STOP PAYING $9 FOR ‘SMOOTHIES’. A few notes on this recipe — I’ll never not be an East Coast girl but I’ll always feel fortunate to have lived in the beautiful state of California (for 9 years :-X ) — namely because of my love of food. I love exploring Californian cuisine and pinning it against my root’s cuisine, and while this seems like a hefty opening for a shake recipe, it’s because it is. One of the things I love most about the juxtaposition of where I’ve lived and where I live is the words that are chosen to describe meals. The smoothie is a perfect example. I recognize that a smoothie is different from a ‘shake’ or a ‘protein shake’, but I’ve never once conflated the two. Very rarely do I hear West Coasters say I’m having a protein shake, and maybe that’s the Jersey in me, but I still struggle with using the word smoothie. Weird, I know. Anyways, if you’re looking for the perfect smoothie recipe, this one probably isn’t for you, cause this is my shake recipe that likely works out each time because of the protein that binds it together. Even before I embarked on this vegan journey I was interested in using very clean, whey free protein — this is the one I’ve used for years, and until someone changes my mind, Garden of Life Chocolate Fit or Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla protein will be my go to’s.
HACKS —
FREEZE RIPE BANANAS IN QUARTERS OR HALVES | ALWAYS ADD CINNAMON TO LOWER BLOOD SUGAR | BLEND ICE + MILK + BANANA BEFORE PROTEIN
MAKE ME:
Use Vitamix or other high quality blender! Add 5 ice cubes, 1 cup of preferred milk, frozen banana, frozen blueberries, cinnamon
Blend together first for ~15 seconds or so
Add protein powder + spinach additional adds (called out to the left)
Blend together thoroughly until all ice cubes are blended together
Serve it up with a straw, enjoy.
PROTEIN NOTES:
- The ‘Fit’ is denser in flavor and higher in calories, but the Vanilla organic raw is less sweet and a little grittier — for this one, I’ll sometimes add a date or frozen strawberries / blueberries for added sweetness
INGREDIENTS:
1 scoop protein powder
.25 or .5 frozen banana
.25 cup frozen bluberries
1 cup spinach
1 cup almond milk or nut milk
5 ice cubes
Cinnamon — eyeball it but I’m generous
Optional adds:
1 tbsp chia seeds
coconut milk or creme
Dash vanilla extract
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp cacao nibs
almond butter if wanting more calories/fat