When it’s first thing in the morning, one of the last things I think about is cooking a meal. I’m not sure if this is pure laziness or not but I have made quite a habit of skipping this meal. Surprise, surprise I also dealt with what I would consider chronic fatigue for years. This really hit it’s peak after college while working in a cubicle. Recently with more time on my hands to look at different aspects of my life that could use improving I noted the fact that I was skipping breakfast as a possibility for being a major contributing factor to this fatigue.
A few months ago I started experimenting with different breakfast shakes. I figured although lazy, I definitely have the time to pop a few ingredients in a blender and drink the results. I also love smoothies by the way.
So far my smoothie recipes have changed a few times.
My first attempt with a protein shake called WellBetX PGX chocolate. This was a pretty tasty shake which I tried because I had read about the benefits of PGX fiber. The problem for me with this shake is that it is made from whey protein. Although this is a widely popular for of protein, it doesn’t fully agree with my system. Whey is a byproduct of dairy production and as someone who is lactose intolerant (sensitive or whatever) it usually gives me cramps when I take it.
Attempt number two was with a Nutiva chocolate Hemp protein powder. I tried a few methods trying rice milk and then ultimately almond milk with the addition of blueberries and a banana. This was a tasty combination and I had settled on hemp protein because of the omega benefits. I ultimately gave this up as well when I started taking fish oil capsules for my omega.
Currently my favorite smoothie recipe is as follows. I ended up selecting Garden of Life RAW protein powder which is a plant based protein derived from sprouts. I found a number of reviews online where people reviewed it as being one of the silkiest, smoothest protein powders on the market.
Breakfast Protein Shake:
- 1.5 – 2 cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla (or other unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 scoop Garden of Life RAW protein powder
- 1 tbs Nutiva Cacao powder (or alternative brand) *sometimes this is omitted if I am going to drink another shake after a workout
- 1 frozen banana, prechopped and frozen in 1/6 pieces
- aprrox 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 5-8 frozen strawberries
- 1 scoop Amazing Grass Wheat Grass powder
As noted above I have been working out a lot lately so on those days I drink the above smoothie recipe for breakfast minus the cacao powder and then drink the following protein shake following the workout.
Post Workout Smoothie Recipe
- 1.5 – 2 cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla (or other unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 scoop Garden of Life RAW protein powder
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 tbs Nutiva Cacao powder (or alternative brand)
- 0-3 frozen strawberries
- 1 tbs Almond Butter
For this smoothie the addition of almond butter is primarily to get about 8 or 10 grams of good fat. This is the time I take my fish oil supplement as studies have shown that fish oil is much more bio-available when you take it with about 10 grams of fat. This is when I really love the Garden of Life RAW protein powder. I really find it to be quite smooth. The whey and hemp protein powders were kind of gritty when making a primarily powder based shake like this. The combination of the banana and the cacao makes it taste quite chocolatey without any additional sweeteners as well!
The beauty of these shakes are that they only take about 2 minutes to prepare. I think the cleanup aspect of cooking breakfast is usually the image in my mind that detracts me from cooking. Since I usually rinse the blender out real quick right after I pour the smoothie, the whole process only takes about 5 minutes with very minimal cleanup.
I would be very interested to hear if people try either of these recipes or if anyone has any delicious protein shake recipes they would like to share with me.
{ 0 comments }
