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The Morning Shake is a powerful tool if used effectively. It can save you time in having to make your breakfast. It can keep you full for a few hours. Also, if your stomach is like mine, solids in the morning are not always what my stomach can handle.
The Morning Shake and I, we got off to a rocky start. Too much Kale was involved. Then we thought we’d spice up the relationship with some Pineapple. One thing led to another and before we knew it, I was eating scrambled eggs again every morning and Morning Shake’s ingredients were slowly taking up room in my freezer.
Then with the help of my Shake Counselor (i.e. my girlfriend) I brought some more balance back to my shake. What you see before you is a variation of what I use every morning for my morning shake.
Some valuable morning shake components:
- Peeled Apples (while peeling off the skin does deprive you of valuable fiber and pectin, it will remove that harsh apple skin flavor and texture, too. The apple will help thicken up the shake)
- Frozen Strawberries (I just buy some organic strawberries from the store or get them from the Farm when they’re in season, from there you just clean them and freeze them in a ziplock for when you are ready)
- Frozen Mangoes (Same thing, I buy some mangoes from the grocery store, cut them and then freeze them in ziplocks)
- Frozen Kale/Spinach/Basically Any Leafy Green (This is how I use the enormous amounts of greens I receive from Friends and Farms. I wash them ahead of time, spin them in a salad spinner, and then I freeze them in ziplock bags. By doing that you can break the greens up into smaller chunks which you can then put into your shake)
- Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter Powder (Peanut Butter Powder is a great kitchen tool for when you just want the peanut butter flavor in your food, but use real peanut butter if you want the extra fat & protein)
- Roasted Flax Seed (I started incorporating this into the shakes lately and it really helps thicken up the shake while adding some valuable nutrients and an almost peanut-buttery taste)
- Milk – You can use almond, soy, whatever milk floats your boat. I am a fan of skim milk. It adds protein to the shake and helps everything mix together
- Protein Whey – I use Muscle Milk Light Chocolate Protein Whey, I am going to transition to a healthier version once this one runs out. I recommend Chocolate or Vanilla for your morning shakes. It tends to fit the flavor profile you generally crave in the mornings. Muscle Milk’s Whey has a pretty great flavor.
- *Optional* Dried Shredded Coconut – It adds some healthy nutrients to your shake and will add a great flavor
- *Optional* Banana – This will also add some body to your shake, but I realize some people can do without it. Substitute a diced peeled apple in place of a banana or vice versa.
Power Shake Ingredients
1 Handful of cut Strawberries
1 Banana
1 Handful of cut Mango
1 Handful of Frozen Kale
1 Tbsp of Roasted Flax Seed
1 Tbsp of Peanut Butter (I make my own, yes everyone can roll their eyes. The store bought stuff usually has lots of hydrogenated oils and I try to steer clear of them if I can)
1 Tbsp of Shredded Dried Coconut
1 Cup of Skim Milk (play this one by ear, and determine how full your shake container is)
1 Scoop of Protein Whey
Directions:
Use your Blender as you see fit. I have a Ninja. It Rules.
Enjoy!
