Our days start around 5:30 here for Todd; I am up with Kash about 6 and running around trying to get Eliza ready for school at 9. By the time 9:15 rolls around I am usually ravenous and borderline hangry. You know when you pass over hungry and are verging on angry? Everyone else has been fed, gotten dressed for the day, loaded the sink full of dishes, and I am left standing there wondering what to make for myself before I get started with my day. Lately, my go-to breakfast has been this vegan chocolate protein smoothie because smoothies are pretty much one of my favorite things to whip up for myself after a morning of frantically running around.
My days aren't structured at all with an almost 3 year old running around the house with me. I can go from washing dishes, to building forts in a matter of minutes. I usually type up my blog posts while he is sitting down for his daily dose of gluten free pancakes and watching his daily episode of Finding Bigfoot while simultaneously practicing his big foot calls. Then he and I usually read a few books, we cuddle while I answer comments and update Beard and Bonnet's social media sites, and we almost always fit in a session of bubble blowing while waiting on food to cook. I mention our daily routine because as you can tell, I rarely have a chance to actually sit at all so having a smoothie like this one that I can cart around the house with me keeps me fueled, energized, and happy!
If you have never opened a young coconut before you may be slightly intimidated by the process, but I assure you it isn't hard at all. I learned everything I needed to know by reading this tutorial from Kelly, The Spunky Coconut. I usually open one or two at a time, wrapping the coconut meat up in individual servings and storing the coconut water in a jar in the fridge for drinking later.
What is your go-to breakfast smoothie?
Vegan Chocolate Protein Smoothie (Gluten Free)
- Yield: 1 large smoothie 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- Meat from 1 young coconut
- 2 frozen bananas, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon toasted carob powder
- 1 heaping tablespoon hemp protein powder,
- ¼ cup gluten free,vegan mini-chocolate chips
- Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon hemp hearts
- 1 teaspoon gluten free,vegan mini-chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a high powered blender combine the almond milk, coconut meat, bananas, carob powder, hemp protein powder, and ¼ cup of the chocolate chips. Blend on high until smooth. Add more almond milk for a thinner smoothie, if desired.
- Sprinkle the extra teaspoon of chocolate chips and the hemp hearts on top.
Candy says
Wow! This was amazing! I didn't have any hemp products in my cupboards so I used chia seeds instead of hemp seeds and chocolate pea protein powder...of course I also used up all my Enjoy Life mini choco chips yesterday so I used cacao nibs instead....Awesomness! thank you!
Meg says
I am so glad you liked it Candy! 🙂
Brittany says
Stalking all your smoothie recipes today! 🙂 Love the looks of this one.
Also, we have these cups too! I love how they look but I kind of hate the little lip they have on them. I only use them when most of the dishes are dirty and they're the only glasses left. haha.
Meg says
Haha! I love that you are stalking my smoothies:) Oh those cups, they are just dreadful to drink out of. A friend gave me one tall one and one short one to use as props, so I only have to drink from them when I use them in a picture. Phew!
Megan says
I would have a chocolate smoothie every day, except that I've learned I need to rotate my foods. My chocolate smoothie consists of homemade brown rice milk,one avocado, Balinese organic cacao powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, and then sometimes I'll throw in a spoonful of hemp powder, or almond meal, or sunbutter. When I deprive myself of my chocolate smoothies, it's either a banana/strawberry rice milk combo or a pumpkin or sweet potato/ginger/turmeric/cinnamon rice milk one, with some sort of protein like hemp or nut butter added. But I'm always happiest during the weeks with the avocado/chocolate smoothies; maybe it's all that magnesium!
Meg says
Thanks so much. Chocolate smoothies are my thing!! I cannot get enough of them lately...although the smoothie shop that I frequent did just come up with a snickerdoodle one that I have been obsessing over. I love hearing about your smoothies too, I am going to have to give the sweet potato, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon rice milk one a try. YUM!
Liz@LamentingLizzie says
Wow, this looks delicious. Previously, my favorite breakfast smoothie has been this one on the BLDG 25 Blog! http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/02/happy-foods-chocolate-peanut-butter-banana-smoothie-recipe/ I can't wait to try yours though. 🙂
http://lamentinglizzie.blogspot.com/
Meg says
That smoothie does sound delicious!! I love the Free People blog, it is a hopeless addiction for me:) I am so glad you found us here at B&B 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
I like starting my day with a smoothie as well, usually one with lots of greens thrown in but I could be swayed to do a chocolate one instead...
Meg says
Haha! Sylvie, I am a sucker for chocolate. It wins me over every time:)