Protein smoothie recipe

For a tasty, filling breakfast smoothie put the following in a really powerful blender – I love my Vitamix – for a minute or two, until you reach a consistency you enjoy. My preference is to make it as thick as pudding so I need to eat it with a spoon. I promise, you won’t be hungry until lunchtime.

Favorite Protein Smoothie:

• First place a cup of liquid in the blender. (Putting the liquid in first helps prevent the powder from sticking to the bottom). I use 1/3 cup of sugar-free almond milk + 2/3 cup of filtered water, you could also use a combination of unsweetened cranberry juice and water
• Add a serving of your chosen protein powder – I like Vega and Tera’s Whey
• Make sure you add a good source of fat e.g.: a tablespoon of organic tahini, flaxseed oil or coconut oil, or even ½ an avocado
• Think about fiber: a tablespoon of organic chia or flax seeds is a good option, or maybe a green apple
• Choose a low-glycemic fruit, 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries, or other berries like cranberries, raspberries or blackberries work well, or if you want something more hearty maybe ½ a steamed or baked sweet potato (pale flesh is best)
• If you really want to power it up add a teaspoon of Green Superfood like the one from Amazing Grass
• Add any extra flavors e.g.: ground cinnamon which is great for keeping blood sugar levels stable, or organic vanilla or almond extract
• A few cubes of ice are optional
• Whizz it all up and serve immediately!

There’s been a recent trend to add things like vegetables to smoothies. If you like the taste, do it. My digestive system can’t handle a lot of raw vegetables and I’ve been told by my wonderful nutritionist that eating raw kale and other cruciferous vegetables, isn’t a great idea for anyone with thyroid issues so I steer clear of these myself. She also recommends that even folks without thyroid issues only eat kale raw on occasion, but the good news is that cooking it deactivates the goitrogenic compounds  that can be troublesome.