Strawberry Basil Protein Smoothie

A protein smoothie in the morning is a perfect way to start your day!  This one is low carb. Healthy. Delicious. And most of all filling, satisfying and will keep you energized till your next meal.

You probably know by now, my morning routine hasn’t changed much over the last 30 some years. It begins with my morning elixer, I read some devotions, I go run, and than I hit the gym.  Trust me, once I get around to my breakfast, most mornings it’s close to 13 or 14 hours since my last meal. On my intermittent fasting days, I may go as long as 18 to 20 hours.

Regardless, I love my protein smoothies! They’re not only convenient, but quick, and when you’re as hungry as I am after a run and workout you need quick.

For the past 25 years or so, I have been using these products. You can read why here and here. Choosing a protein powder, or any supplement, for that matter can be very confusing. They are not all created equal which is I why I like Shaklee.

I love that they make it easy to choose between a soy based protein, or my new favorite, this grass fed whey.  They also have a vegan formula which I also use on occasion in combination with the grass fed whey. You can’t go wrong with any of them and it really comes down to your dietary restrictions, if you have any. You can be confident that all of these are ultra pure and GMO free. This is important to me and if it is for you, I am honored to have you as part of my Shaklee Family.

You’ve probably also noticed, I love my veggies! Having a smoothie in the morning is a perfect way to get in a couple servings of veggies. Up until last month, I’d throw in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach, kale, or romaine. Now I have this secret ingredient (or not so secret ingredient) that not only saves me time (since I am not constantly making extra trips to the store to pick up more fresh greens) and money, but space in my fridge too.

On tiny scoop of these gluten free, non-gmo, organic dehydrated greens gives me the nutritional benefits of an entire cup broccoli, kale and, spinach.  WOW!  Plus, they taste amazing.

This is also the perfect time of year to use some of those fresh and seasonal herbs and berries. I happen to have lots of fresh herbs outside my patio so I’ll throw in some fresh basil, mint, or parsley in my smoothies all summer long. They add such a fresh taste to your smoothies!

“And have you also noticed how much different fresh berries taste (and look) now?”  Most often I use frozen fruit in my smoothies, but when luscious, juicy, and sweet fresh berries or peaches start appearing at Costco, I use them up before they go bad. “Are we ready to make a smoothie?”

STRAWBERRY BASIL PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 of a frozen green banana
• a few fresh strawberries (or frozen if needed)
• 2 to 3 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon of almond butter
• fresh greens or organic greens booster 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
• natural sweetener to taste optinal (date, honey, or stevia)
• 1/2 cup or so of coconut milk or almond milk
• more liquid to your consistency (almond milk or water)
• Your choice of Whey or Soy or Vegan Protein Powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients into your VitaMix and blend until smooth.
2. Add more liquid and ice if desired

[reminder]Do you grow fresh herbs? Have you tried adding any into your smoothies? Is using an ultra-pure protein important to you?[/reminder]