AB&J Protein Smoothie

AB&J Smoothie 02

 

 

First of all I want to apologize for going MIA on you.  It’s been over a month since my last post!  I’m still new to this blogging thing and getting used to organizing my time, and well life happens.  Oh and there has been a whole lotta LIFE happening in my world!  Between family and our recent India trip which you’ll hear all about soon, it’s been all kinds of cray-cray! I’ts a horrible excuse I know but I’m working on it and trying to get better at posting regularly regardless of what is going on in the rest of the universe.

Now without further ado, I bring you the best smoothie ever!  This is my all time favorite go-to smoothie.  If you are a Nekter junkie like I am then you are familiar with the PB bowl.  The PB Bowl is an acai bowl that literally tastes like PB&J in a bowl accept I always sub out the PB for almond butter so I have dubbed it the AB&J bowl.  At Nekter they include frozen bananas in the mix and top it with amazing stuff like strawberries and granola.  I love the bowl so much that I set out to concoct my own smoothie version!

I rarely eat bananas.  I don’t know why, but I tend to overlook them so I left them out.  Frozen cherries just taste really good in smoothies so I threw those in for the “jam” effect and a little frozen pineapple to sweeten things up.  You can add vanilla or a flavorless protein of your choice and you have yourself a fabulous protein smoothie!  It’s so stinkin’ good!  I make bowls with it too and top them with shredded coconut, cocao nibs, berries, and all that yummy stuff.  The protein powder and almond butter make it a pretty filling smoothie, perfect when you’re on the go.

I usually whip one up after a workout or to take along to soccer practice because this mama needs her protein if I’m going to keep going and going and going and basically never stop!  Especially if you work out on a regular basis replenishing your protein is a must and this smoothie makes for a healthy snack that you can feel good about.  Lately I’ve been using the Vega Sport vanilla protein powder.  I’m not vegan and my body is okay with whey protein but I don’t like all of the artificial sweeteners and unnecessary additives that a lot of companies put in their protein powder.  Vega is an entirely vegan, all natural brand, and their sport line is great for muscle recovery.  I sometimes use an unflavored whey protein, however if you’re trying to keep it vegan or paleo hemp protein is a great add in too.  Whatever protein you go with or if you choose to leave it out entirely, you’re going to loooooove this smoothie!

 

AB&J Smoothie 01

 

 

AB&J Smoothie 03

 

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup frozen cherries (about 9 cherries)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

3 Tbs almond meal

2 Tbs almond butter

1 cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder

 

Method

Starting with the almond milk, put all the ingredients, in the order they are listed, in a blender.  Blend together until all the fruit and everything else it completely blended.  Place in a cup or just scoop it out of the blender if you can’t wait! 🙂  I really do take a spoon to my vitamix after I’ve poured most of it into a cup.  There’s all that yumminess still left in there that you can’t totally get out and I don’t want to waste it!

Have a great week everyone!

 

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Blueberry Protein Smoothie (paleo, gluten free, & vegan option)

Blueberry Protein Smoothie (2)

Protein, protein, protein!  Must have more protein! This has been my mantra of late.  After recovering from a nasty broken tailbone, I am back on the fitness train.  I enjoy being active and full of energy.  Exercising on a regular basis really helps with all of that. It also relieves stress like no other!  I always struggle with the food part though and I don’t mean that I eat unhealthy.  I actually do not eat enough.  It sounds crazy, but in order to increase muscle and cut fat you actually need to intake a lot of protein.  I get so caught up in running around doing five hundred things that I forget to have a snack in between meals and sometimes I miss meals, and then I’m this crazy hungry person.  I’ve been really good the past few months though.  I pack snacks to take along and I never skip breakfast because I am always hungry.  Always!  Apparently, working out regularly will do that to you.

In an attempt to boost my protein, I have a protein shake at least once a day.  I used to mix the protein powder with water, but I got a Vitamix for my birthday last month and it’s been smoothie palooza ever since! Even the hubs is making smoothies.  We just throw a bunch of fruit in, give it a whirl, and viola!  Last week he added protein powder to one of the smoothies and it tasted awesome!  I’ve actually tried protein powder in my smoothies before and I never liked it, but this was so good.  It didn’t have that chalk like after taste that protein powder always has.

I have a protein smoothie every day now.  Loaded with spinach and frozen fruit it makes a perfect snack and it’s pretty filling.  Today I made one and put it in a to go cup so I could drink it while I was picking up the little ones.  We make a few variations of this smoothie and this is the one that I make most often.  Once I get the measurements figured out, I’ll post some of the others as well.  Trying out some paleo protein powders too so I’ll let you know how those are!

Blueberry Protein Smoothie 4

 

*Makes one smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 banana

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

2 Tbs almond meal

1 scoop protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)

**For a vegan version use vegan protein powder.

 

Method

Place ingredients in the order they are listed into a blender or bullet of some sort and blend really well.  If you are using a Vitamix, just use the Smoothie setting.  If you are using a bullet or another blender, let it run for a minute.  Pour into a nice tall glass or to go cup and you’ve got a perfect afternoon or mid-morning snack.  It’s a little sweet too which helps get rid of that afternoon sugar craving!

 

 

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