When you are in a rush, smoothies can be an easy and nutritious meal on-the-go! Sometimes I'll make a half-size for a snack (great pre-workout or for those who have a hard time eating breakfast).
To avoid blood sugar spikes, I always add protein powder. I have tried a few, but I am currently loving an unflavoured/unsweetened whey protein powder I picked up at
London Drugs for only $25.99. I like that it's plain so I can avoid excess artificial sweeteners and flavour it any way I wish.
I will say that I like my protein shakes thick and icy (like the consistency of a Frappucino). You can add more water or whichever type of liquid you use if you like it a bit thinner. Here are some of my current faves...
For all of these recipes, start with:
4 large Ice cubes (crush a bit in blender first, I use the "pulse" to do this)
1 cup Almond, Soy, Coconut or regular Milk (unsweetened is best). You can also use water, coconut water or juice.
1 scoop Protein Powder of your choice
Then add any of the these combos to complete the recipes:
Peanut Butter Banana
1/2 or 1 whole banana (depending on how sweet you want it). I usually use frozen banana.
1 tbsp natural Peanut Butter (I use chunky)
Berry-Greens
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 banana (optional)
1 cup frozen berries
1 scoop Greens powder (I love
Magnum Nutraceuticals Performance Greens)
Mocha
1/2 cup cold coffee (or a tsp. Instant coffee)
*Chocolate flavoured Protein Powder works best with this one, but if it's the plain/unsweetened type, add some Splenda, Agave or Stevia to desired sweetness (about 2 tsps/packets), plus 2-3 tsps of cocoa (depending on how chocolaty you want it).
Pumpkin Pie
1/4 cup plain, Pumpkin Puree (I use canned, just make sure it's not Pumpkin Pie Filling!)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
Tropical
1/2 banana (I use frozen banana)
1/4 cup mango, diced
1/4 cup pineapple, diced
1 tbsp natural unsweetened flaked coconut
Oatmeal-Breakfast
1/2 banana (I use frozen)
1/2 cup berries (frozen/mixed or any single type)
1/4 cup dry, old fashioned Rolled Oats
1/4 cup yogurt (optional)
Choco-Banana
2-3 tsp cocoa + 2 packets Splenda or Stevia (unless you are using Chocolate Protein Powder)
1 banana (frozen)
*Some other optional additions for any of these recipes are ground flax, chia, hemp seed, wheatgerm, any fibre supplement, Udo's, coconut or flax oil. Enjoy!
