Contents 6
By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026
This chia seed smoothie is breakfast in a glass: plain kefir, a ripe banana, frozen blueberries and two tablespoons of chia seeds, blended in under a minute. The chia thickens it as it stands, and together with ground flaxseed it brings 8.4 g of fibre and 11 g of protein per glass. Nothing sweet is added: the 28.7 g of sugars per glass come from the fruit and from the milk sugar in the kefir.
Portion: about 350 ml each · Difficulty: Easy · Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free
Chia seed smoothie with banana, blueberries and kefir
Ingredients
- 400 g plain unsweetened kefir (about 400 ml, 1 2/3 cups)
- 1 ripe medium banana 120 g peeled
- 150 g frozen unsweetened blueberries about 1 cup
- 2 tbsp chia seeds 20 g
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed 10 g
- A pinch of ground cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Pour the kefir into the blender first, then add the banana broken into pieces, the frozen blueberries, chia seeds, flaxseed and cinnamon. Liquid at the bottom helps the blades turn.
- Blend on high for 30-60 seconds, until smooth and evenly purple with no pieces of fruit left.
- Drink it straight away, or leave it in the jug for 5 minutes for a thicker smoothie: the chia seeds swell and make it almost spoonable. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water or kefir and blend for a few seconds.
- Stir and pour into two glasses.
Nutrition per serving
Per serving, 1 large glass (about 350 ml, half the recipe), calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.
| Energy | 277 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 11.0 g |
| Fat | 7.6 g |
| of which saturates | 1.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 45.6 g |
| of which sugars | 28.7 g |
| Fibre | 8.4 g |
| Salt (added) | 0 g |
Data: USDA FoodData Central: Kefir, FNDDS (FDC 2705394); SR Legacy: Bananas, raw (FDC 173944); Blueberries, raw (FDC 171711); Seeds, chia seeds, dried (FDC 170554); Seeds, flaxseed (FDC 169414); Spices, cinnamon, ground (FDC 171320). The sugars are roughly half fruit sugar from the banana and blueberries and half milk sugar from the kefir; none is added. The chia record has no value for sugars, so chia counts as zero here; most of its carbohydrate is fibre (34.4 g of 42.1 g per 100 g). Frozen unsweetened blueberries are calculated with the values for raw blueberries. The kefir record is a low-fat kefir (0.96 g fat per 100 g): whole-milk kefir gives more fat and energy, and flavoured kefir often has added sugar. The salt line counts only added salt; the kefir itself brings about 0.2 g of salt per glass (sodium 38 mg per 100 g). Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.
Swaps and variations
- Other berries: frozen strawberries, raspberries or mixed berries instead of blueberries.
- Colder and thicker: use a banana you have peeled, sliced and frozen in advance.
- Less sweet: use half a banana and a little more blueberries.
- More protein: blend in 100 g plain Greek yogurt; the values in the table change.
- Without kefir: plain yogurt thinned with a little water or milk, or an unsweetened soy drink, which makes it vegan; the table is calculated with kefir.
Storage
Best drunk fresh. It keeps until the next morning in a closed jar in the fridge, but it thickens a lot as the chia keeps absorbing liquid, so stir in a splash of kefir or water before drinking. It does not freeze well as a drink, but it makes good ice lollies.
Related
- Recipes: Greek yogurt and pomegranate parfait · Pumpkin oat muffins · High-protein vegetarian breakfast ideas
- Encyclopedia: Chia seeds · Kefir · Blueberries · Bananas
FAQ
Do you need to soak chia seeds for a smoothie?
No. Blending them with plenty of liquid is enough, and 5 minutes of standing makes the smoothie thicker. Chia seeds swell into a gel in liquid, so do not eat them dry by the spoonful, and take extra care if you have any difficulty swallowing. More in chia seeds: benefits and how to eat them.
How much sugar is in this smoothie?
28.7 g per glass, all of it from the banana, the blueberries and the kefir; there is no added sugar, honey or syrup. If you want it less sweet, use half a banana.
Can I make it the night before?
Yes. Keep it covered in the fridge; by the morning it will be much thicker, so stir in a little kefir or water before you drink it.
Can I use yogurt instead of kefir?
Yes. Plain yogurt thinned with a little water or milk works well; the nutrition values in the table are for kefir.
This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.
Terms in this article
StrawberriesCinnamonGreek yogurtChia seedsFlaxseedKefirBananasBlueberriesHoney
