Nutritious by Gabby

I’ve been on such a smoothie kick lately! Why? Well, the first reason is as simple as the weather getting warmer makes me crave smoothies and the second is that there are so many healthful foods you can add to smoothies! Even without protein powder, you can pack a smoothie full of proteins – you can even get in a serving of greens if you add frozen spinach or kale.

With this particular smoothie, I was going for full on dessert milkshake vibes while still keeping it healthy. I definitely think my mission was accomplished! Instead of heading to your nearest ice cream shop, you can opt for this healthier option. Not only is it better for you, but one smoothie contains just shy of 19 grams of protein, and that’s without any protein powder. This is definitely a must try recipe for our later spring and summer months.

Meal Replacement

Whereas I prefer to keep smoothies as snacks and refer to meals with grains, veggies, proteins, etc., this smoothie can certainly act as a meal replacement shake on the go. Sometimes, we all have those extremely busy mornings or days and we just don’t have the time to invest in making a meal or sitting down for a meal. This smoothie is great for those days because it provides a large amount of protein and is very filling.

Chocolate Chips

I do add dark chocolate chips to this recipe to give it the full cookie dough vibes, but you can definitely omit them if you don’t want any added sugar. You can also try to look for a chocolate chip brand that uses a natural sugar like coconut instead of something refined. I used the Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips for this smoothie because they are free of many allergens and completely gluten free.

What Equipment Do I Need?

• High Speed Blender
• Two Large Cups or Glasses
• Optional – Reusable Straws

Ingredients

• Frozen Banana – Instead of buying them already frozen, I just buy fresh, let them ripen, then break them apart and put them into a freezer bag. From here, freeze them overnight to have them ready for the next day.
• Creamy Natural Almond Butter
• Flax Seed Meal
• Pitted Medjool Dates
• Soy Milk
• Dairy/Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Chips

Substitutions

• Almond Butter – You can swap this out with cashew butter instead if you’d like. I wouldn’t recommend peanut butter unless you want that peanut flavor in your smoothie because it will overpower the other flavors. Keep in mind, swapping this out for a different nut butter will change the amount of protein in the smoothie!
• Soy Milk – I like the creaminess this adds to the smoothie, but if you can’t do soy, you can swap it out with a different non dairy milk. Keep in mind, this will change the protein content of the smoothie.

Recipe