Need an extra kick of energy? This high protein super energy smoothie is a great way to kick start your day or give you a bit of energy later in the day.

Making great smoothies doesn't have to be hard. Save yourself time and money by making these high protein super energy smoothies at home. With just a few key ingredients, you can improve your health and save money with smoothies full of superfoods to provide energy, mental clarity and lots of protein.

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.

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.

Ingredients

Maca Powder: There are so many benefits to maca powder including mental clarity and energy. It's addition to this smoothie is key.
Vegan Protein Powder: I prefer the vanilla Vega brand but use whatever you prefer.
Cocoa Nibs: These little nibs are full of antioxidants and give a great little energy kick.
Almond Milk: I prefer unsweetened almond milk (Calfia brand is my favorite) for smoothies but any nut milk or even cows milk could work here.
Honey: For a touch of sweetener.
Almond Butter: Adds more protein and flavor to the smoothie and will keep you full longer.
Banana: To add a bit of sweet and creaminess to the smoothie.
Oats: For a bit of fiber and texture.

What is so special about these ingredients?

Maca Powder has been grown in the Andes mountains and used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant. Maca is claimed to be an adaptogenic plant, which means it gives your body the ability to adapt to or resist what's going on in and around it, like anxiety, stress, and depression. There has been some research showing its ability to regulate mood swings, ease menopause symptoms and to help with thyroid issues. Maca Powder can be found at health food stores, Whole Foods or ordered online. I used this one. It has a mild, kind of nutty flavor that complements the other ingredients of the smoothie.

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.

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 provides 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.