Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie (High-Protein)

With all the cottage cheese recipes popping up lately, cottage cheese is really having a moment…and for good reason, honestly. 

This strawberry cottage cheese smoothie uses cottage cheese, strawberries, monk fruit, and chia seeds to blend up a delicious yet easy smoothie that’s the perfect healthy breakfast for busy days or even a healthy snack in the afternoon. 

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie Recipe

With cottage cheese being the main star of this smoothie, you get a creamy smoothie that’s packed with high-quality protein. 

The ¾ cup portion of cottage cheese adds a whopping 19 grams of protein to this high-protein smoothie recipe. 

Cottage cheese typically contains active cultures, or probiotics (aka the good bacteria for our digestive system and gut). Research has shown that a diverse gut microbiome is helpful to prevent or lessen the severity of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others. 

Plus, the strawberries used in this recipe help provide over 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, which is helpful to maintain your immune system…especially as we go into the colder months.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The best part of this cottage cheese smoothie is that it uses simple ingredients that are easily found in your local grocery stores.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Cottage Cheese – Full-fat cottage cheese will provide a more thick and creamy texture, but fat-free cottage cheese will also work well in this smoothie. The curd size, whether large curd or small curd, doesn’t matter since it’s all going to get blended together. I do recommend using plain cottage cheese here to cut down on the added sugar content. I like Good Culture cottage cheese! The strawberries and sweetener add a natural sweetness to the smoothie anyways. 

• Frozen Strawberries – frozen fruit is my go-to option for smoothies, but fresh fruit can also be used too. 

• Almond Milk – I generally use unsweetened almond milk for smoothies. This light liquid is great for smoothies and is usually my go-to option. You could substitute your preferred milk of choice.

• Chia Seeds – These mighty seeds are a great way to add more fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, and a boost of protein into the smoothie to keep you feeling full for longer.

• Monk Fruit Sweetener – I love the mild sweet taste of monk fruit sweetener. This could easily be substituted for whatever sweetener you prefer or have on hand like agave nectar, maple syrup, or a drizzle of honey.

• Vanilla Extract – This adds a bit more dimension to the smoothie flavor.

How To Make A Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie

One of my favorite parts of making smoothies is that they’re just so simple to make.

For this easy cottage cheese smoothie, all you need to do is add all of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Then blend on high for about 30 seconds or until smooth. 

Then just pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Variations & Substitutions

• Skip the cottage cheese and use a plain Greek yogurt instead
• No frozen fruit? Use fresh strawberries instead. You may need to add a handful of ice cubes to get the desired smoothie consistency you’re looking for
• Substitute flax seeds or hemp hearts for chia seeds
• An easy way to add lots of protein: add a scoop of vanilla protein powder.
• Substitute honey, agave, maple syrup or another sweetener for monk fruit
• No almond milk? Use cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or another plant-based milk
• Add a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter for extra protein and healthy fats
• Blueberry cottage cheese smoothie: simply swap equal amounts of frozen blueberries for the strawberries
• Strawberry banana smoothie: add ½ cup of frozen banana or half of a fresh banana to this smoothie recipe

Other High Protein Smoothie Recipes You’ll Love

Healthy Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie

Mango Protein Smoothie

Detox Island Green Smoothie

Mango Kefir Smoothie

The Best Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe

Smoothies For Fertility (Berry Avocado Smoothie)

The post Strawberry Cottage Cheese Smoothie (High-Protein) appeared first on The PCOS Nutritionist Alyssa.