Smoothie Love

I have been drinking a smoothie every.single.day.  It's quick. It's easy to take on the go.  It's packed full of fruit and veggies.  It's cooling in this hot weather.  My smoothie obsession has coincided with Fitnessista's Smoothie a Day in May. 

In between job #1 and job #2, I have exactly 30 minutes to rush home, feed Lola, sprucen up, eat something to tide me over for 4+ hours, and drive to job #2.  99.9% of the time, I whip up a smoothie.  To ensure that it is filling enough to keep my stomach from growling for 4 hours, I make sure it contains protein and plenty of healthy fats.  Also, I make sure to throw in green veggies of some kind, most often spinach.  Since it has become warm, fresh fruit is on sale everywhere and deliciously sweet, just in time for my smoothie mania.

Some of my favorite smoothie combo's lately:

Watermelon Coconut- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 cup of watermelon chunks, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup coconut-almond milk, a few cubes of ice, and a pinch of xanthum gum

Banana Chocolate Coconut - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 - 1 frozen banana, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1-2 handfuls spinach, 1 cup coconut-almond milk, a few  ice cubes

Berry Avocado Basil - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, a few basil leaves, 1-2 handfuls spinach, a tiny squeeze of agave to sweeten, 1/2 cup almond milk, a few ice cubes

Pina Colada (a classic) - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1/2 cup pineapple chunks, 2 tbsp unsweetened flaked coconut, 1-2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 to 1 cup coconut-almond milk, a few ice cubes, a pinch of xanthum gum

Watermelon Lime Mint Chia - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1/2 cup watermelon chunks and water from the bottom of the container, 1 tbsp chia seeds, a few mint leaves,  juice of 1 lime, a squeeze of agave for sweetness, 1-2 handfuls spinach, and a few ice cubes

Almond Butter Banana - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1/2 -1 frozen banana, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 1 cup almond milk, a few ice cubes (sometimes I add 1 tbsp cocoa powder if I'm craving chocolate)

Mojito - 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, juice of 3-4 limes, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1-2 handfuls spinach, a few mint leaves, a squeeze of agave, a splash of almond milk to get things moving, a few cubes of ice.

* Tips on using xanthum gum: Add the xanthum gum to the blender after all ingredients are blended and let run a while longer.  If you add it to the mix before everything is blended, it can cause ingredients to stick to the sides of the blender jar.

You'll notice in the recipes sometimes I use xanthum gum and sometimes I don't.  I only use it when the smoothie is extremely thin.  Adding frozen bananas, avocados, and chia seeds usually thickens up the smoothie enough for me, so I opt for no xanthum gum.

Also, pasteurized egg whites are a great way to add protein to a smoothie if you don't have whey powder.



What's your favorite smoothie combo?