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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.
If you’re looking for a high-calorie smoothie that combines the healthy properties of blueberries with the mildness of almond milk while helping you gain weight, you are set for a treat with our High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie recipe.
As expert creators of high-calorie smoothies, we created this recipe using our blueprint for preparing weight gain smoothies. Moreover, we got the recipe verified by Iulia Serban, RDN.
Besides, to help you follow the recipe, we bought the required ingredients, blended them, and illustrated the whole process with photos.
Smoothie's calories
The standard version of the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie yields one serving of 434 calories. If you need more calories from the smoothie, however, you can adjust ingredient quantities by following these guidelines:
Now, let's get to the recipe.
To prepare the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie, you need three pieces of kitchen equipment:
Each of the ingredients in our smoothie has a role in the smoothie's composition.
Firstly, frozen blueberries and almond milk are part of this smoothie because our smoothie should focus on these two ingredients. It's a blueberry almond smoothie after all.
Second, the frozen banana and goji berries have the role of providing sweetness and a boost of energizing carbohydrates.
Moreover, chia seeds increase the smoothie's total calories and bring some healthy fats to the mix.
Regarding whey protein powder, it makes the smoothie useful for building and repairing muscles by delivering proteins.
If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute whey protein powder with a plant-based protein powder, like the ones made from rice or pea.
Think whether all the ingredients will fit inside your blender.
If you use a small blender with a capacity of less than 583 ml (19.7 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 almond milk ends up at its bottom.
If you own a blender with an ingredient recipient that installs upside down on the blender, always add almond milk 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.
The smoothie's flavor is smooth, not too sweet, and dominated by the aroma of blueberries, which you can even smell while consuming the drink.
As a general rule, although we advise drinking the smoothie right after blending it to have the best experience, you can safely store it in the fridge for about a day.
Out of the 434 calories found in the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie, 59% come from carbohydrates, 26% from protein, and 15% from fats.
Consequently, this smoothie is an abundant source of energizing carbohydrates that delivers plenty of proteins while also featuring some healthy fats.
For more nutritional details, let's explore the contribution of each ingredient to the smoothie's overall nutrition facts.
Source: FoodData Central - Raw bananas.[1]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
The banana, part of the list of high-calorie fruits, delivers 46% of the carbs in the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie.
Source: FoodData Central - Raw blueberries.[2]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Blueberries are responsible for 32% of the carbohydrates in the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie.
Source: FoodData Central - Dried Goji berries.[3]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Dried goji berries count among the fruits with the most calories.
Source: FoodData Central - Whey protein powder.[4]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Whey protein powder brings 77% of the smoothie's proteins.
Source: FoodData Central - Chia seeds.[5]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Chia seeds, which count among the high-calorie snacks and weight gain foods, deliver 50% of the smoothie's fat content.
Source: FoodData Central - Almond milk.[6]
Name: FoodData Central
Type: food database
Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Characteristics:
Almond milk brings 38% of the smoothie's fat content.
On top of helping you gain weight, the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie has many other health benefits. Find out all of the smoothie's benefits below.
First of all, the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie can help you gain weight easier because it contains plenty of calories and it doesn't fill up your stomach for a long time.
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.
The High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie boosts your caloric intake because it delivers 434 calories per serving. All of these calories will make it easier for you to achieve a daily caloric surplus, the essential condition for gaining weight.
On top of rising your total caloric intake, the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie allows you to eat more food because, unlike many solid foods, it keeps your appetite satisfied only for a short period.
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.[7]
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 High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie increases your energy levels because it's rich in carbs, most of which come from the banana and the blueberries 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.[8]
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 High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie is that it can promote muscle growth because it has 30 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.[9]
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)
The High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie can strengthen bones because it contains whey protein powder and chia seeds, two good sources of calcium.
The whey protein powder and the chia seeds in the smoothie bring 228 mg of calcium., which is around 23% of the daily recommended intake of calcium.
Our smoothie fortifies immunity because it contains five sources of antioxidants:
Antioxidants, according to a scientific review of antioxidants, increase health protection and disease prevention.[10]
Name: Antioxidants: Molecules, medicines, and myths
Type: journal article
Published in: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (peer-reviewed journal)
The High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie has benefits for your heart because it contains one large banana and chia seeds, two great sources of potassium that decrease blood pressure.
As scientific proof, a review of the effects of potassium says that potassium lowers blood pressure.[11]
Name: Beneficial Effects of High Potassium
Type: journal article
Published in: Hypertension (peer-reviewed journal)
Made at: Medical College of Wisconsin
The High-Calorie Blueberry Almond Smoothie is efficient at hydrating your body because it contains two significant sources of water: almond milk and blueberries.
This smoothie can improve digestion because it's made with one large banana, chia seeds, and blueberries, 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.[12]
Name: Health benefits of dietary fiber
Type: journal article
Published in: Nutrition Reviews (peer-reviewed journal)
Made in: USA
To follow the High-Calorie Blueberry Almond 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 feel creative, you can build your own high-calorie smoothie recipes. Learn what can you add to your smoothie and how to bring extra calories to it from our guide on 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.
