On my birthday, Sawyer and I went to a local juice place for a smoothie and walked out with smoothies that were $12 each! They were tasty, super filling and I felt good about drinking them--I just can't really justify that kind of expense on a regular basis. In an effort to improve our health and save money, I made these copycat smoothies that contain superfoods to provide energy, mental clarity and lots of protein.
For this smoothie, I was looking for a drink that provided a boost of energy, a ton of protein and that felt like a meal substitute, rather than a beverage.
I used a few super food ingredients, including maca powder, clean vegan protein powder and cocoa nibs. The base is Calfia almond milk (unsweetened) with oats for some added fiber. Honey for a bit of sweetener. Organic almond butter for more protein and flavor. And, banana to bind everything together and provide a bit of substance.
What is so special about these ingredients?
Maca Powder is thought to help with hormone fluctuations, menstrual issues and mood swings. Plus it can help with fatigue and mental energy. I had been hearing a bit about maca powder and its ability to regulate mood swings and as a possible help to fix ailing thyroids. I definitely wanted to give it a try. I used this one.
Cocao Nibs are unrefined cocoa beans, known to be loaded with phytonutrients, including the super nutrients, flavonoids. These tiny pieces of unsweetened chocolate provide both mental clarity and energy boost. Cacao nibs have more antioxidants than tea, wine, blueberries and even goji berries. Not to mention, the offer a tiny bit of a chocolate taste in the healthiest of ways. I used these that I bought on Amazon for only $18 for a giant bag.
Clean, plant based protein powder we add to so many things, mostly to make sure that Sawyer is getting the protein that he needs for muscle building. We used to buy the regular whey protein but it is filled with so many additives that we switched to plant based protein. For this smoothie, I used Vega Clean Protein, Vanilla Flavor but I bet it would be good with a bit of chocolate protein powder or even a plain variety. Amazon has a variety of plant based protein powders but we like this one.
I bought all of these from Amazon (click on the links above) but if you have a Whole Foods or something similar, you can likely find them all there.
The recipe makes two smoothies and provided me such a huge energy burst---it was almost unbelievable. I truly had the best workout a few hours after drinking this and it kept me full until late into the evening.
High Protein, Super Energy Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¾ Tablespoon maca powder
- ¾ Tablespoon cocao nibs
- 1 Tablespoon rolled oats
- 2 Tablespoon almond butter
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 banana
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
- handful of ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the blender and process until smooth. Pour into two glasses and enjoy!
Nutrition
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