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Medically Reviewed
Unfold Today articles that require additional medical expertise are reviewed by a qualified member of our Expert Review Network, a group inside Unfold Today's team that verifies content to guarantee that the information delivered to our readers is thorough, authoritative, accurate, and fact-based.
Iulia Serban, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Master's degree in Nutrition and Quality of Life.
Few 2000-calorie smoothies have more vitamins and minerals than the smoothie that resulted from upgrading our High-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie from 411 to 2001 calories.
As highlights, this muscle-building smoothie is nut-free and contains, among other ingredients, two green veggies, celery and spinach.
Ready? Let's see the recipe.
To make the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie, you need two pieces of kitchen equipment:
We got to the ingredients above by adjusting the original recipe for the High-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie.
Here's what we did:
First of all, we added 5 times more spinach and celery to keep the smoothie's vitamins and minerals at a high level.
Second, we put 5 times more Granny Smith apples and 6 times more bananas to increase calories and carbs and keep the flavorful taste.
Moreover, we added 8 times more avocado because it's a green fruit filled with calories and healthy fats.
Regarding whey protein powder, we increased its quantity by 250% to keep proteins at a high level.
Also, we added 5 times more lime juice to maintain the smoothie's vitamin C levels and flavor.
Lastly, we poured 5 times more coconut water to keep the smoothie thin enough to be easily drinkable.
If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute whey protein powder with a plant-based protein powder, like the ones made from rice or peas.
Think whether all the ingredients will fit inside your blender.
If you use a small blender with a capacity of less than 3.4 l (113 fl oz), break the ingredients into two or more identical portions, then follow the next instructions for each of them individually.
Add the ingredients to the blender making sure coconut water ends up at its bottom.
If you own a blender with an ingredient recipient that installs upside down on the blender, always add the coconut water lastly. This way, the blades will work smoothly without clogging in other ingredients.
Blend the ingredients until the smoothie develops a fine texture (about 30-60 seconds).
If you own a less powerful blender, you may need to mix the ingredients for longer than 1 minute. Still, to prevent overheating your blender, abide by the recommended blending duration in your blender's manual.
Pour the smoothie into a glass or a shaker bottle, and serve.
Regarding its flavor, the smoothie has a refreshing taste with notes of celery and a subtle apple aroma that strikes the perfect balance between bitter and sweet.
Unless you share it with somebody else, you'd likely want to split this smoothie into multiple portions because it has over 3 liters in volume. After pouring the smoothie into different recipients, you can store them in the fridge for around a day.
Out of the 2001 calories found in this smoothie, 53% come from carbohydrates, 29% from fats, and 18% from proteins.
Therefore, this smoothie is an energizing drink with plenty of proteins and healthy fats. Moreover, since the smoothie has less than 30% of its calories coming from fats, it joins the list of low-fat high-calorie foods.
For more nutritional details, let's explore the contribution of each ingredient to the smoothie's overall nutrition facts.
Source: FoodData Central - Baby Spinach.[1]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Source: Nutracheck - Calories in Granny Smith Apples, Weighed without Core.[2]
Name: Nutracheck
Type: food diary app
Operated by: NutraTech Ltd
Characteristics:
The Granny Smith apple brings 33% of the carbs in the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie.
Source: FoodData Central - Raw avocado.[3]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Avocado, one of the high-calorie fruits, is responsible for 86% of the fats in our smoothie. Besides, avocado counts among the weight gain snacks and the foods with the most calories.
Source: FoodData Central - Celery.[4]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Source: FoodData Central - Raw bananas.[5]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Bananas bring 29% of the carbs in the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie. As bonus information, bananas count among the fruits with the highest number of calories.
Source: FoodData Central - Whey protein powder.[6]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Source: FoodData Central - Lime, juiced.[7]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Source: FoodData Central - Coconut water.[8]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
As we've told you at the beginning of this article, the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie brings numerous health benefits. Explore each of them below.
First of all, the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie can help you gain weight more quickly because it has a lot of calories and doesn't fill your stomach for as much time as a 2000-calorie solid meal would..
As social proof, according to the top of the best weight gain foods for females, 91% of the women who gain weight successfully drink smoothies regularly.
Obviously, the smoothie increases caloric intake considerably because it offers 2001 calories per serving.
