I don’t even care what time of year it is – I love a pumpkin smoothie.

As much as I’ve always been a fan of anything pumpkin flavored, I do, in general, stay away from most pumpkin-flavored treats these days 1) because I honestly just don’t have a sweet tooth anymore at all. Blame it on my obsession with keeping my blood sugar balanced at all times, and 2) because most pumpkin-y treats are basically a pumpkin flavored chemical sh*t storms.

But! You will not catch me cruising through fall without a few pumpkin moments.

This is a #BABEsmoothie that you will for sure want to whip up ASAP. #BABEsmoothies are like #BABEbowls in that they contain a healthy dose of high-quality protein, healthy fats, and lots of good fiber. I use the term “BABE” because eating this way, quite frankly, has the capability of making you feel like a total freakin’ babe.

Combining protein, fat, and fiber at every meal is what will keep your blood sugar in CHECK. Steady blood sugar is so important to keep your body in fat-burning mode, keep your energy levels high, and make you feel full, satisfied, and calm around food.

If you’re new to the site, I just want you to remember the acronym – PHFF. Protein, healthy fat, and fiber. Here’s your breakdown for this recipe –

PROTEIN: vanilla protein

HEALTHY FAT: coconut milk, walnuts

FIBER: chia seeds, pumpkin puree

I didn’t include the banana as a fiber source because I’m really only using the banana as a little natural sweetener and for better texture. Fruit in smoothies should be kept to a minimum to keep those blood sugar levels nice and steady.

No reason to make yourself a super healthy smoothie and then throw in 2 c of fruit. If you’re gonna do that, you might as well just have a couple glasses of rosé. Seriously. Just have the rosé.

And one more thing – do not be afraid of the almost 30 g of fat in this smoothie. It’s ALL healthy fat, and this smoothie is guaranteed to keep you full through noon. No need for a mid-morning snack with this baby.

Also – notice it packs 10 g of fiber. Fiber isn’t digestible – so you aren’t “absorbing” those carbs. The fiber is just there to stretch to your stomach, turn off hunger hormones, feed your gut healthy bacteria, and be a total f-ing rock star. This really is a perfect smoothie. 

Enjoy, and if you make this, throw a tag on it so I can see! I’ll share my favorite pics.

Perfect Pumpkin Smoothie

Author: Megan Hansen, RDN, LD

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1/3 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix – just plain old pumpkin)

• 1/3 c full-fat coconut milk

• 1/3 c unsweetened nut milk

• 1 scoop vanilla protein

• 1 Tbsp chia seeds

• 1/2 medium banana or 1/3 large banana

• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 c ice

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

2. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon, chia seeds, and chopped walnuts.

Fat: 28 | Carbohydrates: 34 | Sugar: 17 | Fiber: 10 | Protein: 26

Notes

To lower the sugar impact, reduce the banana amount to 1/4 banana. It’ll be less sweet, but it’ll still be delicious!

BUT, ALSO: THE BLOOD SUGAR DIET | PHFF! HEALTHY EATING IT STUPID EASY | HEALTHY PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE