Berrilicious Protein Smoothie

The weight management aisle of many grocery and drug stores carry a varied selection of protein, meal replacement and weight loss drinks.  I am not a fan of these drinks for a number of reasons.  Unless there is a medical reason for needing to use these types of drinks, I feel they are best substituted with a homemade version.  Homemade fruit smoothies and shakes have been fairly common for quite some time.  Smoothies are made in a blender so unlike the mixed fruit and vegetable juices from a juicer, retain their fibre content.  Fibre is beneficial for weight loss.  These drinks are an excellent way to get your recommended daily requirements of fruits and vegetables in one convenient drink.  Some folks enjoy a smoothie daily for breakfast while others enjoy them more often.

I have noticed two things since joining My Fitness Pal.  First, protein is recommended after a work-out to help maintain lean body mass during weight loss and build muscle during bulking.  Protein keeps you feeling full longer which also aids in weight loss.  Second, there is a strong reliance on smoothies for weight loss.  I also noticed that many fruit smoothies have high caloric values something not necessarily conducive to losing weight. 

We do not have smoothies on a regular basis.  I have been experimenting with smoothies to help increase my protein intake after my morning work-outs.  I am not relying solely on the smoothies though because they are only 6 oz keeping the calories low yet the protein high.  This works well for me in combination with nuts and cheese.  I use metric units to make calculating the caloric value of the smoothie for tracking purposes and to make replication easy. 

Berrilicious Protein Smoothie
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

250 ml almond milk
35 g mixed berries (I used 21 g raspberries and 14 g blueberries)
20 g Body Fortress 100% Whey protein powder, Vanilla Creme
3 g Life Clearly Fibre*
50 g banana

Place ingredients in blender.  Blend until smooth.  Serve

Yield: 2 servings, 170.4 ml (6 oz)

Nutritional value per serving: 105 cal, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat,8 g protein, 101 mg sodium, 3 g fibre

*Life Clearly Fibre is a fibre dietary supplement with folate and B vitamins, 10 cal, 32 g fibre (inulin)  per rounded teaspoon (3.2 g) serving.  It can be added to beverages or soft foods to increase the fibre content.