Drinking an AIP breakfast smoothie can be a great way to satisfy hunger and stop inflammation in its tracks.
An AIP (Autoimmune Protocol Diet) breakfast smoothie should contain foods least likely to disrupt the immune system. But, sometimes, when eating a diet that is so restrictive, this can be difficult.
We are going to teach you how to make a perfectly balanced and EASY AIP smoothie that actually tastes great. Flavor is king, and we want to teach you how to incorporate all the secret ingredients that you’ve likely overlooked at the grocery store.
And no, not every meal or smoothie has to contain a load of leafy greens. Coconut cream and cinnamon, here we come!!
Keep reading to discover the five best-tasting AIP smoothies in the business.
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AIP Works, Even When You’re Busy
Whether you’re battling multiple autoimmune diseases or you’d just like to decrease inflammation, eating the right food is not as simple as grabbing a granola bar or swinging by your local coffee shop for a breakfast sandwich on your way to work because of the various food restrictions. An AIP breakfast smoothie could be a great option.
How do I know this?
I’m Abby Grimm, a sports dietitian who has made thousands of smoothies and helped countless clients make great-tasting, gut-friendly AIP breakfast smoothies.
It can be tough to find the time to prepare food for anybody, especially when following an AIP diet, which is why it’s important to have a few go-to meal ideas that are super simple to prepare. One of our favorites is a simple AIP breakfast smoothie.
P.S. The recipes below can also be made into a smoothie bowl if that is what you prefer. (Just use a little less liquid!)
Let’s get into how you can “meal prep” a week’s worth of AIP Breakfast Smoothies to make your mornings easy, nutritious, and delicious, as well as some recipe suggestions.
Choose Your Ingredients:
As we’ve talked about in previous posts, such as the 7 Best Ingredients for your anti-inflammatory smoothies, how you make your smoothie will make a world of difference in how you feel.
Simply blending up some bananas and juice, while it may be “AIP” by definition, is not going to support nutritional needs, satisfy hunger, or provide sustained energy throughout the day.
So, let’s dig into the different categories of ingredients to include in your AIP breakfast smoothie to keep you well-fueled and on your way to healing!
AIP-Friendly Fruits – choose 1-3 different types
Everybody’s favorite part of the smoothie is the fruit! Here are some delicious AIP-friendly options to serve as the base of your AIP breakfast smoothie.
- Berries:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Pears:
- While it might sound weird to add pears to a smoothie, they are delicious when frozen! Many varieties of pears are well tolerated, but it’s important to monitor personal tolerance.
- Peaches
- Mango:
- Mango combined with strawberries is a smoothie combo you will quickly fall in love with!
- Pineapple
- Coconut:
- Coconut, including coconut meat and coconut water, are all great options
- Cherries:
- Cherries are perfect for an AIP breakfast smoothie and super rich in antioxidants
- Dates and Figs
- Papaya:
- Papaya, when ripe, can be a good addition. Finding this frozen at the grocery is typically the easiest way to ensure optimal ripeness
AIP-Friendly Vegetables – choose at least 1 type
Blending veggies into a smoothie is quite literally one of the easiest ways to achieve a higher intake of these nutrients and reduce inflammation. Veggies are also high in fiber, which will support a healthy gut microbiome, improve digestion, and support stable blood sugar first thing in the morning.
And while we will always encourage a green smoothie, it certainly does not have to be your staple if you are looking for improved health benefits.
Some veggies blend into smoothies better than others. Here are the top vegetables we recommend.
- Arugula
- Beets
- Carrots
- Frozen cauliflower
- Pumpkin
- Kale
- Spinach
Healthy Fat Source – choose 1 type
Adding a blood-sugar stabilizing fat into the smoothie is often a practice neglected! Don’t let it be you…
Adding a healthy fat to your smoothie will do wonders for improving consistency as well as supporting satiety. Trust us, a creamy smoothie is where it’s at and we have all the delicious recipes to share below.
Eating fat-containing foods helps tell the brain “we are full” in a way you likely won’t achieve with just fruit and fruit juice. Fatty acids can also improve our gut microbiome.
Typically, nut or nut butter is great for increasing the fat content of a smoothie, but since these foods are restricted to an AIP diet, we recommend avocado, MCT/coconut oil, or full-fat canned coconut cream as fat sources.
Avocado is a healthy source of monounsaturated fats and is AIP-friendly, and coconut is super rich in potassium. All of these options will help take your AIP breakfast smoothie to the next level!
Protein Protein Protein:
Arguably, the more important aspect of any smoothie is the protein source. After all, amino acids are the building blocks of every cell in the body. Any successful day will start with a breakfast rich in protein in order to stabilize blood sugar, support fullness, and provide sustained energy!
Protein powders are going to be limited when following an AIP diet because of the restrictions on dairy, nuts, legumes, and grains, so whey protein and other plant-based protein options will not work for this smoothie.
BUT have no fear… There are a few options and those options are bone broth and collagen.
