Blueberry Protein Smoothie

Tanya Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A low histamine protein smoothie with blueberries, hemp milk, hemp seeds, pumpkin seed butter, and vanilla.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries, frozen yourself in advance
• 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
• 4 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seed butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup ice

Instructions

Blend

1. Pour the hemp milk into the blender first so the blades move freely.
2. Add the hemp seeds and pumpkin seed butter.
3. Add the vanilla powder, a pinch of salt, and the maple syrup if using.
4. Add the frozen blueberries and the ice last.
5. Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until the drink is smooth and purple all the way through.
6. Taste. Add another teaspoon of maple syrup or a splash of hemp milk if it is too thick, then blend for a few more seconds.

Serve

Pour into a tall glass and drink right away, while it is cold and thick.

Tips & Substitutions

• Freeze the blueberries yourself. Spread fresh blueberries on a tray, freeze them, then move them to a bag. They thicken the smoothie the way a banana usually would, without the banana.
• The protein comes from whole foods. Four tablespoons of hemp seeds give you about 12 grams of protein, and the pumpkin seed butter adds a few more. No powder needed.
• Want more protein? Add a single-ingredient powder. Two tablespoons of unflavored pea protein powder blend in without changing the flavor much. Look for one that lists only pea protein, since flavored blends often add cocoa, sweeteners, gums, or seed mixes that some people react to. Start with a small amount if pea protein is new to you.
• Swap the milk if you need to. Unsweetened coconut milk from a carton works in place of hemp milk. Check either one for added gums or carrageenan if those bother you.
• Want a lighter, fruitier drink? Try the cucumber blueberry smoothie, which uses the same berries with coconut water and mint.

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Why This Works

Hemp seeds. Generally considered low histamine and well tolerated by many people. They are the main protein source here and blend in completely.

Pumpkin seed butter. Pumpkin seeds are on many low histamine seed lists, though some people do better with them in small amounts. A tablespoon adds creaminess and a little extra protein.

Blueberries. Commonly tolerated on a low histamine diet. Frozen at home, they give the smoothie its thickness and color.

Hemp milk. A dairy-free, non-fermented base that keeps this away from yogurt and kefir, which are fermented and usually left off a low histamine diet.

Storage

Best consumed immediately. The seeds keep absorbing liquid and the drink thickens and separates as it sits. If you have to wait, keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to an hour and shake it before drinking.