Banana Tahini Smoothie

I know what you are thinking.

Tahini?  In a smoothie?

Sounds weird.  I mean, when I think of tahini, I'm thinking hummus.  I'm thinking savory.

But not a smoothie.

However, I saw @thymeandtoast on Instagram putting tahini in smoothies and raving so I was like, ok, why not give it a shot?

So, on this snowy day (which equaled a snow day from work for me!), after my workout, I totally wanted a smoothie.  I had tahini so I figured, what better day to experiment?

The result was a super creamy smoothie that wasn't overly sweet and had hints of savory.  Suffice to say, I'm obsessed.

(Real talk - ignore the nails - they are recovering from weeks of gels.  Seriously, I need a manicure!)

I topped mine with a sprinkle of the Trader Joe's Super Seed Blend which I'm legit obsessed with.  Perfect topping for smoothies or a mix-in for yogurt!

Banana Tahini Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop Vital Proteins collagen peptides (optional)

Combine and blend!  Top with whatever you like!

Pina Colada Smoothie

Is it just me, or does anyone else automatically hum that song when you hear "pina colada"?

Let's face it, it's one of my favorite drinks (although not the healthiest), so this was my attempt at making it healthier.  Also, minus the rum, obviously.

For this, I used Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder, but you could use any protein powder of your choice!

Pina Colada Smoothie

Serves 1

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond cashew milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1/2 frozen banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tbsp. unsweetened coconut (2 tsp. in the smoothie, 1 tsp. as garnish)

Combine ingredients in blender - save 1 tsp. of coconut for the top! 

Coconut Mocha Smoothie

Remember Mounds bars?  I wasn't into Almond Joy because frankly, I didn't feel like a nut.  But chocolate and coconut was my jam.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a coffee junkie.  Give me all the coffee, all the time.  I have cut down in recent years, but if I can find a way to sneak coffee into just about anything,  I will.

This smoothie was born of my love for those three things, in addition to my lack of food shopping.  See, when I was getting ready for the next morning, I realized I had just about run out of unsweetened almond milk.  And it was late enough that the store wasn't happening.

Perusing my pantry, I found a can of coconut milk.  I didn't want to use the whole thing in my smoothie (well, I did, but realized that would make the smoothie a calorie bomb), so I figured I would have to improvise.  I thought about water but figured that would dilute flavor.

And then my eyes fell on my K-cups.  Why not?  Coconut, chocolate and coffee?  Sold.

I used vanilla protein powder for this (Quest is my favorite!) but only because I didn't have chocolate (FYI - totally trying it with chocolate and soon as Amazon delivers it!)  The cocoa definitely added enough of a chocolate kick though!

Coconut Mocha Smoothie
Serves 1 - 4 Smartpoints

2 tbsp. full fat coconut milk 
10 oz cold coffee 
1/4 cup unsweetened almond cashew milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Blend all (except coconut flakes) until creamy.  Top with coconut flakes and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Yes, it's yet more pumpkin.  But I can't help it.  I'm addicted.

This is a delicious and healthy smoothie that's like fall in a cup.   It also features one of my favorite tricks - using half a frozen banana instead of ice.  Makes the smoothie super thick and creamy.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
(serves 1)

1 1/2 cups milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond cashew)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice

Blend and enjoy!

Sunshine Smoothie

I am a big fan of the smoothie.  It's quick, easy, and when you make it at home and can control the ingredients, it's delicious.

I do have a small blender, but for this bad boy I used my Ninja because I had some whole fruits and wanted a really high quality blender to do the work.  As a word of warning, the smoothie itself wasn't completely smooth, but it was definitely enjoyable!

This smoothie is bright and citrusy and perfect for summer (or when you need a summer boost in the dead of winter!).

As a tip, whenever I use bananas in my smoothies, I use frozen ones.  It eliminates the need for ice and it makes the smoothie super thick and creamy!

Sunshine Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/2 seedless orange, peeled and sectioned
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 small container 0% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

Throw all the ingredients in blender and mix until smooth!