Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake (soy-free)
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This is an easy-to-make, high-protein pumpkin pie smoothie that will give you all the fall vibes! It’s packed with gut health-boosting collagen, healthy fats and has 37g of protein (or more depending which brand of collagen you use)!
This fall, I was invited to a member appreciation night at my local Hotworx where all of us health practitioners and beauty vendors were able to share our services with other members. I whipped up this pumpkin protein shake recipe to serve to members who were just getting done with their workouts and it was a huge hit!
Everyone was blown away by how delicious it tasted. I think one thing that made this pumpkin protein smoothie such a hit is that it actually tastes like pumpkin, and even though it does have half a banana, you can’t taste it at all.
I loved sharing this smoothie with my fellow gym goers so they could see how to get a high amount of supplemental protein in a meal with a smoothie. This smoothie would be great for breakfast, as a snack, or pre or post-workout meal.
Why do we need to eat enough protein daily? Protein is vital to good health, it’s often called the building block of life and for good reason…you literally can’t survive without it. Protein is in every cell of your body and it’s critical that you have enough each day for your body to build and repair cells. Protein is also an important component of your bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage, skin, blood and more.
Having a high protein intake per day is important overall but especially as you age because you now have a much higher protein requirement to maintain muscle mass - mainly because your system is no longer dominated by hormones like when you were young. Yet many people eat much lower amounts of protein as they age because they look at it negatively for various reasons (or appetite decreases over time), rather than them looking at the massive benefits that protein provides.
The goal as you age is to maximize muscle protein synthesis so that you can preserve lean tissue - over time, it will help with strength, bone health and other essential functions keeping you mobile and balanced.
What makes protein so special? Protein is an essential nutrient that is made up of 20 building blocks known as amino acids. 9 of the 20 are essential amino acids meaning the body cannot make them on its own and we must get them from quality protein sources in our diet. The other 11 amino acids can be created by the body, making them non-essential amino acids.
We must obtain the 9 essential amino acids from mainly animal and some plant sources…but it’s important to note that most plant proteins are not a “complete protein” and are not as bioavailable as animal proteins due to the amino acid profile, as well as issues with digestion and absorption. Because of this, you essentially need to just about double the amount of plant proteins to get enough quality protein your body can utilize.
This shake is made up mostly of plant proteins, as well as protein from bovine collagen so it provides MOST of the essential amino acids. But have no fear, because if you have a well-rounded diet of mainly animal proteins mixed with some plant protein, you should be able to achieve the amount of protein and essential amino acids to achieve your daily needs.
Before we get to this recipe, you’re probably wondering how you can insure that you are getting enough protein per day. The studies that look at protein intake and gaining muscle mass vary from 0.8-1.0+ gram per pound bodyweight, so it’s safe to say a balanced approach would be most beneficial, so around 1g per pound bodyweight is highly effective.
High Protein Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake (soy-free & dairy-free)
1 serving protein powder, such as Thorne MediBolic Cinnamon (18g of protein) or Designs for Sport Beef Protein Vanilla Use affiliate code AWAKENED10 for 10% off (21g of protein - If you choose a vanilla protein powder, add cinnamon to the smoothie)
1 serving Great Lakes collagen powder (11g of protein) or Vital Collagen (18g of protein)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 frozen banana
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
1-2 Tbsps nut butter (almond butter, sunflower butter, etc.)
Stevia powder to taste
Add ice, blend and enjoy!
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