I believe that any time is a great time for a smoothie, especially when you're trying to turn it into a meal replacement. 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!
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
- Plant-based 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
- 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.
Meal Replacement Smoothie
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup kale (or spinach)
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cup blueberries (frozen)
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon almond butter (or raw almonds)
- 2 tablespoon rolled oats
- 1 serving Protein Smoothie Boost (optional)
Instructions
- Blend kale and almond milk until smooth in a high speed blender.
- Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
Video
Notes
- Use a frozen fruit to make smoothie cold
- Swap out almond milk for any non-dairy milk you prefer
- Protein Smoothie Boost is what I use for my meal replacement smoothies
Nutrition (estimated)
15 More Meal Replacement Smoothie Recipes
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Pat brick
Loved this one
LeAnn Lemmons
I really liked this smoothie, I didn't have enough kale so I had to use spinach, and I used natural peanut butter since I ran out of almond butter. It was very tasty!
Jenny
Wow it was really good. even my friend how not a fan of blueberry drank it.
Marina
Good one. But for me - not enough sweet. I added dates and it comes better.
Tamara
Though I don't use oil or protein powders, you gave me lots of great options to replace them. Thank you! I am thoroughly enjoying this challenge and learning a lot.
Lynnette clancy
Yummy
Sonja Rode
I liked this smoothie. It wasn't my favorite, but I'm not the biggest fan of blueberries and oats. Blending them made it much more tolerable for me :).
Angela
Smooth depth with warm delicious flavors
Kimberlyn
I love it I was missing the banana next time it would be even better
Mariana Castro
Hi Friends! I liked that this smoothie really have me the energy I needed to kick start my day. I did replace the oats for hemp seeds and added 1/2 avocado. This gave me the richness & consistency I liked. Try this recipe!
Meg North
This is a real winner for me. I used some bilberries that I picked last summer to make it extra special- and super cleansing!
Lisa P.
Pretty yummy! I didn't have almonds, so I swapped out almond butter. Not bad at all, but I'd stick to almonds if you can. This seems to be one of the thicker ones, so I added water. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Lowell
Good tasting smoothie.
Olga
It was good, but was missing something, maybe fresh blueberries would be better than frozen. Will try with fresh next time
LaVon Teel
I liked it but it wasn't my favorite. Left me feeling a little bloated.
Julia
Wasn't my favorite but still very enjoyable. Missing the brightness of the fresh berries.