How To Make A Meal Replacement Smoothie

One of the most commonly asked questions from our community is if our blends can be used as a meal replacement.

While we use the highest-quality ingredients from around the world in our blends, our philosophy is that you need a balanced wholefood diet for optimal health, and using our blends in conjunction will make you the healthiest version of yourself.

A meal replacement smoothie is an easy way of getting sufficient nutrients without eating a meal. Ideal for a busy lifestyle, smoothies can make an easy and nutritious breakfast when you’re on the run, or a quick lunch that will satisfy your hunger cravings.

Meals can be substituted for a healthy smoothie once a day, and there are a few easy steps to follow to make sure you’re getting the most out of these meal replacement smoothies.

Key ingredients in a meal replacement smoothie

1. Milk

A high-quality milk is an important base for any smoothie. At Bare Blends, we use almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, dairy milk and coconut water in our smoothies.

Not only does a good milk taste better, but you can make sure you’re not consuming any unnecessary sugars that are commonly in store-bought milks. To avoid this, make sure you check the ingredients list before you purchase, and choose organic nut milks.

It’s also very easy to make nut milks yourself. Check out our Homemade Almond Milk and Creamy Cashew Milk recipes for instructions.

2. Protein

Protein is an integral part of any smoothie recipe. Protein contains essential amino acids which your body needs to reach optimal health and recover quickly from exercise.
Adding a source of protein will also ensure that the smoothie will keep you fuller for longer, keeping you away from simple carbs, sugars and snacking between meals. This is thought to be because of the thermic effect of protein, which helps your body to burn calories as well as increase secretion of satiety hormones and regulated release of glucose for balanced blood sugar levels.

WPI

Adding one serving of our WPI (whey protein isolate) blends is an easy and nutritious way to get your daily protein boost. These blends are high in protein, and very low in carbs and lactose, making it an ideal protein for your post-exercise smoothie.

WPC

Our WPC (whey protein concentrate) blends are delicious, creamy whey blends are more economical and a great everyday protein.

Plant Protein

For a non-whey alternative, try our Plant Proteins. Derived from the optimal ratio of pea and sprouted brown rice protein, they are an easily digestible source of vegan protein.

3. Frozen Fruit

Freezing fruit for smoothies is a great way to ensure that you don’t have to constantly keep fresh fruit in your house. Using frozen fruits such as banana, mango and berries is also important because they keep your smoothie at a cold temperature even after blending, so you don’t have to add ice, which could make your smoothie watery when it melts. Frozen fruit also helps to add a thicker consistency to your smoothie!

4. Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Add a handful of spinach, kale, or celery to your green smoothies to add essential vitamins and minerals. Bare Greens is the most economical and convenient way to get organic greens in your diet, at $1.82 per serve, it’s often cheaper and easier than buying fresh greens.
Bare Berries is also an excellent way of getting a vibrant berry flavour and an antioxidant boost.

5. Superfoods

We live in an exciting age that is abundant in ancient superfoods - foods that were traditionally reserved for royalty or prized warriors. That’s because these foods are more nutritious than your average plant. Abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more, superfoods add both flavour and unique nutritional benefit to your daily smoothie.
Our Bare Booster range is great for this - especially Bare Greens and Bare Berries. They’re a simple way to add extra organic nutrients into your diet without having to have the fresh perishable alternatives on hand.

Our favourite superfoods to include in meal replacement smoothies?

Maca
Fight fatigue and tiredness, boost energy, natural sexual activator

Chia Seeds
Omega-3s, healthy digestion, satiety

Cacao
Antioxidants, magnesium, boosts serotonin and endorphins

Matcha
Cognitive boost, anti-aging, boost metabolism, reduce stress

Bare Greens
Broad spectrum multivitamins, detoxifying, healthy digestion, immune system boost

Bare Berries
Antioxidants, skin health, anti-aging, immune system boost

6. Nuts And Nut Butters

Adding a handful of nuts or a good quality nut butter (one that contains 100% nuts) adds a healthy dose of good fats to your smoothie as well a delicious nutty flavour. The beneficial fats in nuts is also an available source of energy for your body. Our favourite nuts to add to smoothies include cashews, roasted hazelnuts, and pecans.
If you’re not a fan of nuts, you could add a teaspoon of coconut oil to boost your healthy fat intake and for extra energy.

Need recipe inspiration for meal replacement smoothies? Try one of these shakes