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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!
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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
What are rolled oats
Hi Vale,
Rolled oats are traditionally oat oats that have been de-husked, steamed and then rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers before being stabilized by being lightly toasted.
Can I substitute the almond butter? I don’t have any right now all I have is PB2 and regular peanut butter.
Hi Mel,
Of course! Peanut butter works great as a substitute for almond butter.
Hi,
Just popping in to say how much I love your smoothies.. The only thing that I find rather difficult is the measurements.. I’ve always used metric but it’s a bit of a challenge when I need to convert the ingredients. Maybe you can consider adding the measurements units in metric system?
Thank you 🙂
Hey Alexandra,
Does this chart help?
Spices | Proteins | Superfoods:
½ tsp = 2mL
1 tsp = 5mL
2 tsp = 10mL
1 TBSP = 15mL
2 TBSP = 30mL
Fruits:
Mango | Pineapple | Strawberries | Beets | Carrots | Blueberries | Raspberries | Leafy Greens
1 cup = 250mL
1 ½ cups = 375mL
2 cups = 500mL
Liquids:
Water | Coconut Water | Coconut Milk | Almond Milk | Fresh Squeezed Juice | Rice Milk
½ cup = 125mL
1 cup = 250mL
1 ½ cups = 375mL
2 cups = 500mL
Grams:
1 cup of leafy greens = 30g
2 cups of leafy greens = 60g
This is so good and very filling. One of my new favorites! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, I now crave my daily green smoothies! A healthy got to have them addiction : )
It’s a great addiction to have. 🙂 Cheers!
Hi! I love your green smoothie recipes! Would you consider your other smoothies snacks? Also, if I wanted to have a smoothie as part of a meal, what do you recommend to add to a smoothie to make it a “full meal”?
Hey Rachel.
Great questions. We suggest a meal replacement is 16oz + plant based protein or 8oz as a snack serving size. 🙂
Hi, I have been trying your green smoothies and I have noticed that I am getting a lot of stomach pain and other stomach complaints after drinking them. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this?
Hey Heather,
Thanks for reaching out. This can be a common symptom if your body is not used to drinking or eating lots of fiber. Green smoothies are high in fiber which is great for digestion, but if your are new, the high fiber can shock your body. Make sure you drink lots of water to help flush things out. And if you’re new to green smoothies one serving a day is enough, which is 2 cups (16 ounces).
Hey! I’ve noticed that you never (I think) use regular milk. It’s always almond or water or sth else. Can I use cow milk for my smothies?
Good morning Ana,
Great question! We’ve talked with a lot of nutritionists and milk isn’t all that it’s been hyped up to be. Dairy is one of the highest diet allergies (and often goes undiagnosed), yet can cause inflammation and infections. And if you aren’t buying organic milk, you’re also getting doses of antibiotics, hormones, etc that can tip your own body out of whack. So we just avoid milk for our family (and opt for almond milk). We get our calcium from plant-based sources mainly— broccoli, spinach and kale.
It’s definitely a personal choice, and you just have to decide what works best for you and your family.
How, specifically, does dairy cause infections?
Hi! I prefer to use spinach for my smoothies rather than kale or other greens, but I have heard that you need to vary your greens and that you shouldn’t eat too much spinach or it could be bad for you. If I was to drink a green smoothie with spinach every day, do you think that could affect me negatively in some way? Love your smoothie recipes! 🙂
Hey Maja,
Thanks for much for blending with us. We suggest rotating your leafy greens: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/leafy-greens Hope that helps.
Do I need to cook the rolled oat before blending?
Raw or cooked (and cooled) will work. 🙂
I am so glad to see you are including these types of ingredients; I have been a green smoothie girl for years and already include these but I enjoy trying out your specific suggestions. I also include other added ingredients to enhance immunity such as chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass, elderberry powder, acai powder, moringa, and others. I have been around many sick people this winter at home and work (I work in a hospital); I have not received the flu vaccine due to allergy and I have not gotten sick. I am convinced these are the reason.
That’s amazing! Cheers!
Can I substitute the rolled oats with steel cut oats? What is the dif between them anyway?
Hey Vanessa.
Thanks for the comment. Yes you can. Here a link I think you will enjoy:
The only difference is the way they’re made. They have the same amount of nutrients. Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic index, keeping you full longer. But still, consuming either is healthy either way!
If you want to use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats, you can put the steel cut oats in your Vitamix/blender first. Run the Vitamix for a few seconds to grind up the oats, then add the rest.
I make oatmeal for breakfast from steel cut oats by putting 2 heaping Tbs is Vitamix for a few seconds then add 1/3 cup hot milk (microwave) and mix for a few more seconds, then add banana and mix again. Whole process takes about 2 minutes.
This is one hell of a rawkstar yummy smoothie! Having one for my dinner tonight and will have one tomorrow for a meal before my agility trial!
Thank you for the rawkstar recipes 🙂
Awesome! Best wishes for your agility trial!
Thanks for this great info! Does flax seed serve as a healthy protein? Which category does it fall into and what serving size should be used?
Hey Charla. 🙂
Flax seeds are rich in heart-healthy omega fatty acids to protect your heart. They also contain high amounts of fiber which keep you full longer and can also help decrease your risk of heart disease.
Hi, thanks for all the great info but if you are going to give a breakdown on nutritional facts, could you please provide them on a per 100g basis rather than a percentage of Daily Value as most dietitians agree the percentage per 100g gives a more accurate analysis. (eg the amount of fat and sugar should be 10g or less per 100g). Thanks!
Hey Jaye.
We personally don’t count calories, so we don’t include them in our recipes at this time. You’ll find that when you consume more nourishing whole fruits and veggies, you will not only feel full longer, but you’ll also have lessened cravings for high-calorie, nutritionally empty foods. So in the end it balances out. But we know many people would like to have calorie info. Three great resources for tracking calories are Self Nutrition Data and the phone apps My Fitness Pal and Lose It.
Can you use organic peanut butter or other nut butter instead of almond butter?
Coconut milk instead of almond?
Spinach instead of kale?
Sorry about all the questions. I love my smoothies and have these on hand!
Hey Kaela.
Our recipes are here to inspire you — you don’t have to follow them to a T. Yet we do think they are mighty tasty! Feel free to use other green smoothie recipes and even make some up yourself. The key to making green smoothies your lifestyle is making it easy and part of your daily routine. So we recommend using fruits and veggies that are easy for you to find and are affordable.
Hi! Any suggestions on what to replace bananas with? I am doing the blood type diet and they are on my do not eat list. Thanks!
Hey Mary!
Some great banana substitutes are:
Mango
Papaya
Pear
Chia seeds
Fresh dates
Nut Butters
Unsweetened applesauce
Avocado (won’t add the sweetness, but will definitely add the thick and creamy texture)