Pumpkin Smoothie

After getting engaged I quickly became a gym rat to get in shape.  Chris joined me and before I knew it we were going to the gym everyday and addicted to their protein smoothies.  At over $5 each this got expensive really fast!  So we registered for a Cuisinart Smoothie Blender and luckily received it at the first shower.  I’ve been making us smoothies for every workout since.  Not only has it saved us a bundle, we think they taste better than the ones we were buying at the gym.  Plus I know the quality of ingredients going into them so there is no question that they are healthy.  In the spirit of All Things Fall, here is my Pumpkin Smoothie recipe!

Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ cup Kefir (you can substitute plain Greek yogurt here)

¾ cup Milk

½ TBS Chia seeds

1 TBS Flax seeds

2 TBS Chocolate Hemp Protein Powder (we get ours at Trader Joes)

½ cup Pumpkin Puree

¼ tsp Cinnamon

3-4 Ice cubs

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree. You may find it is too thick, if so add a bit more milk.  If you missed my post on how to make your own Pumpkin Puree check it out!

Ready to go in the blender

Blended and ready to drink!

If pumpkin isn’t for you try switching it out with your favorite fruits.  I like blueberry, or strawberry and Chris likes banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Never heard of Kefir, Chia seeds or Hemp protein?  Here is a little insight into why we like these ingredients.

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk.  Including fermented foods in your diet is essential for good digestion.  You know all those commercials for yogurt that can aid in digestion?  Well Kefir has the same probiotics as yogurt but three times as much!   It actually helps your body digest lactose, so those of you who find that dairy doesn’t agree with you may find adding Kefir to your diet regularly could help with this problem.  A word of caution when buying Kefir.  I was shocked to see some of the ingredients in the Kefir we were buying.  Read the labels before buying, but I stick with plain Kefir because I’ve found the flavored ones to be full of sugar and food dyes.

Chia Seeds

Yes these are the exact same seeds you get with a Chia pet! They are rich is Omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, protein, rare antioxidants, fiber and have shown to reduce blood pressure. If you put them in water they will form a gel.  Research has shown that this reaction in your stomach could help slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar. We found them in the bulk bin section of our grocery store.  You can usually find them prepackaged in the heath food section of your store, or online.

Hemp Protein

Many of you may use whey protein.  Most whey protein powders are full of all sorts of other junk, and require you to use a lot more to get the same amount of protein.  Hemp protein is derived from a plant vs. dairy making it much easier for your body to digest (ie. no bloating or other bad side effects).  It is also full of fiber.  I personally think it tastes better too.