If you enjoy sipping your fruits and greens but want the added benefit of protein, this is the smoothie for you!  It’s a perfect drink after lifting weights, following a tough workout, or for anytime you need a protein boost.  Most protein powders out there have artificial sweeteners and strange ingredients concocted in laboratories, so I go with the purest ones I can find.  I used to get Harmonized Protein, which contains milk from cattle raised without hormones and touts itself as “the cleanest protein possible.”  It’s sweetened with stevia and has natural vanilla flavoring.  For those of you who are vegetarian/vegan, can’t ingest milk, or who are looking for an even more natural option, try Raw Protein.  This is the one I’m using now.   Its protein comes entirely from organic raw sprouted brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat, and flax and chia seeds, just to name a few.  It has a raw pro-biotic/enzyme blend and provides 18 grams of protein per scoop.  No artificial anything in here, which is awesome.  The taste of the powder, however, is not.  Take my word for it, don’t try to mix this only with water.  But throw in a banana or some tropical fruit, and your taste buds will appreciate the effort.

Recipe

Makes 1 large serving

1 cup coconut water

1  scoop protein powder – If you are using more than one scoop of protein powder, add more coconut or filtered water

couple of fresh strawberries

2-4 collard green leaves with stalk

big handful fresh parsley

handful frozen pineapple and/or mango

1 cup ice cubes

Add ingredients in the order listed.  If your fruit is fresh, add toward the beginning; if it’s frozen, add before ice cubes. Blend until smooth, about 45 seconds in a powerful blender.

How do you power up your smoothies?