High Fiber, High Protein, Blood Sugar Balancing Smoothie

A high fiber, high protein, blood sugar balancing smoothie is an excellent replacement for a quick and easy balanced meal. Not only is it a balanced meal, my high fiber, high protein smoothie recipe is full of vegetables, fruits, plant-based protein, healthy fats and superfoods.

As an integrative nutrition health coach and trainer I get several questions about nutrition from clients, friends and family. Many people are so confused about what to eat, as there is so much conflicting information available on the internet. One of my favorite nutritionists is Kelly LaVeque. She is one of the most accurate, balanced, and scientifically correct nutrition voices we have today, in my opinion. She is a holistic nutritionist, wellness expert and celebrity health coach. I’ve been personally following her approach for several years and I also implement her approach in my health coaching practice. In her book, “Body Love” she talks about the Fab 4.

What is the Fab 4?

The Fab 4 consists of protein, fat, fiber, and greens. Kelly suggests including these four elements at every meal. “Together these nutrients naturally support blood sugar balance, regulate hunger hormones, decrease cravings to help you to feel your best and hit your goals, and serve up just what your body needs.”

When building your meals, this is a great approach to implement. I use this approach when making my high fiber, high protein, blood-sugar balancing smoothie as well. Fab 4 Smoothies are such an easy meal to make on the go or a great way to nourish your body after a good workout. However if you load your smoothie down with lots of fruit and little to no protein, fiber or fat, it may do more harm than good and it might leave you feeling hungry a couple hours later.

How Does this Approach Balance Your Hunger Hormones?

Anytime carbs are consumed, they break down into blood sugar. However, when you pair carbs with fiber, protein and/or fat it promotes more stable glucose levels. Fiber, protein and fats slow down the digestion of carbs and delay their absorption into the blood. Pairing your carbs with fiber, protein or fat prevents spikes in glucose levels after eating. Think to yourself “Never eat a naked carb.” Therefore, when we eat balanced meals, snacks and smoothies containing fiber, fat or protein, our blood sugar is more stable and it helps us feel more energized and full.

How to Make a High Fiber, High Protein, Blood Sugar Balancing Smoothie

First things first, you need a good blender. I have both the Vitamix and the Nutribullet and I’ll tell ya, while the Vitamix is an excellent blender, the Nutribullet is SUPER convenient and gets the job done with less to clean and it’s much cheaper than the Vitamix.

What Ingredients Should You Include in Your Hormone Balancing Smoothie?

• Protein: High quality protein powder. I like to use a low-carb plant-based protein powder because I get enough animal protein in my diet throughout the day, but any high quality protein powder is fine. I also like to add collagen to my smoothies as well as additional protein. I do not suggest using collagen alone as your protein because it is an incomplete protein.
• Healthy Fat: Examples of healthy fats are nut butters, coconut oil, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado or MCT oil.
• Fiber: Examples of fiber are psyllium husk, flax seeds, frozen riced cauliflower, and chia seeds.
• Greens: In my opinion the best greens for smoothies are spinach and kale as you cannot taste them in your smoothie, but you can use any sort of greens you like. For example, beet leaves, swiss chard, or even collard greens. However, these specific greens can make your smoothie taste bitter or taste like dirt.
• Liquid: This is a personal choice. I personally like to use coconut water if I’ve done a hard workout or I’ll use half water, half plant milk.
• Super food: This is optional. However, smoothies are a great time to sneak in superfoods. A few ideas for super foods include flaxseed, chia seed, collagen, spirulina, turmeric, matcha, camu camu, reishi mushroom, etc…

High Quality Smoothie Ingredients

Multi-Collagen
Truvani Plant Protein Powder (low carb)
Ancient Nutrition Plant Protein Powder (low carb)
Flax seed
Chia Seed
Psyllium Husk Powder

I hope you give my high fiber, high protein, blood sugar balancing smoothie a try. I’d love to know what you think or how you change it up to your own liking. Enjoy! Stay healthy, friends!