Nothing is more refreshing than a combination of banana and strawberry! A strawberry banana protein smoothie is a classic recipe enjoyed by almost everyone.
Strawberries are chock full of manganese and Vitamin C. Bananas are excellent sources of potassium and folate. When the two fruits come together, they pack a powerful punch for such a simple smoothie.
While nutritious, using certain ingredients can intentionally add calories and fat. The classic combination of fruit is tasty and can help you gain weight if made correctly.
Preparation to Make the Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
A strawberry banana smoothie is about as simple of a smoothie as they come. To prepare for making the smoothie, you should:
- Remove the stems from the strawberries
- Peel and remove the ends of the banana
- Portion out and pre-mix the yogurt, milk, honey, and chia seeds
Freeze the Strawberries and Bananas
The JuicingJournal team prefers to use frozen bananas in this recipe. Using frozen fruit allows for an icier texture without using as much ice. We prefer to use as little ice as possible to avoid diluting the flavor of our smoothies.
Freezing fruit for smoothies is handy and can serve multiple purposes. Pre-portioning and freezing fruit makes meal planning easy as ever. Bananas tend to ripen quickly and freezing stops the process. Freezing bananas for smoothies will help you to avoid throwing away overly ripened fruit.
Use a Strong Blender
Stronger blenders will not have any trouble blending frozen fruit smoothies. Higher powered machines can easily break up ice into a creamier consistency. Weaker blenders will require smoothies to be blended for longer periods. Excessive blending times can lead to runny smoothies, yuck! More information on powerful blenders can be found here.
Pre-Plan & Prep
In our household, time is precious. Banana strawberry weight gain smoothies are extremely easy to plan for and prepare. Yogurt, milk, honey, and chia seeds can be mixed in bulk easily. After mixed, the ingredients can be portioned into ice trays and frozen.
Bananas and strawberries can be cut up, portioned, and frozen in bulk for later use. JuicingJournal always recommends using fresh fruit in smoothies, not processed or packaged fruit. Prepare several portions of fruit at one time and freeze the remainder for later.
A Weight Gain Shake Option
To gain weight, we recommend you prepare this smoothie to include as many calories and fat as possible. To do that, we recommend using whole milk, yogurt, & honey.
Whole Milk
Whole milk is an excellent source of fat and calories. One cup of whole milk contains approximately 150 calories and a whopping 8 grams of fat. We prefer to use milk from a local organic dairy in our smoothies.
Regular Yogurt
Unflavored yogurt made from whole milk will provide the best source of calories and nutrition. There are plenty of low and reduced fat options on the market. If weight gain is your goal, stick with traditional yogurt.
Honey
Honey is sweet, delicious, and full of calories. One tablespoon of raw honey can contain up to 70 calories and 17 grams of sugar. We prefer to use natural sweeteners versus processed and refined sugars.
Substitutions & Additions
Low-Fat Options
If you are not looking to gain weight and just want a tasty treat, there are several substitutions that can be made. Using low or reduced fat yogurt is an easy way to save on fat and calories. Skim and reduced fat milks are another option to cut our unwanted calories, sugar, and fat.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a common addition to many smoothie recipes. Chia seeds are remarkably nutritious for their small size! Two tablespoons of chia seeds pack a nutritious punch with:
- 104 Calories
- 5 Grams Protein
- 10 Grams Fiber
- 15% Daily Calcium
- 25% Daily Magnesium
It is easy to see how adding a few tablespoons of chia seeds to your banana strawberry weight gain smoothie will take this drink to the next level.
Nutritionist’s Tip
Want to know what some of the best smoothie supplements are? Madison Wilfred, our resident nutrition expert weighs in on this blog post.
Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie for Weight Gain
Course: Snacks, Meal Replacement1
servings5
minutes526
kcalIngredients
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 cups strawberries frozen
1 banana fresh or frozen
1 cup milk (high calorie) or almond milk (low calories)
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
Directions
- Place all ingredients in your favorite blender.
- Blend it like it’s nobody’s business
- Enjoy
Notes
- Calorie count assumes whole milk and chia seeds were both added. Using almond milk instead of whole milk and removing the chia sees puts the calorie count at 380.
