36 Protein Sources to Add to Your Smoothie that are NOT Protein Powder

You know, I have never really been a fan of protein powder. I mean, besides being very expensive, sometimes they just don’t taste good. And then for you to even find one that tastes good it costs you a pretty penny.

According to the February 2016 IdeaFit Journal, most experts agree that the average person does not need to supplement their diet with protein powders. Active individuals can easily get what they need from food resources.

And I completely agree.

Do you know how much protein you really need in a day?

Well, here is a handy dandy chart to figure that out.

Once you figure out the average for you, then you can use various sources to get what you need. And when making a smoothie the best part is you can use a nice variety of things to help reach that number.

So, if you’re not a fan of protein powders like me, here are at least 36 ways to get protein in your smoothie WITHOUT using one (this list does not include the endless choices of fruit that also contain some protein, like banana and avocado).

1. Almonds – 1 tbsp =  3g of protein
2. Almond butter – 1 tbsp = 3.4g of protein
3. Almond milk – 1 cup = 1g of protein
4. Broccoli – 1/2 cup = 1.2g or protein
5. Brussels sprouts – 1 cup = 3g of protein
6. Cabbage – 2 cups = 1.8g of protein
7. Cacao powder (raw) – 1 tbsp = 1g of protein
8. Cashews – 1 tbsp = 2.5g of protein
9. Cashew milk – 1 cup = 1g of protein
10. Chia seeds – 1 tbsp = 1.5g of protein
11. Cocoa powder (unsweeetened) – 1 tbsp = 1g or protein
12. Coconut milk (canned) – 1 cup = 7g of protein
13. Cottage cheese – 1/2 cup = 14g of protein
14. Flaxseeds – 1 tbsp = 2.4g of protein
15. Hemp milk – 1 cup = 3g of protein
16. Hemp seeds – 1 tbsp = 3.5g of protein
17. Kale – 2 cups = 6g of protein
18. Kefir – 1 cup plain = 9g of protein
19. Milk – 1 cup whole = 8g of protein
20. Oats (old-fashioned rolled) – 1 cup = 14g of protein
21. Peanut butter – 1 tbsp natural peanut butter = 4g of protein
22. Peanuts – 1 tbsp dry roasted =  4g of protein
23. Peas (green) – 1 cup = 8g of protein
24. Pecans – 1 tbsp chopped pecans =  3g of protein
25. Pistachios – 1 tbsp = 3g of protein
26. Pumpkin seeds – 1 tbsp whole roasted =  3g of protein
27. Quinoa (cooked) – 1 cup = 8g of protein
28. Romaine lettuce – 2 cups = 1.2g of protein
29. Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp = 1.5g of protein
30. Silken tofu – 1/2 cup = 5g of protein
31. Spinach (raw) – 2 cups = 2g of protein
32. Sunflower butter – 1 tbsp = 2.8g of protein
33. Sunflower seeds – 1 tbsp, hulled =  4g of protein
34. Swiss chard – 2 cups = 1.5g of protein
35. Walnuts – 1 tbsp, chopped =  1.5g of protein
36. Yogurt – 1 cup plain Greek = 22g of protein / 1 cup plain non-Greek = 8.5g of protein

How do you add protein to your smoothie?