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Nancy's High Calcium, High Protein Smoothie Recipe

This Smoothie recipe is one of the ways I help my clients make sure they are getting lots of vegetables, plenty of calcium from food and adequate protein. My Smoothie is packed with lots of bone healthy nutrients. The Smoothie contains 500 mg. calcium and 6 fruit/vegetable servings (if you use a large banana or add prunes then closer to 7). You can drink it for a meal with protein added so that it contains 25 grams protein, divide and drink as part of a meal and as a snack later, or as a snack. You can sip on it over time if the volume is too much to consume at one time.

                                                           Nancy’s Smoothie

Blend all of the following ingredients in a high-speed blender or Smoothie maker (like Ninja, Bullet, Nutribullet etc.) until smooth:

1 cup plain unsweetened kefir – whole or low fat OR use yogurt instead of kefir if you prefer
2 cups raw kale (you may substitute other greens but the calcium will be lower, as kale contributes 127     mg. calcium)
½ cup beets, raw or cooked – fresh, frozen or canned
½ cup unsweetened cherries – fresh, frozen or canned
1/2 cup unsweetened fruit (any fruit - strawberries, blueberries, mango etc) - fresh or frozen
1 medium banana
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

Add more kefir if you want it thinner – or you can use carrot juice to thin the Smoothie

Approximate Nutritional analysis of Smoothie – will vary some according to fruit chosen and if kefir is low fat or whole – nutritional analysis done with low fat kefir & strawberries: 375 Calories, 15 g. Protein, 9 g. Fat, 67 g. Carbohydrate, 12 g. Fiber, 500 mg. Calcium, 176 mg. Sodium

If you want to push the protein up to 25 grams, then add 10 grams worth of protein powder (I use MYPROTEIN, Impact Whey protein and ½ scoop is 10 grams protein) OR add ½ cup greek yogurt. You can only absorb about 25 to 30 grams of protein at one time so no reason to go any higher than 30 grams unless you are going to space it out over the day.

You can throw in some prunes, if you like, since research indicates prunes may be especially good for your bones.

 

posted on 11/10/2021