Green Matcha Smoothie

Do you know what matcha is? Do you think it's the same thing as maca? If you answered no and yes to these questions, you are not alone. Matcha was a big buzz word last year with cafes offering matcha lattes and these crazy looking comb things for matcha lattes. Maca...well, until I saw them on a menu side by side I realized I didn't really know they were two separate things but I think it has to do with chocolate.

Matcha is bright green and if you can taste color, it tastes green too. It's a subtle flavor so a plain matcha latte isn't a big deal but I've found adding some honey really brightens the drink up. Matcha has some caffeine in it but isn't as acidic as coffee. Other benefits I've discovered from Googling matcha, it is full of antioxidants, naturally detoxifies your body and can help with focus/attention. Sign up me at about 2pm every day.

 

I'm experimenting with different smoothie recipes to mix it up. The basic chocolate smoothie recipe is still great but I got some matcha samples at a Sweaty Betty event a couple weeks ago and thought the powder would make a vibrant green shake (spoiler alert: it did).

Usually green smoothies have spinach, apple, avocado, cucumber, all the different green fruits and vegetables. These did contribute to the green but the matcha really made it pop.

 

In a blender, combine coconut milk (for a little sweetness), avocado, spinach, vanilla protein powder and matcha. Blend until deliciously smooth. That's it! Super simple, perfect for getting through the morning mental fog.

Recipe

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 Tablespoon matcha powder
• 2 scoops protein powder (Arbonne is my preference) 

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. The end!

Pumpkin Smoothie Bowls

I don't understand smoothie bowls. Is it just a smoothie in a bowl? Really? That seems messy. But at the same time, I do tend to eat my smoothies out of a shaker with a spoon. So maybe putting them into a bowl will be prettier and more effective.

Regardless of if you put this in a cup or a bowl or pour it straight into your mouth, it's officially pumpkin season!! I absolutely had a pumpkin spice latte in my hand at 9am on September 1st but figured it needed to get a little more official before starting the influx of pumpkin recipes that happens every fall. And apples, definitely apple recipes.

 

While pumpkin-everything is a big deal in America, I've found it's not as common in the UK. Canned pumpkin was in the America international foods section of the grocery store! And is more expensive so am using sparingly. I used pumpkin for this smoothie recipe and then made pumpkin muffins to spread the good word of pumpkin-everything.

Almond milk, vanilla protein powder, canned pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg are blended together in a blender. This makes a nice orange color, very pumpkiny, but I then added avocado to thicken it up. I also usually add spinach so it turned out a little green.

Poured into a bowl, I added a row of walnuts and chia seeds. From my Instagram research, it's apparently the cool thing to do to line up your toppings like a rainbow of flavor. For actually eating it though, I mixed it all together.

And it really wasn't that strange! The thickness of the shake and the crunch of the walnuts made it feel more like something you would eat out of a bowl.

Recipe

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 scoops vanilla protein (I prefer Arbonne plant protein)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• Walnuts, chia seeds for topping (optional)

1. Blend everything but the walnuts and chia seeds in a blender until smooth.
2. Pour into a bowl
3. Top with walnuts and chia seeds (or other nuts and seeds). If you're on the go or don't want to eat a smoothie out of a bowl, you can add the chia seeds and other add-ins straight to the blender.

Cherry Chocolate Shake

I am not exactly what you would call a 'morning person'. I get this from my mom, neither of us are very functional when we first wake up. For her, she needs about three cups of coffee to carry on a conversation. For me, I just need a little bit of time and some food.

Unfortunately, brain power is needed to make breakfast so except on weekends when I lay in bed for awhile first, I zombie to the kitchen for a quick breakfast solution. In high school, this meant a bowl of cereal or some Eggo waffles. Now, it's for a shake I've prepared the night before.

 

Okay, yes, technically, this is a protein shake but don't run away! It's not a hulk out muscle protein shake, it's basically an excuse to have a faux-milkshake for breakfast! I've seen these called freakshakes as well and I think that's also exciting.

Usually, I make this the night before which allows the shake to become nice and thick. But it's so simple, you could easily make it half-awake in the morning. Simply blend coconut milk (which is slightly sweeter than almond milk), pitted cherries (maybe pit them when fully conscious), chocolate protein powder and avocado. You can't taste the avocado but it makes the shake thick just like a milk shake. Frozen bananas have a similar effect. I also add spinach, as long as you blend it for a good minute, you can't tell there's spinach in there as it doesn't add taste, just greens!

 

 My go-to protein is from Arbonne and is entirely plant based. I've tried other plant-based protein powders and they do not taste nearly as good. They also have a vanilla protein powder, more recipes with that to come!

Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or almond milk)
• 1/2 cup cherries (pitted)
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 scoops Arbonne chocolate protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)
• Handful of spinach (if desired)

1.  Add ingredients to a blender. I usually add the milk first, then powder followed by spinach, avocado and fruit. If using a ninja-like blender, I put the solids closer to the blade so everything is blended smoothly.
2. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate overnight for extra thickness.
3. Enjoy in the AM, straight outta bed. 

Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Breaking news: breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It's also the most delicious! Okay, neither of these are ground-breaking headlines BUT they're super true. Sweet breakfast is my favorite: waffles, pancakes, french toast, donuts, muffins, scones. Oh look at that, I've made them all (and a lotta pumpkin)!

But realistically, I can't eat these things for breakfast every day for an abundance of reasons. First and foremost, because of time constraints. Secondly, and probably more importantly, I would be a thousand pounds if I ate what I want at all times.

So I've come up with alternatives for breakfast. Generally speaking, I don't believe a liquid diet is sustainable or that a juice is a meal, even if I did juice for dinner this week. However, if I can trick my body into thinking it's having a milkshake for breakfast, we're in business. For my birthday, a friend gave me the Oh She Glows cookbook. Another blog to check out! There are some very tasty recipes in here but naturally I tried the chocolate one first.

Gradually, I've hidden more and more tasty things in these smoothies. Avocados make this extra creamy and like I'm eating actual ice cream. But the spinach gets hidden (save for a few green flecks) beneath a tiny amount of cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder (optional). I even added some berries in recent weeks.

Everything is blended until smooth. If you prefer a more velvety texture, use half an avocado. Otherwise, a frozen banana will suffice.

Recipe

• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I usually use almond milk)
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional)
• 1/2 an avocado (or 1/2 a frozen banana)
• Handful of berries, dried dates or frozen fruit of your choosing for added sweetness 
• Chia seeds if you feel so inclined 

1. Blend everything together.
2. Serve and enjoy! Super simple.