Packed with protein and perfectly creamy, this refreshing Orange Banana Smoothie comes together fast for an easy breakfast or post workout snack. 

If you’ve been following Eating Bird Food for a minute, you know I value balanced snacks and meals. I always try to get a balance of lean protein, healthy fats and carbs in at each meal. This is especially important after working out… let’s chat about why!

When you workout, your muscles use up glycogen stores to fuel your muscles. In most types of workouts, your muscles are also breaking and rebuilding (if you allow enough rest and proper nutrition between workouts). I try to eat something as soon as I can after working out to help with the recovery process.

I recently created this smoothie to refuel. If you struggle with having an appetite after a workout, try this smoothie! It’s light, refreshing and the perfect mix of carbohydrates and protein to help your body recover.

Why are carbs important post workout?

Remember when I said that your muscles use up glycogen stores during a workout? They pull from your glycogen stores for energy. These stores don’t magically regenerate, you need to eat carbohydrates to replenish them! If you’re doing endurance sports or a lot of cardio (for example: running or swimming), you’ll need more carbs than if you are doing resistance training (light weight lifting).

What does protein do post workout?

Most workouts lead to muscle breakdown. This sounds negative but is actually a good thing as long as you rest enough and fuel properly to repair your muscles which leads to building. Making sure you get enough protein post workout, ensures that your body has the right amino acids to rebuild your muscles.

How to Make a High Protein Smoothie

This quick and easy smoothie is perfect for refueling after workouts. It has a banana and orange which provide carbohydrates. I love using whole food sources of carbs to refuel… instead of highly processed carbs like cookies and crackers. For protein, I used 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder. I love using protein powder after a workout because it’s quick and easy. Much easier than grilling up a chicken breast or frying an egg. 😉 I also added coconut flakes, chia seeds (flaxseeds work great too) for healthy fats, which make the smoothie satisfying and filling.

If you make this Orange Banana Smoothie be sure to leave a comment and start rating below letting me know how it turns outs. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.

Orange Banana Smoothie

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Brittany Mullins
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1

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Description

Packed with protein and perfectly creamy, this refreshing Orange Banana Smoothie comes together fast for am easy breakfast or post workout snack. 

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Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 navel orange, peeled
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseed
• 1 Tablespoon dried coconut flakes
• 1/2 –1 cup milk (I like unsweetened almond or coconut milk)

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Instructions

1. Add all ingredients (staring with 1/2 cup milk) into a high powered blend and blend until smooth. You can add more milk into the blender if the smoothie seems to thick. Once the consistency is perfect, pour into a glass and enjoy.

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• Category: Smoothie
• Method: Blend
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 smoothie
• Calories: 418
• Sugar: 28g
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 59g
• Fiber: 12g
• Protein: 25g

Keywords: orange banana smoothie