All of these calories will boost your efforts to achieve a daily caloric surplus, the essential condition for gaining weight according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.[9]
Name: International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition
Type: journal article
Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Besides increasing your total caloric intake, the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie allows you to consume more food because, unlike many solid foods, it keeps your appetite satisfied only for a limited time.
As evidence, a University of Bristol study compared fruit smoothies with fresh fruits and other drinks in terms of satiety. The researchers concluded that fruit smoothies are more filling than drinks that are less alike to food (e.g., water and milk) but less filling than solid foods.[10]
Name: A Comparison of the Satiety Effects of a Fruit Smoothie, Its Fresh Fruit Equivalent and Other Drinks
Type: journal article
Published in: Nutrients (peer-reviewed journal)
Made at: University of Bristol
The 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie boosts energy levels because it's rich in carbs, most of which come from the Granny Smith apples and the bananas in the smoothie's composition.
After all, according to a University of Lausanne study on the energy potential of carbs, carbohydrates are the main energy source for humans.[11]
Name: Carbohydrates as a source of energy
Type: journal article
Published in: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (peer-reviewed)
Made at: University of Lausanne
Another benefit of consuming the smoothie is that it can boost your ability to build muscle because it has 107 g of protein. The majority of these proteins come from the whey protein powder in the smoothie's composition.
As scientific proof, a pre-workout serving of 20 g of protein, according to a University of Birmingham trial on protein ingestion effects, is sufficient to support muscle growth.[12]
Name: Stimulation of net muscle protein synthesis by whey protein ingestion before and after exercise
Type: journal article
Published in: American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism (peer-reviewed journal)
Nevertheless, to take full profit from the proteins in this 2000-calorie smoothie, you need to split it into two or more portions scheduled around the day.
This is because the smoothie has a really high number of proteins.
According to a scientific review on daily protein distribution, the maximum number of proteins you can eat and process effectively in one sitting is 0.55 g per kg of body weight.[13]
Name: How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution
Type: journal article
Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
For example, if you have 80 kg (176 lbs), you shouldn't eat more than 44 g of proteins in one sitting.
The 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie can strengthen bones because it contains whey protein powder, a good source of calcium.
The whey protein powder in the smoothie brings 468 mg of calcium., which is around 47% of the daily recommended intake of calcium.
Our smoothie fortifies immunity because it contains seven sources of antioxidants:
Antioxidants, according to a scientific review of antioxidants, increase health protection and disease prevention.[14]
Name: Antioxidants: Molecules, medicines, and myths
Type: journal article
Published in: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (peer-reviewed journal)
The 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie is beneficial for the heart because it contains bananas, spinach, and avocados, which are three sources of potassium that reduce blood pressure.
As scientific proof, a review of the effects of potassium says that potassium lowers blood pressure.[15]
Name: Beneficial Effects of High Potassium
Type: journal article
Published in: Hypertension (peer-reviewed journal)
Made at: Medical College of Wisconsin
Our green smoothie increases eye health because it contains baby spinach, a source of vitamin A.
Vitamin A, according to an Australian study about vitamin A's effects on early myopia, is "vital for eye health" because it protects against "night blindness and corneal thinning".[16]
Name: Is Dietary Vitamin A Associated with Myopia from Adolescence to Young Adulthood?
Type: journal article
Published in: Translational Vision Science & Technology (peer-reviewed journal)
Made in: Australia
This smoothie is very good at hydrating because it contains three significant sources of water: Granny Smith apples, coconut water, and lime.
The 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie can improve digestion because it contains bananas, Granny Smith apples, avocados, and celery, which are all good sources of fiber.
One of the benefits of eating fiber, as stated in a 2009 review of the health benefits of dietary fiber, is a lower risk of gastrointestinal diseases.[17]
Name: Health benefits of dietary fiber
Type: journal article
Published in: Nutrition Reviews (peer-reviewed journal)
Made in: USA
To follow the 2000-Calorie Green Protein Smoothie's recipe in a compressed format, use the summary below.
If you want to try other homemade smoothies that can help you gain weight, visit our full list of high-calorie smoothie recipes,
And in case you want to build a 2000-calorie from scratch, learn how to make high-calorie smoothies for weight gain.
And if it happens to get bored of smoothies...
Try switching high-calorie smoothies for high-calorie shakes or other weight gain drinks.
Unfold Today has rigorous sourcing principles adhering to the top journalistic standards, so our writers always look for official, experienced, and first-hand sources. Read more about how we keep our content trustworthy and updated by reading our editorial process.