Your Wake Up and Feel Good Smoothie… with Coffee.

If you’re not a morning person or your Friday night was a late one (perhaps you spent the evening out with friends or stayed up most of the night working) then you might be quite the walking zombie today. You may find yourself dazed in the kitchen needing a kick-start to get you going, but a simple mug of coffee just won’t do it. 

This nutrient-packed coffee smoothie can be customized to whatever source of protein you have hanging around in the kitchen and offers a well-rounded boost of energy in conjunction with that morning dose of joe. 

Ingredients:

• Brewed coffee;
• 1 cup favorite milk;
• 2 TBSP chocolate powder;
• 1 scoop of protein powder (optional – chia seeds are also a great source of protein);
• 1 fresh or frozen banana;
• 1 TBSP peanut butter (or any of your favorite butter – almond butter would work perfectly as well);
• 1 tsp vanilla;
• A frozen vegetable such as kale or avocado for extra ‘green’ nutrients; and
• Shaved or cubed ice (especially if your banana isn’t frozen).

Instructions:

• Brew your coffee as you normally do each morning and set it in the freezer with a few ice cubes to bring it down to room temperature;
• Start with the wet ingredients (milk, coffee, peanut butter, vanilla) first and the ice and blend until the ice is in smaller chunks;
• Blend the rest of the dry ingredients making sure the banana and any other vegetables are broken up into blendable sizes. If you start at a lower speed, the ingredients are more likely to blend easier and then you can speed it up to make it smooth;
• Add more milk/coffee/ice to reach your desired consistency and to taste;
• Pour in your favorite mug with a reusable straw and you’re set to park yourself in front of Netflix for the next couple of hours or to head out for your morning workout (we won’t judge either way).