Perfect Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Bowl for Fall-like flavor that will keep you cool in the hot Florida temps. Made in minutes and packed with protein and antioxidants!

Thirsty Thursday: Mamma Chia and Vanilla Smoothie

August 6, 2015Recipekellypuryear1 Comment

One of my favorite things about being back in my home town (Mattapoisett, MA) is being able to run down to one of the most beautiful ocean-side parks called Ned's Point. Ned's Point is about 1.25 miles from my parents' house and most of the route is covered by huge, beautiful oak trees and surrounded by large beach houses. There is something about Ned's Point that makes me feel "at home" and sitting on the picnic tables and gazing past the lighthouse at the crashing waves against the rocks brings back childhood memories - it is truly my happy place :-)

(Ned's Point - Mattapoisett, MA - My "happy place")

I've started nearly every morning since I arrived back home with a nice jog down to Ned's Point and back to my parents' house and, while it is only 2.5 miles round trip, the "hazy hot and humid" temperatures this week have gotten the best of me and I could not wait to guzzle down an ice-cold smoothie as soon as I walked in the house! There is nothing quite as refreshing as an ice-cold post-workout protein smoothie and my food-shopping-savvy mother has introduced me to some great new smoothie ingredients that led me to create this week's Thirsty Thursday smoothie recipe - Mamma Chia Vanilla Protein Smoothie.

With only three main ingredients, this smoothie is by far the easiest one to make and easily the most delicious post-workout smoothie yet!

Ingredients:

8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3.5-oz Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality Snack packet
1 scoop (single-serve packet) of vanilla vegan protein powder
5-6 ice cubes
Natural sweetener of choice (to taste, optional) - I used 1 Stevia packet
Optional add-ins: 1/4th cup plain Greek yogurt (for more protein, carbohydrates, and creamier texture), 1/4th cup dry oats (for more complex carbohydrates, B vitamin, and thicker consistency), or 1/2 frozen banana (for more carbohydrates, potassium, and more slushy-like consistency).

* I usually travel with a packet or two of protein powder (just in case) and I am a big fan of NutraKey VPro, which is made of organic, non-GMO raw plant proteins and provides all the essential amino acids the body needs.

* My brilliant mother found the Mamma Chia snack packs at BJ's Wholesale Market (similar to Costco or Sam's Club) and these tasty little snack packs provide 1200 mg of Omega-3s and can be purchased in bulk for healthy snacking on-the-go!

Instructions:

Pour almond milk into a blender with the ice cubes.
Squeeze the Chia snack pack into the blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds.
Add in the scoop /packet of protein powder (and sweetener if desired) and blend on high again for 30-60 seconds (or until all ingredients are mixed well and the ice cubes are all broken up.
And chug away (but not so quickly that you get brain freeze)!!

There you have it! A very easy way to combine simple ingredients with essential nutrients to refuel after a workout or hot run in the summer heat! Stay cool and refuel with lean protein and healthy fats :-)

Thirsty Thursday: Super Green Matcha Tea Smoothie Bowl

July 30, 2015Recipekellypuryear2 Comments

It's Thursday again! I don't know about you, but I am tired of all this rain we have been having in Tampa lately and I needed some brightness in my life today. The bad news is it looks like there's a 60-80% chance of rain for the next five days, but the good news is you can easily make this Super Green Matcha Tea smoothie bowl to brighten your day and load up on protein and antioxidants! I made this smoothie bowl for a power-packed post-workout lunch, but you can have this smoothie bowl whenever you need a pick-me-up meal!

Super Green Matcha Tea Smoothie Bowl

(Took advantage of the break in the rain storm to enjoy my smoothie bowl outside :-) At least my grass is green thanks to the rain!)

Ingredients:

6 oz unsweetened iced green tea (I ordered mine from Starbucks on my way home from the gym, but you can brew your own green tea and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so).
4 oz frozen banana
1 oz avocado (about 1/4th of an avocado, sliced)
1-2 cups baby spinach
1 scoop vegan protein powder (vanilla flavored is recommended)
2 t Organic Matcha Green Tea powder
1 packet Stevia (or more to taste)
4-5 ice cubes
3 tbsp KIND cinnamon oat with flaxseeds granola (for topping)
about 10 fresh blueberries (for topping)

Instructions:

Pour iced green tea into a blender and add the frozen banana, avocado slices, and spinach leaves. Blend ingredients for about 30 seconds to mix well.
Add in the protein powder, Matcha powder, Stevia, and ice cubes. Blend ingredients for about 60 seconds to mix well. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spoon or spatula and blend again to ensure all ingredients are mixed well and there are no clumps.
Pour smoothie mixture into a large, wide-mouthed bowl and top with granola and blueberries.
Devour smoothie bowl :-)

That's it! Simple as that and you have a super, power-packed Green Tea Smoothie bowl that will fill you up and leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day (come rain or come shine)!

Not to mention, this smoothie bowl provides you with nearly 190% of your daily calcium requirements and nearly 740mg of potassium; 30g of lean protein, 8g of fiber, and only 10g of fat; and doesn't break the calorie bank with around 350 calories total!

So go ahead, brighten your day with this Super Green Smoothie! I know it worked for me :-)

(I enjoyed my smoothie bowl with a good read, thanks to Strong magazine!)

Thirsty Thursday: Mocha-cado Smoothie Bowl

July 16, 2015Recipekellypuryear3 Comments

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:

Mix coffee with almond milk and pour into a blender
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!
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!)
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...)
Top smoothie bowl with granola and a little cinnamon if you'd like
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!