See below for quality choices we recommend.
- Grass Fed Collagen Peptides by Garden of Life or Vital Proteins
- Bone Broth Protein – Pure (Unflavored) by Ancient Nutrition
- Paleo Protein Vanilla Bean or Chocolate by Amy Myers MD
If you’re interested in purchasing any of these brands, they’re all 👉available on Fullscript for a 20% discount👈 when you create an account using our affiliate link.
Women should aim for around 20-30 grams worth of protein, and males should aim for around 40-50 grams of protein.
Choose Your Liquid:
AIP restricts dairy, soy, grains, and legumes; thus, many popular milk options would not work, such as cow’s milk, soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or macadamia nut milk.
The best options for AIP-compliant milks are canned coconut milk (stir ahead of time), coconut water, carton coconut milk, and coconut cream. If you do not prefer coconut, water will be the best choice for your AIP breakfast smoothie!
But what about fruit juice?!
Pro Tip: While many smoothie recipes will use fruit juice as a liquid and may be AIP friendly, adding more fruit into the smoothie that is already being made with fruit may be a bit too much sugar and cause an energy crash. This is a big reason why we don’t push portable smoothie packs unless its an emergency.
If you want to add a splash of juice for flavor, you could look for 100% orange juice or 100% cranberry juice, but we highly recommend coconut milk or coconut water if you can for a wider variety of nutrients and more healthy fats!
Prep Your AIP Breakfast Smoothie Ahead of Time
Here’s where we can really speed up your morning food prep! Preparing your smoothies in reusable bags is the way to go to avoid harmful plastics and other chemicals that may disrupt hormones.
Follow these steps to build your perfectly balanced AIP breakfast smoothie.
- If using fresh fruit, thoroughly wash them to remove dirt and pesticides. Fresh fruit is great, but frozen fruit in a smoothie typically delivers a thicker and creamier texture.
- Based on your individual needs, portion out ingredients into individual servings and place them in bags
- Freeze pre-portioned bags
- Pull out the pre-portioned bag in the morning, add your liquid and a few ice cubes, and blend!
- Enjoy!
Top 5 AIP Breakfast Smoothie Flavor Recommendations
Here are a few AIP-friendly smoothie recipes to try out!
1. Tropical Dream AIP Smoothie
Tropical Dream AIP Breakfast Smoothie
If you love mango or a sweet flavor you'll love this mango and pinapple AIP breakfast smoothie!
Ingredients
- 1 scoop Vanilla Paleo Protein Powder
- 1 cup Frozen Mango
- 1/2 cup Frozen pineapple
- 1 whole Beet Cooked
- 2 TBSP Full-fat organic canned coconut cream
- 1 cup water
Instructions
-
If using fresh fruit, thoroughly wash them to remove dirt and pesticides. Fresh fruit is great, but frozen fruit in a smoothie typically delivers a thicker and creamier texture.
2. Strawberry Pineapple AIP Breakfast Smoothie
Strawberry Pineapple AIP Breakfast Smoothie
Rich in collagen and loaded with antioxidants and sweetness, this is a great way to start your day!
Ingredients
- 1 scoop Grass Fed Collagen Protein
- 1 cup Froozen Pineapple
- 1/2 cup Frozen Stawberries
- 1/4 cup Frozen Cauliflower
- 1 TBSP MCT Oil C8 is best
- 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
3. Green Machine AIP Smoothie
Green Machine AIP Smoothie
This blood-sugar stabilizing smoothie is a dream come true. Lower in carbs than most smoothies, this is a creamy, energizing smoothie to set your day on the right path.
Ingredients
- scoop Ancient Nutrition Pure (Unflavored) Bone Broth Protein
- whole Frozen Banana
- 1/2 whole Avocado May be frozen
- 2 handfulls Spinach
- 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
4. Pumpkin Power AIP Breakfast Smoothie (P.S. This recipe serves as the best dessert if you love ice cream!)
Pumpkin Power AIP Breakfast Smoothie
If you're a pumpkin lover this a go-to recipe for a tasty AIP protein shake.
Ingredients
- 1 scoop Ancient Nutrition Vanilla Bone Broth Protein Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1 whole Frozen banana
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1-1.5 cups Vanilla Flax Milk Good Karma brand
5. Berry-Licious Blast AIP Breakfast Smoothie
Berry-Licious Blast AIP Breakfast Smoothie
Ingredients
- scoop Ancient Nutrition Pure (Unflavored) Bone Broth Protein
- cup Frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 cup Frozen strawberries
- 1.5 cup Arugula Approximately 1 large handful
- 1 TBSP Coconut oil
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 dash Cinnamon
- 1 cup Ice or cold water Add more or less depending on smoothie thickness desired
Breakfast while following an AIP diet does not need to be a time-suck. If you are on the hunt for AIP breakfast ideas, a delicious smoothie, that is so simple to prepare, should be in your daily rotation!