Simplicity is the Name of the Game
I’m not an expert at many things, but making incredible Protein-Packed Keto Green Smoothies might very well be one of them. Over the past 5 years I’ve been making a Green Smoothie of some kind nearly everyday. I’ve gone through phases where I’d be using 15 different ingredients in hopes to achieve the ideal blend of nutrition and deliciousness. As I matured however, I realized that most of the time simpler is better, and it turns out that Keto Green Smoothies are no exception. I’ve reduced my daily Keto Green Smoothie recipe down to a paltry 5 ingredients. These ingredients however, are optimized to deliver the highest possible nutritional benefits while still tasting great!
The Fab Five (Ingredients)
- Protein Powder
- Spinach
- MCT Oil
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Meal(or Flaxseeds)
1. Protein Powder : How do You Choose the Right One?
There’s a couple things you’re going to want to keep in mind when choosing a Keto
This stuff is as good as it gets. The pinnacle of low carb protein powders. It combines taste, mix-ability(some protein powders are all clumpy), and it almost makes you chuckle to yourself as you turn to the nutrition label and read 0g carbs. Someone give the person that made 25g of milk by-product taste like a chocolate eclair a Nobel Prize please. The downside is that IsoPure rarely falls under my $10/lb rule. It will normally cost you around $15/lb. I got some on the Amazon.com Prime Day sale for $9/lb and have been carefully rationing it out ever since.
TrueNutrition.com is a really great site that I’ve been using for close to 8 years now. They allow you to create your own custom mixes, and choose from 30+ flavors. My previous orders have had 0.9g-1.6g of carbs per scoop. The standard 100% whey they sell is $9/lb. When I order from them I create a mix with Whey/Soy/Rice protein which can get your per lb cost down to $7-$8. If you order over 15lbs you get an additional 5% off! But then you can no longer deny the fact that you’re a “bro”, so it’s a double-edged sword.
This is far and away the most trusted and highly reviewed protein on the market. If taste is your key concern, then Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is what you’re looking for. Depending on the flavor these will range from 2g-6g of carbs per serving. At a cost of $10/lb this is priced very reasonably for the ironclad reputation it has.
2. Spinach: The Perfect Keto Green Smoothie Veggie
Your choice for a Keto Green Smoothie veggie really falls between Kale and Spinach. I opt for spinach mainly because I enjoy the taste more and it is slightly cheaper. Kale will also work with this recipe, I’ve done it many times and it comes out great. Spinach is lower in carbs than Kale. Not that it is a huge deal, and I’m not one to stress over the carb content of ultra-healthy vegetables but it is worth noting. Kale has 5g of carbs per cup, while spinach has just 1g. This can be somewhat offset by the fact that kale is more nutrient dense, but I still think Spinach is the better choice. Fresh vs. FrozenThe decision to use fresh or frozen really comes down to personal preference. For years I used fresh spinach, but I’ve decided once and for all that the cost and convenience of frozen spinach is too good to pass up. I love being able to pick up 10 bags on a trip to the grocery store and not have to worry about them going bad. Just throw them in the freezer and use at my leisure. Fresh spinach has an extremely short shelf-life, usually 3-5 days. It will make for a better tasting Keto Green Smoothie, and research has shown that it retains some extra vitamins when compared to it’s frozen counterpart. The decision is yours. Both are solid choices. Just adjust the amount of ice you put in depending on whether you opt for fresh or frozen and you should be good!
3. MCT Oil: So What Is It?
MCT Oil is the only ingredient in this that can’t be subbed out. This stuff is vital because it can withstand cold temperatures and still maintain it’s liquid form. If you try to use Coconut Oil for example, you’ll be chewing on some big pieces of frozen oil…which I wouldn’t classify as tasty. MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are a type of fatty acid that are absorbed rapidly by the body. MCT converts to energy faster than any other type of fat which makes it great for a post workout shake, or for use in Bulletproof Coffee.
Where Can You Buy MCT Oil?I’ve started to see MCT Oil popping up in stores, but I find it cheapest on Amazon. Whole Foods has started carrying it, and just about any health food store should have it. I’ve tried 3 or 4 different brands off of Amazon and they were all similar quality so I just get the cheapest one. Here’s a few links to some that I’ve tried:
Flax Meal: A Combo of Fat and Fiber
Here at KetoConnect we use Flax Meal(Ground up Flaxseeds) just about every day. It goes into a lot of our low carb baked goods and it always finds it’s way into my smoothies. Adding Flax meal to your Keto Green Smoothie is a great way to get some extra fiber, healthy fat, as well as some vitamins and minerals. It’s also very affordable at around $5 for a 16oz bag. Lately we have been ordering Bob’s Red Mill from Amazon, but you should be able to find it in most grocery stores. You’re getting 3g of fiber per tablespoon with Flax Meal and just a trace amount of carbs(about 0.2g per tablespoon). If you’ve never tried it before, Flax Meal has a feint nutty taste that fits well with the other flavors in this Keto Green Smoothie recipe.
