Ready for Breakfast!

Now that the hot weather here in Florida has come into full swing, my cravings for something cold have been tremendous! Of course I would love to reach into the freezer for a scoop or three of ice cream, but we all know that isn’t reality. To save my waistline and all of the added calories that I would consume from eating delicious frozen sweet treats, I decided to whip up a chilled protein smoothie.

I love protein smoothies and all of the crazy creations that you can make – just let your imagination go wild! Chocolate and coconut have always been a favorite of mine, so I decided to take the taste of a classic Almond Joy and make it into a healthy treat. For this smoothie, coconut oil was my main component for both flavor and an addition of healthy fats. I can’t preach enough how important it is to keep healthy fats in your diet, especially when it comes to a diet that may be lower in carbohydrates. You can choose any type of protein powder that you like and if you prefer a plant based protein powder – that will work just as good! Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1-2 cups ice

Directions

1. Place almond milk, protein powder, coconut oil, and cocoa powder into the blender.
2. Add ice and blend on high until all ingredients are fully combined.
3. Pour into a glass, top with coconut flakes and enjoy!

With this smoothie, you can also add instant coffee or a shot of espresso for an added energy boost! I also tend to add extra unsweetened coconut flakes to the smoothie for added flavor – so yummy. For more protein smoothie recipes, be sure to check out our bananas foster and avocado-nut smoothie recipes.

-Kayla