That's The Way We Get By: The Almond Smoothie

I want to avoid using the term "protein shake" in relation to the elimination diet, because it makes me think of Jersey Shore and Axe Body Spray and this guy (yikes!). But I do have to drink "protein shakes" (which will be called protein smoothies from this point forward) during this elimination diet in order to replace the protein I'm missing out on by cutting out dairy and meat.

Since this week is a straight up vegan week for me (no meat of any kind and no fish), the protein smoothies are now required with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Something about that feels excessive to me, so today I had one at breakfast and one at dinner. I'm not good at following directions. But I have found that a quarter-cup of pumpkin seeds contains about 18% of the protein we need daily. So I've been chomping away on those at practice in the afternoons.

I thought I'd share my favorite protein smoothie so far: the almond smoothie. It's simple, hearty, and not too sweet, which means that I can deal with drinking it twice a day for many, many days. Below is the recipe that fits the elimination diet, but, of course, you can alter any piece you'd like depending on your dietary needs.

Almond Smoothie

• 1 banana, broken into pieces
• 2 tbsp. almond butter
• 2 tbsp. brown rice powder (I use Jarrow)
• 2 tbsp. finely ground flax seed (you can find this at most grocery stores)
• Enough almond milk to cover the ingredients by about two inches (3/4 cup?)
• 4 ice cubes (optional, if you prefer colder smoothies)
  

1. Combine the ingredients in a blender. I like to put the powders in first instead of on top so that they don't puff all over the sides of the blender when I turn it on.

2. Turn the blender on, and blend the ingredients for about 1 minute. If you're me, use this minute to run into the bathroom to put on face cream or get dressed since you're already late for school.

3. Drink the protein smoothie, and be impressed. Then chug your green tea and haul ass to the car, which will be your tiny torture chamber as you sit waiting behind slow and lazy Virginia drivers at every green light.

It's really that simple. The almond smoothie has gotten me through every morning since I started the diet (all 8 of them...yeah...I'm tough), with no extra food needed until lunch.

T even liked it so much that he went back to the barracks and bragged to his friends, who, I'm sure, thanked their lucky stars that their girlfriends weren't on some weird diet kick.