I’m not sure if it’s a southern thing, but I love the combo of peanut butter and banana. It makes an awesome sandwich, and an even better easy smoothie. When I was pregnant with my first son, I had a peanut butter and banana smoothie almost every single morning.

Now that I’m no longer pregnant, and trying to make better choices on what I eat, I really can’t justify adding 2-3 tablespoons of full fat peanut butter to my morning smoothie.

I was also surprised to find how much sugar is in regular vanilla yogurt. I decided to come up with a healthier version of my favorite smoothie, with less fat, less sugar, and more protein so I could stay full longer.

Commercial protein powder was not an option. I’m on a budget and that’s not a necessity. Also, some of the ingredients in some brands are a bit concerning, so I decided I needed to come up with a cheaper, more natural alternative that would still taste good. Hello cottage cheese!

Now, stay with me. I know you probably just made an icky face, but it really works in smoothies. You blend it until there is no trace of it, and as a result, you get a creamier texture and 12 extra grams of protein!

I also replaced my regular yogurt with fat free plain Greek yogurt, which has a ton of protein per serving. It’s also sugar free minus the natural dairy sugars. This way I can add my own sweetener. I prefer stevia. It’s calorie free, not artificial, and doesn’t spike your blood sugar like regular sugar.

To get rid of most of the fat, I switched the peanut butter to a defatted peanut powder. This is a newer product, but you can find it at the grocery store or order online. With the peanut powder, yogurt, and cottage cheese, that brings the protein to about 30 grams just by using completely budget friendly natural products!

I really hope you’ll give this smoothie a try. It’s not as decadent as one with tons of regular peanut butter and sugar, but it’s a close 2nd, especially if you are trying to lose a few pounds or just want to cut back on your family’s sugar intake.

Low Fat High Protein Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons defatted peanut powder
2.5 tsp Pyure stevia blend (you could also use other brands or go more natural by using honey)
2-3 pinches salt (I like pink salt)
1 banana
About 2 cups ice

Instructions

Put all ingredients in blender. I typically add them in the order I have them listed. It helps to blend better if you put the most liquid ingredients first, like almond milk, yogurt, etc. and then add the ice in last.
Blend on high until it's smooth and creamy with no trace of cottage cheese or ice.
Drink immediately!

Notes

This recipe is 1 generous serving. If you have smoothie loving toddlers, you might want to make a little extra, otherwise you'll probably lose your breakfast!