After hot, sweaty Summer runs the only thing I crave is a smoothie. Most morning’s I will walk directly to the kitchen following a run to whip up a breakfast smoothie bowl even before taking a shower. Recovery from both the heat and the workout happen much faster if I eat something with carbohydrates and protein within thirty minutes of completing a workout.
When the teams at Fit Approach and Bob’s Red Mill challenged me to showcase how their protein powders help me find balance among the summer chaos, I knew a quick, delicious and refreshing smoothie would be the perfect recipe to share with you guys. Since this smoothie takes just a few minutes to make from start to finish, it’s easy to make for breakfast, an afternoon snack or as a post-workout powerhouse. The box I received from Bob’s Red Mill included protein powder (chocolate, vanilla and chai) as well as a protein & fiber nutritional booster. Each flavor of protein powder is plant based, gluten free, vegan and includes not only powder but also chia seeds, probiotics and amino acids. The nutritional stats for the vanilla protein powder. which I used in this recipe. are quite impressive – 180 calories, 20 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber and only 3 grams of sugar.
Cherry Vanilla Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen or fresh (pitted) cherries
- 1/4 cup ice
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup Almond Milk or your choice of liquid (milk, water, etc)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Protein powder
- 1 scoop Vital Proteins or other collagen peptides
- Optional toppings – goji berries, shredded coconut, granola or cherries
Directions
- Add first eight items to blender and pulse or blend until you reach desired consistency.
- Pour into bowl
- Top with your favorite optional toppings. I suggest some dried goji berries and Purely Elizabeth granola.
Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill and FitApproach for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