Chia Seeds: Massive Nutrients in a Small Package
Chia Seeds, like Flax Seeds, deliver a huge amount of nutrients as well as fat and fiber. On a per calorie basis, Chia Seeds are the worlds best source for a number of key nutrients. Health aside, they add to the taste and consistency of the Keto Green Smoothie immensely. They are unique in the way that they gel together to form a pudding-like consistency if left alone for a few minutes. Sometimes I will let my smoothie sit in the fridge for an hour before I drink it if I want to let the Chia Seeds really blossom. If you go that route I recommend leaving the ice out. The best price I can find for these is also on Amazon, but it’s a 2lb bag of them. We use them a lot so a 2lb bag makes sense for us, but if you do some searching at local grocery stores you can find 6oz bags, but they will wind up costing you almost as much as the 2lb bag from Amazon. We’ve gotten HealthWorks the last few times and are happy with the product. It is the cheapest option on Amazon.
The Keto Green Smoothie Recipe
The recipe outlined in this article is listed below. We have also put together a brief video showing you how we make it. If you happen to try it let us know! And be sure to share your recipes with us in the comments section. We love to get suggestions and feedback, so don’t be shy. If you like the recipes and insights we are sharing be sure to check out our youtube channel. Thanks!
Keto Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp MCT Oil Start with 1 tsp if you do not regularly consume MCT Oil. We Use This
- 2 tbsp flax seed meal
- 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1 Scoop Protein Powder
- 2 cups Frozen Spinach
- 5 cubes Ice
- 3 cups Water
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix on high for about 30 seconds, or until Spinach is mostly liquefied.
Notes
Written by
Matt Gaedke
Matt is a former college basketball player turned computer engineer who discovered his passion for health and nutrition after cutting sugar from his diet in 2016. That year he founded KetoConnect with Megha in order to share their ketogenic lifestyle through recipes, videos, and educational content. Matt is always seeking to grow and try new things, a passion he shares with his wife and two amazing sons.
I made the smoothie for the first time today and while it wasn’t bad it was lacking some kind of punch or maybe even sweetness. Any suggestions? I used one scoop of the Isopure Vanilla – should I add more for flavor. Suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks!
you could add some stevia!
Can I sub spinach with kale? Trying to get the most fiber possible… also will it change the taste?
You can definitely sub kale in for the spinach, and yes it will alter the taste. Kale is more bitter.
I would like to try it without the flax or chia, will it still provide the benefits?
Yes, it will still have the nutrients and potassium from the spinach 🙂
I’m thinking avocado I dont have powders what can I use as a replacement
Go for it! Avocado sounds great!
I am interested in trying a shake with greens to cram more into my day. While this recipe sounds really delicious, I’m concerned about the macros. Is it okay to have higher protein than fat? I’ve read a lot about too much protein resulting in insulin spikes and being kicked out if ketosis. Or is this okay as long as I adjust macros elsewhere throughout my day?
Hey Torie! Your body has fat stores to pull the fat macros from. You’ll be fine for sure. We have a video on Gluconeogenesis that we think you’d really love!
Im new to keto and im trying to figure this out. how do you count carbs? you say the smoothie is 3 net carbs but it actually has 23g of carbs…Whats the difference? im told that i should have no more that 30 carbs a day for weight loss. which calculation should i use if im going to do this smoothie
Hey Terry, I was confused by the same thing when I first started Keto, as previously I only tracked my “macros” (fats, protein, carbs). If you look on the nutrition panel, you will notice the number of carb grams. In this case, that is 23g of carbs. But the nutrition panel also breaks down the carbs, often into sugars, fiber, etc. In this case, the 23g of carbs contain 20g of fiber. Fiber is essential for digestion, but is not absorbed by the body for nutrition. It passes through. So those on the Keto diet take the total grams of carbs, but then subtract the grams of fiber, giving us the net total of carbs. This is the only number that matters for Keto. In this case, 3g of carbs.
I prefer fresh spinach. How much do I need to use to equal the amount of frozen spinach in the recipe?
