Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

It is funny how certain cravings just strike you out of the blue. Strawberries and bananas have never been a favorite flavor of mine. It might not even make the top 25 flavors I like, but for some reason it sounded really good today. Luckily, it tasted really good as well! I always have frozen bananas (because they get too ripe before we eat them) and strawberries (from when they are in season and super-cheap) on hand, but if you only have fresh you can just toss in some ice cubes to make the smoothie thicker. I added one scoop of protein powder, but you can add more if desired. As is usual, this made much more than I had anticipated, but you can easily halve it. I froze the remaining and just microwaved it on low for 30 seconds for a super-frosty smoothie that was even better than the one I drank fresh out of the blender. I used soy milk, but you can use whatever milk you prefer.

½ medium frozen banana (50 calories, .75 grams protein)
1 cup frozen sliced strawberries (77 calories, 1 gram protein)
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (120 calories, 21.25 grams protein)
1/2 cup regular or low fat milk or soy milk (for testing I used low fat soy milk) (35 calories, 3 grams protein)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (100 calories, 20 grams protein)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Makes 2 servings.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

382 calories and 44.25 grams protein total.
191 calories and 22.13 grams protein per serving.

Fresh Lime-Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

Fresh Lime-Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie

Cool and refreshing, this is the perfect summer smoothie! I have made it three times over the last few days since it is insanely hot here and I just could not face my normal hot protein drink for breakfast. I did use fresh limes to make these, but you can probably use bottled lime juice – but the fresh juice and zest will make for a better smoothie. I plan on making these at least somewhat frequently so I made ice cubes from the juice and zest so I can make this even faster by just popping two of them into the blender and reducing the amount of normal ice cubes. You can also use a higher fat yogurt and your favorite milk if you prefer – and can also add more protein powder or omit it entirely.

4-5 ice cubes
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (120 calories, 21.25 grams protein)
1/2 cup regular or low fat milk or soy milk (for testing I used low fat soy milk) (35 calories, 2 grams protein)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (50 calories, 10 grams protein)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Juice and freshly grated zest of ½ lime (10 calories)
Dash salt

Add the ice cubes to a blender or food processor and whirl until the ice cubes are crushed. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour into a glass and serve chilled.

Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

215 calories, 33.25 grams protein

Mixed Berry Smoothie

I don't use a lot of regular milk in my recipes, so I almost always use powdered non-fat milk and water, but you could use 1 cup of skim milk or skim milk plus instead. I make this, along with most of my single-serving smoothies and shakes, in my Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid since I can just mix it and drink from the same container which means less dishes, but any blender or small food processor will work just fine. I used calorie-free liquid sweeteners, but you can use your favorite artificial sweetener if you prefer (about 2 tablespoons granular or 2 packets) plus 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. If you do not have frozen berries, you can use fresh berries plus additional ice cubes. To make sure the smoothie is not too diluted you can just put the ice cubes in a one cup measuring cup and then add enough water to measure one cup.

1/2 cup frozen no sugar added mixed berries (35 calories, .5 grams protein)
2 ice cubes
1 cup water
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder (45 calories, 4.5g protein)
4 drops liquid Sucralose
2 drops Lemon Stevia
1/2 scoop unflavored or vanilla protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (100 calories, 20g protein)

Combine the ice and berries in the blender and pulse until finely chopped/crushed. Add the water, dry milk powder, sweeteners, and protein powder and blend until smooth. Add more water, if desired, for a thinner smoothie. Serve immediately.

Makes one serving.

180 calories, 25 grams protein

Mango Protein Smoothie

This was breakfast this morning and was surprisingly good. I used plain protein powder, but next time I will try mango-flavored protein powder. And I will experiment with other fruit as well. I had frozen mango chunks in the freezer, but you could also use fresh mango if you prefer. I used powdered non-fat milk and water, but you could use 1/2 cup of skim milk instead. I have experimented with cottage cheese in other fruit smoothies with mixed results, but it does work with mango really well, and you don't get a strong cottage cheese or protein powder flavor. The key with using cottage cheese when making shakes and smoothies is to thoroughly blend the mixture so you do not get any larger pieces of cottage cheese. I make this, along with most of my single-serving smoothies in my Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid since I can just mix it and drink from the same container which means less dishes. Because of the small size I suggest adding the ingredients in the order listed, but if you are using a bigger blender you can just toss everything in together and blend until smooth. I tried a quarter of the recipe as is (good), a quarter with cinnamon (OK, but not great), a quarter with vanilla (good), and the last bit with a mix of cardamom and ginger (my personal favorite, but probably not to most people's taste.) This is not a very sweet smoothie, so if you would prefer something sweeter you can add some artificial sweetener or sugar free mango syrup. If you do not have frozen mangoes, you can use fresh berries plus additional ice cubes. To make sure the smoothie is not too diluted you can just put the ice cubes in a one cup measuring cup and then add enough water to measure one cup.


