Superfood Smoothie {Dairy Free}

For a good portion of my life I've had stomach issues. I've taken Prilosec, Zantac, Pepto Bismol, Tums, etc. You name it and I've probably tried it to help me with the pain I feel after and sometimes before eating. I've tried to really clean up my diet since having my son and struggling to loose the last 15 extra pounds I gained during my pregnancy. Recently, I have decided to go completely dairy free. At first it was hard because I am an avid fan of cheese on everything, but the longer I go without the easier it gets. An added bonus to keep me from ordering the cheese coated pasta is the fact that now my stomach is feeling much better. At first I was just switching out regular milk for coconut milk, almond milk, lactose free, and the soy varieties. However, as I'm getting more strict about it I'm noticing more and more that many packaged items I was using the ingredients say "Contains: MILK". My favorite protein powder even contains dairy! :( I was so sad about this because this seemed to be the only brand I could find where my smoothies didn't taste gritty. I have yet to be able to find a Dairy Free version of Optimum Nutrition protein powder, so now I am on the hunt for a Vegan protein powder. Currently I'm trying Vega Protein & Greens Vanilla. It's okay, but it's not my favorite. It has an odd aftertaste and makes the texture of my smoothie more gritty. I'm curious what other vegans like to use as protein powder.

No matter what protein powder I use I still have a favorite for my smoothie mix. Lately I'm obsessed with putting chia seeds in everything. I've even been looking up recipes to make chia seed pudding or chia seed gels to drink. I love Mama Chia drinks but the sugar content seems higher than I'd ideally like. To make the smoothie above in my Ninja blender I threw in frozen strawberries, spinach, 1/2 a banana, chia seeds, unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk, Vega protein powder, and a handful of ice. I can't seem to make green smoothies that look green, but my guess is that the ones you buy are full of green food coloring. I'll have to experiment more and see how green I can really make my smoothie. 

A Healthier Chunky Monkey

Lately I have been craving the Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream. Even when it's cold and dreary out I seem to still crave ice cream. I am literally obsessed with my ice cream. Sadly though Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey is in no way really "good" for you or "healthy". Therefore, I had to figure out a way I could fulfill my cravings while still living a healthier lifestyle. That is where my new recipe for my morning shake came in. I decided I had to try to recreate Chunky Monkey with Chocolate Shakeology. I was very pleased. It was delicious!! I literally felt like I could freeze it a little, throw on a few walnut chunks, and then scoop it out with a spoon for dessert. I love it when healthy food actually taste good. Now I can get my ice cream fix while still getting all my superfoods and nutrients for the day.


Chunky Monkey Shakeology

Ingredients

• 1 scoop/packet of Chocolate Shakeology
• 1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 banana
• 1 handful of ice
• optional: 1 scoop of Protein Powder (Vanilla or Chocolate)

Instructions

1. Throw ALL ingredients into the blender
2. Blend until smooth
3. Smile with extreme pride and enjoy your healthy copycat chunky monkey protein and superfood filled shake. 

PB2 Peanut Butter and Banana Shake

Photo Credit

I recently learned about this amazing product called PB2. It is a powdered peanut butter that has 85% less fat calories than regular peanut butter. In one serving (2 tablespoons) you have only 45 calories or 1 WW points plus. I feel like this is a great alternative to peanut butter for those of you who are trying to count calories and get healthier. PB2 allows me to give into my cravings for peanut butter, yet still keep my calorie count in check. I normally mix the PB2 powder up to go on my whole wheat toast, but I've been looking for some new ways to use PB2. 

A few nights ago I decided to make a smoothie/shake using my chocolate PB2. It was amazing! I was so happy with the results. For a whole cup full of this delicious shake it only cost me 85 calories! That's pretty impressive when you consider the fact that most smoothies or milkshakes are over 300 calories.

To make this delicious shake all I needed was: 

• 2 tablespoons of PB2
• 1 Large Banana
• 1 cup of Almond Milk (unsweetened)
• 1 handful of ice cubes

Then blend it all together in the blender until creamy and ENJOY!

If you aren't into smoothies then the Bell Plantation website has some other ideas to mix PB2 into your lifestyle. 

<3 Kelly Jean