoothie.
The MOST important thing when blending any meal replacement smoothie recipe is to include healthy fats AND proteins. This combo will keep you feeling full and give you the energy you need to cruise right through ’til your next meal or snack.
If you swap out a meal (or two) each day with a smoothie, there’s a good chance you’ll lose weight and also have more energy. This is due to the increased nutrition and decrease in overall calories. What’s even better than a smoothie is a green smoothie. When you add in leafy greens you’re adding fiber and phytonutrients… yet very few calories. My smoothies recipes are made with nutrient dense foods that curb cravings and keep you full longer.
I have a Plant-Based Cleanse that includes two smoothies a day, plus snacks and meals to help you lose weight, yet more importantly understand how to nourish your body so the weight falls off without ever feeling hungry.
15 More Meal Replacement Smoothie Recipes
Smoothies for Breakfast
- Vegan Smoothie Bowl
- Cinnamon Date Smoothie
- Chocolate Weight Loss Smoothie
- Vanilla Protein Shake
- Creamy Banana Smoothie
Smoothies for Lunch
Smoothies for Dinner
- Berry Protein Smoothie
- Blackberry Smoothie
- PCOS Pumpkin Smoothie
- Strawberry Smoothie
- Avocado Banana Smoothie
Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you’ve made it. I want to know how yours turned out as well as if it filled you up!
Meal Replacement Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale or spinach
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 1 cup blueberries frozen
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp almond butter or raw almonds
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Blend kale and almond milk until smooth in a high speed blender.
- Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Use a frozen fruit to make smoothie cold
- Swap out almond milk for any non-dairy milk you prefer
- Homemade protein powder is what I use for my meal replacement smoothies
I made this exact smoothie before coming across this recipe yay! The only difference, i added 3 stalks of celery, a tablespoon of flaxseed and some cinnamon. Does any of this increase the calorie count by much? (Trying to lose weight)
Hey Fatima! Looking to track calories? Three great resources for tracking nutritional information are Self Nutrition Data, and the apps My Fitness Pal and Lose It. 🙂
can i add coconut milk instead of almond milk?
You can sub any type of plant-based milk that you prefer!
Hey can I use frozen berries rather than fresh?
Hey Taryn! We recommend using at least one frozen fruit to make your smoothie nice and cold. 🙂
Yes
Hi.
I am new to meal replacement smoothies. Can I add both protein powder, collagen powder, and oats plus spinach and fruit or am I adding too much protein by using both protein powder and collagen powder?
Hi Cheryl! Welcome to the world of meal replacement smoothies. 🙂 They can be really great!
To me, that seems like a lot of protein but, I also don’t know which brands of each you’re using and there are different amounts of protein per serving in different brands of protein powder and collagen powder. The FDA recommendation for daily protein intake is 50 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet. Keep in mind that your personal needs may be different since the recommendation is made for the general population. It’s best to discuss protein needs with your physician if you’re unsure of your exact needs.
I want to loose weight
This is a great smoothie to help you start that journey, Neema!
What can I substitute in smoothie recipes that call for almond milk, peanut butter or nuts? I have severe allergies to all of these items. Thank you!
Hey Kimberly. For almond milk, you can sub coconut milk, rice milk, or oat milk. For peanut or almond butter, try sunflower seed butter. In place of nuts, you can use flaxseed or hemp hearts, or you can just leave the nuts out. 🙂
Were can i get your protine smoothy tub from??
You’re in luck! Copy and paste this into your browser: https://shop.simplegreensmoothies.com/products/protein-smoothie-boost.
We were sold out but discovered we have about 100 containers to sell until we get our second big shipment toward the end of August. Get one before they’re sold out again!
How many calories are in your meal replacement shakes?? Xx
Hi Cassie. Our nutrition facts are below each smoothie recipe. There are 320 calories in this meal replacement green smoothie.
Hi
I am new to this.
Is there a big nutritional difference in swapping out Spinach instead of Kale?
Would the protein in unflavored Greek Yogurt be an issue if I added it or would I be throwing off the diet drastically? If I can add it, how much can I use?
What about additions such as chia seeds, hemp seeds, collagen powder, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I know they are all good for your body, but do they throw off the nutritional balance of this diet?
Thank you for answering my questions.
Hi Cheryl!
1. No big nutritional difference and we encourage rotating greens in your smoothies.
2. We prefer to not use any dairy in our smoothies because it’s the #1 undiagnosed food allergy and can cause many issues, including digestive problems. If you love yogurt and the way it makes you feel, def feel free to use it.
3. We love adding boosts like chia seeds, hemp seeds, etc. They are great for creating a green smoothie that serves as a complete meal. That’s why this recipe calls for almond butter and rolled oats.
We have lots more great recipes and articles, def take a look around for more information. And remember, this isn’t a “diet,” it’s a plant-based eating lifestyle that results in more energy to do the things you love!
HEy there, could you please tell me what measurement i could use when i do not have thesame small cups as you do? thanks
Hi Arlette, one serving of our homemade protein powder equals 1/4 cup.
I loved this smoothie with the almond butter, but your smoothies all look so pretty, mine ALL look like pea soup!!!! But they taste good. What am I doing wrong?
As long as they taste good, it’s doesn’t matter what they look like! 🙂
I absolutely LOVED this smoothie. It was rich and creamy. Very delicious! Question, can I have this smoothie for both breakfast and dinner (I’m trying to lose weight)? Lastly, does it hurt if I add spinach as well as Kale?
You can def add both spinach and kale! And yes, you can drink a smoothie for breakfast + one for dinner if you like. 🙂
A trick that has helped me with tougher veggies is to blend just the veggie and some liquid/water first until it looks like green water and then add in the rest of my ingredients and blend it all together. I get chia seeds blended up better that way also.
That’s a great method that many of us love to use as well!
Made this today and found it filling and tasty. Note on my experience: I used dinosaur kale (all I had). I’m not sure it was that or the blueberry skins, but it didn’t blend as smooth as I wanted. When I make again, I’ll use a more tender kale or spinach. Definitely a keeper recipe. 🙂
This is definitely a good one!
Am I able to use your recipes with a nutribullet? Smoothie Novice, – Liz
Hi Liz! YES!! You can def use your Nutribullet to blend all of our delicious smoothie recipes. Many people in our community use and love Nutribullets. 😀
Hi John, I’m so sorry about your cancer diagnosis. If you go to our blog here-> https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes you will find all kinds of great smoothie recipes. And this will show you how to turn a green smoothie into a meal- https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-replacement-smoothie. If you have any other questions or concerns, you can reach us through our contact page. Good luck with your radiation, we’re cheering for you!
I know that the oats and the almond butter is supposed to help keep you fool. Would it be terrible for me to add a little protein powder to this smoothie? I’m just not sure if the oats and almond butter will be enough to keep me full.
Hey Cammy,
If you have a protein powder that you enjoy then you can absolutely add that to your green smoothie. 🙂