Healthy Recipe: Protein/Veggie Smoothie!

Good morning!

We found ourselves a little low on breakfast food at our house this morning, so I went ahead and whipped up a little "smoothie" for myself and my boyfriend Chris to share...

Looks good, right? Agreed :)

But before I pass on my recipe, I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of smoothies in general. Not because I don't think they're delicious, but because I think they're one of the biggest bait-and-switch offenders in the health and fitness realm... Most of the smoothies out there for purchase (or recipes available online) are essentially fruit milkshakes - absolutely loaded with sugar, sometimes even including things like ice cream or sherbet, yet masquerading as a healthy choice.

For example, I won't name any names here but I peeked at the nutrition information for a local smoothie chain where I live, and it shows that their 12 ounce smoothies average at least 40 grams of sugar - around the same amount as a can of coca-cola. Damn! That's a LOT of sugar to consume in one sitting regardless of where it's coming from - even if it's from fruit.

"But Anne Marie, isn't fruit healthy?"

Sure - fruit is solid in terms of nutrients and all that, but it's not necessary (or very beneficial) to consume it in such tremendous quantity. Typically one serving of a smoothie provides more than the average person would need for a few days. Anyway, I digress...

Here's my take on what a "smoothie" should be: veggie-based, with plenty of protein and a little hit of fruit for flavor (and carbs) if needed. This way you get plenty of nutrition without the sugar high ;)

I put this recipe together with what we had on hand, but you can obviously make changes based upon what's available to you or what you prefer :)

AM's Berry Chia Smoothie
Serves 2 (or makes one HUGE serving)

1 cup (114g) frozen broccoli
1.5 scoops (48g) whey protein (I used Optimum Nutrition Whey Gold Cake Batter flavor)
1 cup (126g) frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
1 tbsp (12g) chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2-1 cup water
1-3 packets stevia, to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender (liquids FIRST so your protein powder doesn't get stuck) and blend until smooth.

Note: you could also add a tablespoon of almond butter for a PB&J type feel and extra healthy fats… Just saying :) Also, frozen spinach, frozen kale, and frozen riced cauliflower all work well in this type of smoothie creation too!

Let me know if you try my recipe - I bet you won't even miss all that fruit!

Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you'd like! :)