Ugh I just love bananas in smoothies, is there anything better that makes a smooth, creamy and frosty consistency. And it's a fruit hello!
I'm always so excited to end my workouts so I can make this, which may not necessarily be a good thing...oh well, as always, blame it on the bananas. :)
I usually stretch for 10 minutes or so to cool down, shower, then get right to blending up this nutritious and protein packed smoothie. Which, is perfect for muscle recovery and getting in a good dose of energy for the rest of the day.
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| smoothie up! |
1 frozen banana (organic preferably)
1 scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Water, to blend (1 cup or so)
Ice
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Makes one serving.
We used to make our own pumpkin pie spice from mixing up cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. But recently found it premixed at a bulk food store, it's much cheaper this way as well as lessens the amount of powders flying around in the kitchen. Oh the powders! They never end do they :).
Progressive Harmonized Vegan Protein is our favourite brand of vegan protein. We buy it for the nutritional profile (it has all of the amino acids that you need) and it also is the best tasting in our opinion. Vega is a close second though! This formula also has almost everything Vega has except for the Chlor-Essence blend, maca, and the various berry blends also, there aren't as many greens.
Progressive Harmonized Vegan Protein does however have kelp, dulse and spirulina (electrolytes!), flax seed oil powder, dandelion root, cranberry seed protein and lots of other unique ingredients, see a list here. It is also a fraction of the price of Vega.
We've always used sprouted brown rice protein powder in the past, but recently have made the switch to Progressive because of their higher amino acid profile.
We're curious, what protein powder do you guys use? And what do you usually put into your post workout smoothie to make it an extra special treat!?
the smoothie looks delicious. i completely agree, bananas totally make the smoothie ;)
ReplyDeletei'm definitely going to check out you protein powder suggestion. all the others are either way too expensive or made with soy protein isolate, which is a total no-no for me ;)
I'll definitely have to keep my eye out for that product. Where do you buy it? I stocked up on the old Vega when it went on sale for half price. Haven't tried the Vega One yet, though. I actually like Manitoba Harvest's Hemp Pro 70 because it is just a plain water soluble protein without any flavours.
ReplyDeleteI just posted a banana ice cream with protein powder. Basically the same as your smoothie without the extra water! Looks great though.
It's in most health food stores in Canada, you can def order it online too. Hmm! interesting how it's water soluble, I've always wondered about the Pro 70. thanks for the suggestion! We love Banana protein ice cream yummy yummy, we'll check yours out ;)
Deletewow that sounds SO DELICIOUS! i definitely am going to have to try this, stat!
ReplyDeleteI use Sunwarrior (original) Vanilla... what do you guys think of that one?? I'm running out soon and am considering other options mostly due to cost.
ReplyDeletewe've tried Sun Warrior before and loved the texture, it's so smooth eh?! I believe Sunwarrior is bio-fermented and so it's more easily digested and nutrient-dense than even regular sprouted brown rice protein. So it's definitely one of the best options out there vegan protein-wise. :) It is very expensive though, so we've used Sprouted Brown Rice Protein in the past and it's rather cheap, (Heartland Gold, I believe it's only in Canada though) and we loved it, especially the vanilla flavour yum!
ReplyDeleteI've tried hemp too, I feel like I don't absorb it well just personally, and it's more gritty than the brown rice variety.
If you're looking to use protein powder for working out/fitness I would recommend a full spectrum protein blend like Progressive/Vega because then you're ensuring you get all amino acids/nutrients needed for full muscle recovery.
(Haha I feel like a nutritionist)...not a nutritionist btw lol just advising from experience and from trying diff. proteins. ;)
Good Luck!
I have a thing of this protein powder in my pantry that's being neglected. I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Vega- love it, but it's pricey lol. I also find it has it's own "taste" that makes it's presence known- not always a bad thing but sometimes I'm going for a particular flavour in my smoothies.
I like Sunwarrior's Warrior Blend- it's a combo of hemp, cranberry and pea proteins so it's got all the amino acids and it tastes pretty stellar. You're right it's expensive though so based on your glowing review I'm going to bring this Progressive protein out of retirement. I'm not sure why it ever went there to be honest.
I know what you mean with Vega, it has the "Vega" flavour that you can't really mask. The flavour of Progressive also has it's own unique flavour but I actually really really like the taste like it's weird how much I like it lol...it tastes like vanilla cake, sometimes I have a protein smoothie instead of a dessert/treat after dinner. haha.
DeleteI also wasn't aware Sunwarrior had a blend, that's cool, I bet it tastes amazing considering sun warrior has an awesome vanilla flavoured brown rice protein.
glad to hear you're bringing the old tub our of retirement! lol
I really like North Coast Naturals Organic Hemp Protein. I used to get the Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 I think, I prefer the North Coast Naturals one for some reason.... Vega is hugely expensive, but I don't mind it, I just can't justify paying the price for it.
ReplyDeleteI like Sunwarrior as well, but agree with you guys about the cost! My favorite smoothie contains milk, frozen bananas, almond or peanut butter, chia seeds, spinach, vanilla, cinnamon, protein powder, and stevia or honey! Sometimes I'll add a scoop of cocoa powder if I'm in a chocolatey mood!
ReplyDeletemm sounds so awesome! and I bet it gets nice and creamy from the nut butter. ;)
ReplyDeleteYum! Going to try this today. :D
ReplyDeleteI enjoy smoothies just with the goodies in them, no protein powders added. I enjoy a little peanut butter in there sometimes, sometimes a little flax, sometimes just greens and fruit. I don't mean to be a contrarian, but I gave up all protein powders a long time ago out of concern that it was like vitamin use...I'm not sure it's helpful or necessary, especially with it being taken out of its natural state (embedded in foods). And they are really expensive! I walk many miles each day and am otherwise very active, and have never felt diminished in any way as a result. I think we really might get plenty of protein just eating food! Just putting that out there with no intention to sway opinion or be a preacher, though!! Every body IS different! Thanks for another great update on your page, I really enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a great guide for vegan healthy eating. Enjoyed reading your blog.
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