I’m borderline obsessed with coming up with the perfect protein smoothie or shake, as you will be seeing in future posts. I’ve been experimenting for a while and am ready to start writing them down. So, here we go…
Never-ending quest for the perfect protein shake: Frozen Chocolate & Blueberry Healthy Protein Smoothie
In this version, we will be using the following ingredients to make a single serving of a healthy protein smoothie. It is perfect for a snack, post workout treat, or even as a dessert!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- Some frozen blueberries
- 3-4 chunks frozen mangoes
- 1/2 banana, cut into pieces (preferably frozen)
- 1 heaping scoop Vanilla Organic Pea Protein
- 1-2 tablespoons Dark Chocolate cocoa powder
- 3 (very) heaping tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
Creating the Healthy Protein Smoothie
You will put the ingredients in a certain order depending on the blender you are using. My single serve blender “flips” so the blades go on a screw top. The bananas and the fruits should be closest to the blades so they can be blended well, otherwise you will end up with a chunky shake. A not so smooth smoothie isn’t that good.
With my “flip” blender, I put the ingredients in this order:
Milk, protein powder, cocoa powder, blueberries, mangoes, yogurt, bananas
Screw on the lid tightly and start blending.
You may have to shake or stir once to make sure everything is blending well. 30 sec – 1 minute total should be more than enough.
That’s it!
Tips & alternatives:
- Alternative milks, such as almond milk / coconut work well. I like Almond Breeze coconut flavor. I also use just plain old milk.
- I wash and chop the banana with the peel still on. Let it go for a few days to soften it, wash it, then cut it into slices with the peel still on. You get the nutrients of the peel too, without even knowing it!
- When freezing the bananas, put them in a baggie or container in a single layer. Otherwise, they will stick together and will be more difficult to blend
- Some like it sweetened, but I think this is sweet enough. If you prefer a little more sweetness, use some honey.
- If you want natural sweetness, let the banana get real ripe (but not rotten of course!). Really – even with the peel you will not notice any bitterness and the drink will be naturally sweet.