Vegan Blueberry Protein Smoothie

I have a recurring need for a protein smoothie that I can combine with a big plate of salad to make a complete lunch. To make the smoothie vegan, the protein choices are basically rice or soy. I decided to give rice protein a try.

It took a couple of attempts to get something I liked, but I really like this. The first time I made it, I didn't use any agave syrup or anywhere near enough almond milk and ice. The result was chalky and decidedly unpleasant. But just a few tweaks were enough to completely change its personality for me. Like I say, I usually have this for lunch with a big salad like this one. I find the sweetness of the smoothie plays off the tanginess of the rice vinegar in my usual salad dressing, leaving my mouth happy with the contrast. Plus, depending on how you measure servings and how you make your salad, it's somewhere around five servings of fruits and vegetables in one meal. You can do much worse.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup blueberries

1 banana

1 scoop unflavoured rice protein powder (I used Precision—no this isn't sponsored, nobody paid me to say that!)

1 Tbl agave syrup

3 ice cubes

Directions

Like most smoothies, the biggest part of the job is getting all the ingredients in the same place as the blender. I always fill the sink with dishwater before I start making this lunch. Seems like less work to do the dishes as I go.

This Ninja does a really nice job—a little pulsing to start with to grind up the ice, then steady blending for 30 seconds or so.

Ahhh.

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Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2016