The Endurance ~ Ultimate Berry Protein Smoothie

Sooo, I’ve not only been on the hunt for the perfect protein powder (cause let me tell ya it’s not so simple), but the perfect protein smoothie. It’s really tricky to find protein powders that “fit my criteria”. It’s gotta be gluten-free, plant-based (I rarely consume animal protein), free of carageenan, sugar alcohol & grains, organic, non-gmo and have a reasonable serving size! I know, it’s a lot but a protein powder can either make or break your day if that’s what you start the day with! It’s also difficult to blend the perfect protein smoothie, depending on the powder or mix you choose. Some are too grainy, some are too liquidy, it truly all depends on the texture of the powder and the taste of course. I’ve had some protein powders make me nauseous!

But, if you know me, you know my ALL-TIME HOLY GRAIL protein powder of choice. If you are a Holistic Hero virgin, then let me introduce you to the protein that makes my world go round! And that my friends, is SUNWARRIOR!

No, again this isn’t some AD, it’s my attempt to share with you, what works for me and the quality of this brand because I want to help enrich your LIFE 🙂 You may have seen me mention Sunwarrior in a few of my recipes, like the Plant-Based collagen protein I used my Pina Colada Protein Smoothie. I mean seriously!? I had never seen a PLANT BASED collagen before! But my newest obsession goes back to their basics, the “Warrior Blend”.

I discovered the Sunwarrior Berry and it totally ROCKED MY WORLD! The texture, taste & ingredients = perfection

It’s loaded with all the right kinds of amino acids, is a one scoop serving, and uses a special proprietary protein blend consisting of fermented pea protein, hemp protein & goji berry all of which is organic too! None of that yucky common brown rice protein. Not to mention the flavor (it’s almost better than their vanilla and I’m a vanilla freak!). It’s also relatively low in carbohydrates & calories and has ZERO SUGAR as it’s stevia sweetened.

So into the kitchen for this gal & I whipped up the PERFECT protein blend, designed for ENDURANCE, to sustain me as long as possible, while creating a creamy, dreamy smoothie 🙂 The basics of this smoothie are frozen fruit (half a banana and a few cherries), almond butta, green banana flour, ester C (vitamin C) powder, Sunwarrior protein powder & plant milk. Yeah! It’s pretty simple & the beauty is you can mix and match your fruit or plant milk of choice!

Now, frozen fruit in particular helps create that creaminess and chill. I use almond butter as a fat or choice to help sustain me and feed my brain (especially in the morning or post-workout). Now, the most important ingredient in this recipe aside from the protein powder is the green banana flour. You may have heard of it, but its a fantastic source of RESISTANT STARCH, is high zinc, magnesium & manganese (yes Lymie’s you heard me!). Another great quality is that it helps lower cholesterol an actually AIDES in muscle & nerve activity (so great for pre or post workouts). It doesn’t really alter the taste of smoothies, moreso makes the texture smoother. I also noticed that EVERY time I add it to smoothies, I’m sustained MUCH longer, no joke and I just feel goof & energetic for a while.

So folks, I whip up this baby in under 5 minutes, and if you become as obsessed as I am with Sunwarriors variety of protein blends, then another great option is to mix it in plant milk as is. I’m obsessed with Blender Bottle, which is basically an on-the-go blender using a whisk ball to separate or blend protein powders in a liquid. It’s a wonderful concept, and might I add that I’m slightly obsessed with the DC/Marvel ones! I’m looking forward to creating a custom Holistic Hero one that i’ll share over on the gram soon!