1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup frozen mango (46 calories, 0g protein)
1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese (26 calories, 4g protein)
1 1/2 tablespoons non-fat dry milk powder (45 calories, 4.5g protein)
1/2 scoop unflavored protein powder (for testing purposes we used 1 scoop (22 grams) which is equivalent to a 1/2 scoop of other protein powders) Syntrax Nectar Medical Unflavored Protein Powder (80 calories, 20g protein)
1/2 cup water

Combine the ice and mango in the blender and pulse until finely chopped/crushed. Add the cottage cheese, dry milk powder, and protein powder and blend until smooth. Slowly add the water while blending until smooth, adding more water if desired for a thinner smoothie.

Makes one 12-ounce smoothie.
197 calories, 28.5 grams protein

Green Goddess Dip

Green Goddess Dip

I honestly do not know anyone who does not like this simple dip. Here is a simple and easy recipe that works great with every fresh vegetables, can be made ahead of time, and stores well for up to five days. You can use higher fat cream cheese, milk, and yogurt if you like, but this is one recipe that I actually prefer to be lower in fat because the flavor of the herbs really sings! You do need to use fresh herbs, but can use all chives or all parsley if needed. I use soy milk for testing, but you can use regular milk, reconstituted powdered non-fat milk , almond, rice milk, or even fat free half and half. Anyone who reads this blog knows how often I slip protein powder into well, everything, and this recipe is another one that masks the taste of unflavored protein powder really well and allows you to really make a protein-packed dip. I will add two scoops of unflavored powder to the whole recipe for 8 grams of protein in each 2-tablespoon portion of dip, but you certainly can add less and still have a generous amount of protein.

8 ounces softened fat free cream cheese (240 calories, 32 grams protein)
½ cup skim milk (45 calories, 4 grams protein)
3 tablespoons minced scallions (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced or snipped fresh chives
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt (80 calories, 14.5 grams protein)

Combine the cream cheese and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, or until the cream cheese is all melted, mixing well each time. Add the herbs, then cool slightly. Mix in the yogurt, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Makes about 2 cups dip (16 2-tablespoon servings)

365 calories and 50.5 grams protein total
22.8 calories and 3.2 grams protein per serving

Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

This ice cream has a dark, rich, chocolate flavor and creamy consistency that I adore! I typically use the Chocolate Splendor protein powder by Unjury, but any chocolate protein powder that you like should work. You can use skim milk or low fat soy milk, but the ice cream will not be as rich and will be closer to ice milk in consistency. I use an ice cream maker for mine, but if you do not have one you can make it without an ice cream maker - it just will not be as creamy. And quite frankly, no where near as good! If you do not want to use an ice cream maker, make sure you mix it in a blender or with a mixer to get it light and fluffy and stir it every 20-30 minutes as it is freezing until it is too hard to stir. I use the Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa, but you can use any unsweetened cocoa you like. The Hershey's Dark unsweetened cocoa makes an even darker ice cream, but I like the flavor of the Ghiardelli better, personally. You can eat this right out of the ice cream maker for a very soft serve, place it in the freezer for a few minutes for a more traditional soft serve style, or for an hour for a hard ice cream. However, due to the lack of sugar this ice cream does become quite hard in the freezer due to the lack of sugar. You can take it out a little bit ahead of time to soften, or do so quickly by microwaving for 10-20 seconds at half power.

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Chocolate Splendor Whey Protein Powder (200 calories, 40 grams protein)
1 cup full fat vanilla or regular soy milk or 2% or regular milk (for testing we used soy milk) (131 calories, 8 grams of protein)
1 tablespoon Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa (15 calories, 1 gram protein)
2 packets Truvia or Splenda (or your favorite artificial sweetener) (5 calories)
2 tablespoons chocolate sugar free syrup (Torani or DaVinci)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Whisk together all of the ingredients well. Put the freezer bowl in the ice cream maker. Insert the beater and cover with the lid. Turn on the machine and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. After fifteen minutes, scape the sides of the bowl and turn back on and stir for another 10-15 minutes, or until the ice cream is soft-serve style. Spoon out with a soft spatula or spoon. Eat immediately, or place in freezer-safe containers.

Makes 4 servings.
12.25 grams of protein, 88 calories per serving