04 September 2012

Raspberry Vanilla Protein Smoothie: Smoothie of the Week

I decided to use my trusty Magic Bullet blender and our seldom-used Kitchen Aid Blender to make a new smoothie recipe each week. Perhaps some of it stemmed from my sister's constant use of her Vitamix blender, but mostly I think my pregnant tummy likes liquid snacks occasionally. Therefore, I hope to bring to you a Smoothie of the Week series. Hopefully we can get several weeks of new, easy smoothies to try. My main smoothie requirement is tasty, followed by easy. If I don't have those two qualifications in place, I skip over it!

Raspberry Vanilla Protein Smoothie

1.25 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (or any milk)
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries, frozen or fresh
1 scoop vanilla protein powder, brand of choice
1/4 of a freshly-scraped organic vanilla bean -or- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 stevia packet
1/8 cup of ice (less if you use frozen raspberries)

I find that protein powder doesn't mix well unless you add it after liquids. Add items in this order in your personal-sized blender: ice, milk, raspberries, protein powder, stevia, vanilla. Blend for 15-30 seconds for a delicious breakfast or mid-day snack.

This recipe isn't overly sweet. Fresh raspberries may yield sweeter results than frozen. Add stevia to taste, though if you prefer agave, honey or other sugar you can certainly substitute.