Hey Chris! 2 lbs fresh spinach will cook down to 2 cups of frozen. Hope this helps!
Thanks! 🙂
Made this. Added collagen peptides to help my knees, hair, and nails. It is no an irreplaceable daily staple. COOKIES & CREAM ISOPURE IS LIFE NOW. Haha, thanks for finding this protein powder–love it!
Guys, I love your recipe but here in Mexico mct oil price is like buying the crown of England. What do you advice? I know coconut oil solidifies, could I use any other oil? Thx in advance
You might just have the best luck using heavy cream for the fat. MCT oil is really the only thing that will stay liquid in the smoothie.
Could I use green powder instead of the fresh leaf option 🙂 Cher’s
Ya, that would work perfectly.
Can I add kiwi or wood it add too much sugar
If you can fit kiwi into your macros for the day, you can definitely add it 🙂
Is this really just one serving?
A serving can be whatever fits into your diet. This is what we make for 1 serving.
I don’t see this one on myfitness pal. Made it, and then I went to log it and it wasn’t there!
I used fresh spinach and added some avocado, but I feel like there’s something missing… my husband commented that it’s very light, which I agree. Maybe I’m just used to smoothies with fruit :-/
This one isn’t on MFP. You could try adding a little bit of Xanthan Gum to thicken it.
This green smoothies has this amount of carbs really. 23 grams. I guess it’s ok. Jamaba Juice start off with 30 gram on any of there smoothies. I’m just saying…
It has 23 carbs with 20 grams of fiber. This comes out to 3 net carbs, which is low for a protein smoothie!
I just started Keto yesterday. I’m trying it for health reasons, not to lose weight. I’m 5’8 and weigh 125#., 57 yrs old with some arthritis. Yesterday I started the day with bulletproof coffee, then a few hours later when I got home from the gym I had a protein shake. Around 2 in the afternoon and made a 3 egg omelette cooked in 2 tbsp butter with bacon and one ounce of cheddar. I was so full after that that I didn’t eat anything the rest of the day except a couple tbsp of sunflower seeds. Is that enough food in a day? I just truly couldn’t eat anymore.
Karen, listening to your body is always best. Since you’re just starting keto you will find yourself being very full from the increased fat intake. Since you’re not trying to lose weight it is important to eat at your maintenance calories, but it doesn’t have to be perfect every day. Some days will be higher and some lower. The food you listed seems to be a bit under what you should be eating to maintain weight.
Do you use flavored or unflavored Isopure powder?
We use flavored – our favorite is cookies and cream!
Made it, didn’t use flax…loved the taste, but it made me feeling tingly..not sure wht..any ideas??
It made your mouth tingly? An allergic reaction to one of the other ingredients possibly.
No,an all over tingly, and stomach upset..
Trish – have you used MCT oil in the past?
Hi
I missed my green smoothies so badly, but started a low carb plan and the 23g of carbs are really too much for 1 item out of my day. Is there a way to reduce the carbs and still get maximum nutrition?
It’s 3 net carbs. You can take out the flax meal if you want to cut down on total carbs, but fiber isn’t used by the body so it’s not necessary.
Thanks for the great recipe. I used fresh spinach and just guessed on the amount. The consistency was not as thick obviously because the spinach wasn’t frozen. I’ll have to play with it by reducing water and adding ice. If anyone has already come up with this modification, would love to see it. Thanks!
I don’t use protein powders. I use 2 raw eggs (large). I’ve been doing it for nearly 20 years now & no problems. I do wash off the shell before cracking the egg. Early on, I actually just tossed the whole eggs in the blender – but it had a chalky consistency I didn’t really like, so eventually gave that up.
I use spinach & chia seeds as in this recipe. I make it in the evening for my morning shake after I work out & am driving to work – that way I don’t wake up the rest of my family in the morning.
Our local Safeway actually sells chia seeds in bulk for a little over $4.50/lb. Nice deal …
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for sharing your variation! It’s definitely a daily must have for Matt and he loves it!! We have Safeway near by so we’ll have to check out the chia seeds – thanks again!
Hi Guys,
Wanted to say I tried it and loved it. I did alter it just a tiny bit though, instead of adding ice, I added 1/2 C cold coffee, and added 1/2 tsp of xantham gum. The consistency is like a milkshake. I didn’t realize xantham gum was so potent, used to drink fruit smoothies and they always seperated, but I’ve been sipping this over an hour and no separation. Thanks for this and all your recipes!