Pineapple Protein Smoothie (with Quinoa)

This pineapple protein smoothie is made with seven simple ingredients. Cooked quinoa, pineapple, turmeric, bananas, chia seeds, honey, and your favorite milk make this smoothie DELICIOUS.

For the last 10+ years, I've started almost all mornings with a smoothie! I am always testing out new flavors and adding different ingredients. I like adding cooked quinoa to my smoothies to increase the protein and support blood sugar levels. After this, try my banana tahini smoothie with quinoa!

If you are craving more pineapple, be sure to check out my refreshing pineapple celery smoothie and this delicious dairy-free tropical smoothie! If you have canned pineapple, I would make these loaded morning glory muffins with pineapple or these pineapple oatmeal muffins with 5 grams of protein each.

Ingredients: nutrition insight and substitutions

I've always been fascinated by how food can be connected to our well-being. I did a two-year program to learn more about nutrition, so I always love to share some things I learned from my schooling in the recipes I create. Below, you will read why I chose these ingredients and how you can make swaps if you don't have the ingredients needed.

• Pineapple's key nutrients are vitamin C, folate, iron, and fiber. For this recipe use frozen pineapple (just like my tropical dairy-free smoothie). If you want to use fresh pineapple, I recommend adding 4-6 ice cubes to make this smoothie cold and thick. You can also swap the pineapple for frozen mango, frozen peaches, or a mixture of these.
• Quinoa is known as a super grain as it has all essential amino acids, which classify it as a complete protein. This grain is high in iron, B3, B6, and phosphorus. In this recipe, we use cooked quinoa. Use between ¼ cup to ¾ cup of this grain for this smoothie - it's a perfect way to use leftover quinoa! I haven't tried using uncooked quinoa for this recipe, and I don't recommend using it unless you have a high-power blender.
• Turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this recipe, I either use ½ inch of the bright orange fresh turmeric root (found in the produce section, by the ginger, in the grocery store), or when they don't have it (small town life), I use ½ teaspoon of powdered turmeric. If you don't have turmeric, you can make the recipe without it, however, it is what gives the smoothie the bright color.
• Chia seeds are thought of as an energy booster because they are a complex carbohydrate and high in protein. I used white chia seeds, but black chia seeds work just the same and are easier to find in the grocery store.
• Bananas are high in potassium, folate, vitamin C, B vitamins, and many other nutrients. For this recipe, I found that using two unfrozen bananas creates a smooth, creamy texture.
• Honey is optional, but I'll add it when I give this smoothie to my kids to sweeten it just a bit. I like to use raw honey as it contains some amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. If you are staying away from sweeteners or feeding this to babies, you can skip the honey.
• To complete the recipe, we need 1 cup of milk. This can be cow's milk or any dairy-free alternative like almond or coconut milk, or whatever you have in your fridge! I use almond milk in this recipe.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

My step-by-step photos

Step 1: Place the soft ingredients in the blender first: the banana, cooked quinoa, chia seeds, and turmeric.

Step 2: Add the liquid next, whatever milk you want to use!

Step 3: Place the frozen fruit (pineapple and I used peaches too) on top of the other ingredients. I have found layering the ingredients like this supports the blade of the blender!

Step 4: Blend for about 1 minute until creamy, then pour your smoothie into glasses! This will make 2 medium smoothies or 1 large smoothie.

Tip: Rinse and wash the blender right after you are done using it - this is a rule at our house! Doing this is the best way to make sure nothing dries onto that blade in the bottom of the blender container (which is hard to wash off because it is so sharp!).

Recommended for smoothies

Blenders have a big impact on how a smoothie recipe turns out. Texture honestly makes a smoothie delicious or yucky.

I have used a ninja blender and a Vitamix blender so I can speak to these. I found when I used a ninja blender (keep in mind this was in 2020 the quality may be different now) it didn't fully blend fruit seeds, like blackberry seeds.

When I blend frozen fruit, any tiny seeds, or raw nuts in my Vitamix, it comes out perfectly smooth. Therefore, I love and will always recommend Vitamix. I actually use it every single day.

High-power blenders can do amazing things, and if you are keen to make healthy food, this is one of the first things I recommend investing in!

Check Out Product

Pineapple Protein Smoothie with Cooked Quinoa

Danika Vanderpyl

High in protein, this turmeric pineapple smoothie with quinoa is a great way to start your morning, or have an energy boost halfway through the day. Simple ingredients and 5 minutes to make.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 2 medium (4 cups)

Calories 445 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  1 blender

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x4x

• ▢ 2 ripe bananas
• ▢ ½ cup cooked quinoa*
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white or black chia seeds*
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder or ½ inch chunk of fresh turmeric
• ▢ 1 cup any kind of milk
• ▢ 4 cups loosely packed frozen pineapple (or frozen peaches or frozen mango)

Instructions

 

• Place the banana, cooked quinoa, chia seeds, and turmeric in the blender with the milk on top. Place the yellow frozen fruit on top.
• Blend for about 45 seconds to 1 minute until it's fully blended and creamy, then pour your smoothie into glasses!

Notes

The nutrition facts are calculated for two smoothies, if you have this as one serving, it contains 22 grams of protein. 

*For this recipe use cooked quinoa not raw. I just add my leftover quinoa (from dinner the night before), this is anywhere from ¼ cup to ¾ cup of cooked quinoa. If you are cooking quinoa to put in this smoothie, it will triple in size when cooking, so ¼ cup of dry quinoa will make ¾ cup of cooked quinoa. 

*Chia seeds: A high power blender will make these seeds unnoticeable, however, if you don't have a high power blender and don't like the texture of these little seeds, consider grinding them in a coffee grinder into a powder before using.

 

My other favorite turmeric smoothie is this golden latte like blend, try it! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1smoothieCalories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 1088mgFiber: 13gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 396IUVitamin C: 169mgCalcium: 275mgIron: 3mg

Did you love this recipe?Make sure to leave a comment below!

Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N

I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.

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