Power Smoothie

For the past nine months I’ve been enjoying whey protein smoothies on and off for breakfast.  When my CrossFit training picks up, I need a little extra protein to help my muscles recover, and keep my appetite under control. Even if you aren’t training for anything, we all need a bit of healthy protein along with high-fiber foods to get our day off to a good start.

I used to pooh-pooh smoothies, especially the ones at those smoothie bars where you pay close to $6 for a 24+ ounce load of empty calories, added sugars and little to no real fruits or veggies (read: quality nutrients).  Liquid calories are killing our country as it is – so if you are going to slurp down your breakfast, it better be chock-full of good ingredients to help give you the energy you need for a busy day ahead (and not leave you scavenging for food within an hour).

Enter my power smoothie (for this week, I’m always changing it up):

Serves 1

1/2 scoop Whole Foods 365 Organic Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (men go ahead and take the whole scoop)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened soy milk, or skim milk

1 cup frozen strawberries, organic if you can afford them

2 Tbsp rolled oats

2 tsp almond butter (or natural peanut butter)

1 large handful fresh Kale

Smoothie approximately 300 calories, 14 g protein and loaded with good-for-you fats, fiber, calcium, vitamins and minerals.

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Enjoy!