A Quick Breakfast Protein Shake
We love making smoothies in the morning for a quick on the go breakfast option. Mila especially will always request a smoothie. Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly smoothie ideas here and here. Lately I’ve taken to making my own breakfast smoothie or shake rather that packs a little more of a punch. I like adding protein powder, oats, almond butter and a banana to make it more filling. I add a date for some sweetness and a few other things that offer a great nutrient boost. Sometimes instead of breakfast I’ll blend this up after I work out.
A Quick Breakfast Protein Shake
What I Use - 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (chocolate flavor works well here too!), 1 scoop of collagen powder, 1/2 a banana (frozen), 1 date, 1 tablespoon of almond butter (or peanut butter), 1/4 cup of oats, 1 cup of ice, 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of bee pollen.
What I Do - I add all the ingredients above into a blender and blend until thick and smooth. I like to sprinkle the chia seeds and bee pollen on top of my smoothie for a subtle crunch, but you can just blend them up with the other ingredients too. If the shake is too thin then you can add a bit more ice to thicken it up. It the shake is too thick then you can add a bit more almond milk to loosen it up. TIP - Buy a bunch of bananas, peel them and cut them in half. Then store them in an air tight container in the freezer. This way you always have frozen bananas on hand for smoothies. Using frozen fruit helps give your smoothies and shakes a nice thick texture. Below I’ve linked to my favorite brands and what I use in my home everyday. (Non of these links are sponsored or affiliated in any way)
Almond Milk - We love this almond milk because it taste the best! It goes great with cereal and I bake/cook with it as well. Make sure when buying almond milk to get the unsweetened original flavors. Almond milks sweetened with vanilla or ‘unsweetened vanilla’ tend to be overly sweet and have added sugars you don’t need.
Protein Powder - If protein powder isn’t for you, you can skip this part. The shake is plenty packed with out it. However I love this brand of protein powder and it offers a great taste. If you work out or are swapping this shake with an actual meal then adding a protein powder may be a good idea. Always look at the ingredients to make sure it works for you and if you are still unsure, check with your doctor!
Collagen Powder - I jumped on the collagen bandwagon exactly a year ago and have been using it pretty regularly every since. I started adding a scoop into my coffee every morning and then opted to add it into my shakes. Either way it is pretty great! This brand is the only one I’ve ever tried. I like that it dissolves so easily into hot or cold liquids and has zero taste. I can honestly say that my hair, skin and nails have never been more strong. I started using this collagen powder in the first place because of my hair. I’ve lost so much of it since having babies. The collagen powder has made my hair more strong and it is slowly starting to grow back.
Chia Seeds + Bee Pollen - I blame my mom for these. She used to make us smoothies when we were little and use these. When I was young we thought it was so weird and chalked it up to my mom being a health nut. Though now I love the benefits of both of these. If I don’t have these in my shakes I like to add them to my oatmeal or pancakes.
Photos by Lily Ro Photography
