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.Â
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
Equipment
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.
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
Approximately how many calories is in one serving?
Hi Robin,
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.
I used frozen blueberries and my smoothie became gelatinous! Any tips? Thank you
Hi Claudia,
While I haven’t experienced it myself, blueberries are so full of pectin (fiber found in fruits, used to make jellies + jams) that they might turn smoothies slightly gelatinous. The effect on your smoothie increases overtime, so I’d suggest enjoying your smoothie right after blending, if you’re finding the blueberries to be an issue.
Hope this helps!
Will kids love these smoothies
?
Hi Mimi,
We love sharing the green smoothie love with our kids. Here are some of our tips for sharing green smoothies with little ones!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/smoothie-recipes-for-kids
I live in Switzerland and it is near impossible to find unsweetened almond milk. Can I use sweetened almond milk and get the same results?
Hi Carrie,
You’ll get the same results, but you’ll also be getting a lot of added sugar. Just take that into consideration when blending. You can always swap out almond milk for another liquid base or make your own almond milk, here’s our recipe!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/diy-almond-milk
I just made this smoothie and it was delicious!!! I added my 1/4 cup rolled oats to half cup boiled water. Let sit couple mins and added them to rest of ingredients. I drank it so fast I ended up with brain freeze. Lol. Love this website!
Hi Verna,
Great to hear! Thank you so much for blendin’ with us!
Cheers!
These look amazing and so delicious!
Hi Reelika,
They are delicious! Have you tried them? If so, let us know what you think! 🙂
Can you use raw almonds instead of almond butter?
Hi Chris,
Of course! We like to soak almonds in water overnight prior to blendin’.
Cheers 🙂
Do I have to cook the oats before putting them into the smoothie?
Hi C.C.,
You can add dry oats, soaked oats or even cooked oats to your smoothie. We usually recommend adding 2 tbs dry oats, or 1/4 cup cooked oats to any green smoothie recipe!
I’m allergic to tree nuts (including anything with almond or coconut) what would you suggest as a protein supplement for meal replacement?
Hi Lisa,
We love adding chia seeds to our smoothies for a great protein boost! About 5g of protein per ounce! Here are some of our other favorite ways to add protein to our smoothies:
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-protein-powder
Can I use frozen spinach in my smoothie?
Hi Terry,
Frozen spinach from the grocery aisle doesn’t always yield the tastiest results, so we love to free our own leafy greens! Just wash your greens, pat them dry, and place them in an airtight container in the freezer. It’s a great way to keep your greens fresh + your wallet happy! Cheers 🙂
I’ve been eating one to two meal replacement smoothies a day. Any idea on how to make them less sweet? I don’t mind sweet for breakfast or lunch, but I prefer a more mellow taste for dinner. Thanks.
Hi Bee,
If you’re finding your smoothies too sweet for dinner, try backing off on some of the fruits and adding additional leafy greens or protein in their place. It’s all about finding the right flavor combination for you!
Cheers 🙂
May I use instant oats instead of rolled?
Hi Melanie,
Great question! Quick oats have been rolled thinner or steamed a little longer than rolled oats, then ground into small pieces. This makes them quicker to cook, therefore, overall the nutritional value is the same!
Hi,
Can I replace the the rolled oats with instant oats? I couldn’t find them
Hi Melanie,
Great question! Quick oats have been rolled thinner or steamed a little longer than rolled oats, then ground into small pieces. This makes them quicker to cook, therefore, overall the nutritional value is the same!
Hi,
I joined a few dAys ago for the 30 day challenge, but I have not gotten an email yet. I confirmed the initial email. Should I sign up again?
Hey Melanie,
Please email our team here: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/contact and they will get you set up. 🙂
Hi, is there any way of finding out the nutritional info / calories of these smoothies? Thanks
Hi Lily,
Thank you so much for your comment! 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.
Here you will find beneficial information about all the ingredients found in a glass of green goodness. We hope you use these printable PDF’s to increase essential vitamins and nutrients in your diet.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/
By any chance is there a way of substituting medjool dates for something else?
Feel free to put medjool dates in place of the banana. 🙂