Thirsty Thursday: Easy Green & Lean Smoothie

There is nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold smoothie after a hard workout and there's no faster method of re-fueling post-workout than by drinking a protein-packed, antioxidant-rich "Green & Lean" smoothie! I am often asked how I make my post-workout smoothies and many clients have asked me "what are the best ingredients to put into your smoothies to replenish the body's carbohydrate stores and provide sufficient protein for muscle tissue repair and growth?" These are great questions and today I am going to answer these questions and provide you all with my recipes for an Easy Green & Lean Smoothie!

Now doesn't that Green Smoothie look beautiful! This delicious smoothie was made at Village Health Market in South Tampa and, while it was packed with antioxidants, lean protein, and did not contain any added sugars, it cost me more than $6!! Now I don't know about you, but I can't justify paying a lot of money for something that I could easily make at home for less than half the price... so I decided to use this smoothie as inspiration for my homemade versions.

The main ingredients in this particular Green Smoothie are:

• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Banana
• Spinach
• Vegan vanilla bean protein powder
• Matcha Green Tea powder
• 1 Stevia packet
• Ice cubes

See how simple it would be to buy these ingredients and make several smoothies at home! The important ingredients to include are a liquid of choice (water, unsweetened non-dairy milk or low-fat milk, and even leftover coffee or cold brew coffee), fruit (banana, berries, pineapple, peaches, mango...), super green leafy vegetables (spinach or kale), lean protein source (whey protein powder, vegan protein powder, Greek yogurt, or egg white protein), extra antioxidant boost (Match powder, Maca powder, raw cocoa powder...), a natural sweetener of choice (Stevia / Truvia, maple syrup, agave, or honey), and ice cubes to blend to desired consistency. You can add in or remove any ingredients that you'd like and you can mix match until you find your favorite blends! It really can be fun to experiment with your homemade smoothies!

Here are a few of my favorite concoctions to give you some ideas :-)

PB and Banana Mocha Smoothie:

• 1 cup chilled black coffee with 1/4th cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 small banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (10g protein)
• 2 tbsp PB2
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea powder
• 1 packet Stevia
• 5 ice cubes

Spinach and Banana Smoothie:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 scoop 100% whey protein powder (vanilla) (22g protein)
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea powder
• 2 packets Truvia
• 5 ice cubes

Greek PB and Banana Smoothie:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 single-serve Oikos plain Greek yogurt (15g protein)
• 2 tbsp PB2
• 1 packet Stevia
• 5 ice cubes

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and voila - you have the perfect post-workout smoothie that will replenish and rejuvenate :-) Have fun mixing and matching the ingredients and coming up with your own favorite smoothies!

Stay tuned for more great Smoothie recipes every Thursday!

Thirsty Thursday: Mocha-cado Smoothie Bowl

Introducing my "Thirsty Thursday" recipe where I will share my smoothie of the week with you! I usually whip up a quick protein shake when I am in a rush after a morning workout, but today I took my time and planned out my FIRST EVER smoothie bowl concoction - The Mocha-cado Smoothie Bowl (I know, super clever of me, huh?) Smoothie bowls are all the new rage, but what is so special about being able to actually eat your smoothie with a spoon? I decided to find out and, boy, was I impressed!

(Mocha-cado Smoothie Bowl)

Ingredients:

• 6 oz coffee (cooled to room temperature or chilled in the fridge)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used Silk unsweetened vanilla)
• 1/2 frozen banana (2 oz)
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1/5th avocado (about 1.8 oz)
• 1/2 single-serve plain Greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
• 1 packet (full scoop) NutraKey Vegan Protein Powder: Mochaccino)
• 4-5 ice cubes (to blend to preferred texture)
• 3 tbsp KIND Cinnamon Oat with Flaxseeds granola (for topping)

Instructions:

1. Mix coffee with almond milk and pour into a blender
2. Add the frozen banana, spinach, avocado, and Greek yogurt and blend (about 30 seconds). You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender to make room for the next ingredients and to make sure it all blends evenly!
3. Add the protein powder and ice cubes and blend for 30-60 seconds. You may need to add more almond milk or ice cubes to reach your desired consistency (smoothie should be VERY thick!)
4. Pour the smoothie into a wide-mouthed  bowl and use a spoon to scrape out any remaining smoothie from the blender (trust me, you'll want to eat every last drop... and maybe lick the blender bottle too...)
5. Top smoothie bowl with granola and a little cinnamon if you'd like
6. Devour smoothie bowl!

It's seriously that simple and SUPER delicious! The nutritional content of this smoothie bowl is also out of this world! The entire bowl is 375 calories with a whopping 33g protein!

So next time you are craving a smoothie, try my Mocha-cado Smoothie Bowl! I promise you will not be disappointed :-)