Green Smoothie with Almond Butter

This green smoothie with almond butter is a lifesaver. Most days I don’t want two, kale and spinach salads a day.  I don’t have time to make them and I like a little more variety in my life!  Saving time and making healthy food for my family are two of my top priorities when I consider our next week’s menu each Sunday afternoon.  I like to offer a lot of color on the plate.  When planning, I heavy the meal up with 2-3 fruits and veggies and I typically add an animal protein to my guy’s plate.  I am not vegetarian at all, but I have really been trying to have some plant-based meals 2-3 times a week.

Now, I do not always have time to make 3, full-blown meals a day so I have a quick, delicious, plant-based solution that takes about 3-5 minutes max.  When I run out the door to get the kids to school or teach a fitness class, I am often armed with a shake and I always carry a fresh cup of ice water!

Get the recipe

Here is the magical recipe that has been influenced by my love of smoothies and includes some of my all time favorite ingredients.  It is vegan, gmo-free, no additives including artificial colors or flavors and includes ingredients that are understandable and delicious.  This is how we should eat.

Blend in a Ninja or a standard blender:

• 3/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk
• 1 frozen organic banana (or room temperature banana with 3 ice cubes)
• 1 handful of organic baby kale and spinach mixture ( I like baby kale because it have a much softer leaf and much easier to digest.  It also blends well.)
• Fresh ground, organic almond butter or peanut butter (I allow the grocer to grind it for me because I have no time to make that happen in my kitchen, let’s be real.)
• 1 TBS of ground flax or chia Seeds
• Vegan protein mix

When I make this in the morning, my day is set up for success in terms of my nutrition.  For the rest of the day I choose for real, whole food nutrition.