Pineapple Kale Protein Smoothie

We have a newly minted vegetarian in our house. My oldest, Isabelle, stopped eating meat and poultry a few months back. Although she is a big animal lover and certainly cares for the planet, these weren’t the driving factors in her dietary decision making. This wasn’t a political statement; she’s just not that crazy about meat and was happy to take it off her plate.

Adjusting to this dietary change has been relatively seamless. The majority of our meals don’t center around animal protein to begin with. Plus, I enjoy the creative challenge of making sure she’s well nourished on the nights when meat is on the menu for the rest of us.

But I’ve found myself in worry mode lately over the meals she eats when I’m not at the helm of the stove. She’s an independent teenager who often makes her own breakfast and lunch. While she takes in plenty of fruits and vegetables, she can easily arrive at the dinner table having eaten barely a lick of protein all day, particularly since she’s not all that big on dairy foods or eggs.

So when online retailer PureFormulas approached me about creating a smoothie using their Essential Pea Protein, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The protein powder is entirely plant based, derived from yellow peas. This makes it suitable for vegetarians of every stripe, vegans, and those sensitive to dairy,  soy, and eggs (common sources for protein powder). Whirled together with fruit, leafy greens, and the milk of your choice, this Pineapple Kale Protein Smoothie is a sweet creamy drink that’s just right for my newly minted vegetarian, or anyone looking for a quick breakfast with a protein punch.

One side note: since we’re talking vegetarian here, PureFormulas has an online tool kit for adopting a vegetarian lifestyle with loads of advice for meatless newcomers. 

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Pineapple Kale Protein Smoothie

This creamy smoothie packs in several servings of fruits and vegetables, and when made with cow's milk or soy milk, a hefty serving of protein too. The result? A breakfast drink that will send you off well nourished into your day.

Servings 1 large or 2 small smoothies

Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk (cow's milk or favorite plant milk)
• 1 cup cut frozen pineapple (fresh works too, it will just be a thinner consistency)
• 1/2 ripe, frozen banana, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder, such as Pure Formulas Pea Protein (optional)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped kale or spinach, tough stems removed

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients into the blender in the order listed. Blend until creamy and smooth.