Vegan Quinoa Smoothie Recipe with Banana

Quinoa as a perfect breakfast meal is common knowledge. The wholegrain is rich in vital nutrients, belongs to the complex carbs category, and is therefore easily digestible. Not to forget, it’s super tasty too when mixed with milk or a variety of other ingredients.

Now imagine if you could enjoy quinoa smoothies every morning? Healthy, filling, and absolutely delicious. Cherry on the top – it’s 100% vegan! A super delightful news if you’re a vegan or have recently turned one.

Here we present the benefits of including quinoa in your meal and also a simple-to-prepare and yummy-licious recipe for vegan quinoa smoothie.

Health Benefits of Quinoa

There are plenty. For starters, quinoa is an extremely protein-rich food grain. This means that adding a bit of quinoa to your daily diet, in this case your morning smoothie, would add tons of nutrition to your everyday life. Besides, quinoa makes for a great whole food substitute to processed protein powders, being naturally rich in protein.

Quinoa has all nine essential amino acids and is considered as a complete source of vegan protein. These powders may also sometimes contain GMO ingredients. Not to forget, a quinoa smoothie for breakfast can keep you full until lunch time so you needn’t worry about putting on extra calories with frequent snacking.

Perfect Quinoa Smoothie Recipe for Vegans

Using Raw Quinoa in Smoothies

Putting raw quinoa in smoothies place of the usual is also a great variation to introduce in your quinoa smoothie recipe. If you plan to use raw quinoa, sprouting it first might be a good idea. This is how you can sprout raw quinoa to be used in a smoothie

Step 1: Rinse the raw quinoa well with water. This will help remove the saponin.

Step 2: Place the quinoa in a jar and soak it in water. Cover the jar with a sprouting lid.

Step 3: Allow the quinoa to stay soaked for about 6 hours.

Step 4: Rinse well and drain out the water. You can tilt the jar over a bowl to allow all of the water to drain out.

Step 5: Now keep rinsing and draining out the water every six hours until sprouts get formed in 2-3 days.

Step 6: Once sprouted quinoa is ready, you can follow the same recipe detailed in the above section to create your own raw quinoa smoothie recipe for a healthy and tasty breakfast.

Tips for Making Your Quinoa Protein Shake Even Tastier

A couple of variations to the above recipe can help ensure an even better taste to your quinoa smoothie recipes. Try these out for sure!

• You can add a dash of brewed coffee in the blender along with all the other ingredients, especially if there isn’t enough time for both coffee and breakfast in the morning. A quinoa smoothie with coffee would ensure you a complete meal.
• Add a scoop of your favorite tasting vegan protein powder to take the protein content of this smoothie up a notch. Use my guide for the tastiest vegan protein powders to select one from, if you don’t already have a favorite.
• Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder to make your smoothie chocolaty (particular favourite among choco-lovers).
• You can also choose to go for chocolate greens powder such as Barlean’s to add a touch of vegan to the smoothie. In this case, you can do away with the cocoa powder.

Some people make use of cocoa butter in their smoothies for a smoother and tastier version. You can also include it. But, first check whether cocoa butter is vegan or not from this article.

Also Read: Difference between Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter

Other Gluten-Free Breakfast Shakes to Enjoy

Besides quinoa, there are a number of other ingredients that can make your breakfast smoothie equally nutritious and yummy-licious. Besides, all of these recipes are free of any gluten, which make them an easy go-to shake when you’re short on time for breakfast. Having a glassful of these can ensure a complete meal in itself.

Some examples of gluten-free smoothies or shakes to enjoy for breakfast are:

1. Minted Blueberry Balsamic Smoothie

Rich in antioxidants, the smoothie gets a fresh taste from the mint and blueberries. And the balsamic vinegar lends it a unique flavour.

2. Banana Vanilla Orange Smoothie

The very name assures you of all the healthy and fruity flavours to be enjoyed in this shake. An excellent energy-booster after your daily morning workout.

3. Vegan Mango Smoothie

Yes! Vegan mango Smoothie, tastes great and yet is healthy and filling. Check the delicious recipe here.

4. Kiwi Super Green Smoothie

Great to keep your digestive system running smooth, this smoothie is good news for vegan lovers too.

5. Raspberry Colada Smoothie

The refreshingly pink colour that the smoothie gets after being blended is enough to tempt anyone on a hot, tropical day.

6. Banana Smoothie without Milk

The delicious, nutritious, healthy and quick recipe for a smoothie is a banana smoothie with vegan milk which makes it healthy and cruelty-free. You can check the recipe here.

Conclusion

Smoothies have always been a favorite for breakfast. But with these vegan-friendly recipes, adding quinoa, fruits, and other plant-based ingredients, you’re sure to enjoy a wholesome, excessively healthy yet super-tasty first meal of the day. Go ahead and enjoy your breakfast guilt-free.