Chocolate Peanut Butter Lovers Smoothie – Protein Packed

Folks, it happened…the heat wave.

But with it came freezing rain & flood warnings. When you have feet of snow piled up, and storm drains covered with snow, where’s the wet snow to go? When it warms up to 40 degrees, after being in the single digits for nearly a month and snow accumulating, it’s kind of a bad thing.

I can do snow. I don’t mind driving in snow, but I hate freezing rain. It’s the worst and scary to be out in. I can’t complain about the 25 degree afternoon run I had yesterday, nor the nearly 40 degree day today. Running in rain with snow packed roads, no bueno though. And a river of water just isn’t fun. We do need the moisture though.

I don’t know what it is, but being stuck inside and the bitter cold weather this year, has me eating like crazy. I typically want something warm, or at least holding a warm drink at all times. In the other hand I just want cold smoothies and protein shakes. Even iced coffee has been craved. So, smoothies have been made many times this winter. It’s the making of the smoothies I don’t like. My fingers are already numb and making smoothies can be painful, but worth it.

Everyone has to have a chocolate peanut butter fix. This has been my go to smoothie for weeks. I have it any time of day and love that it’s loaded with protein and healthy greens, while tasting amazing and helping my recovery post run.

There isn’t much to this smoothie. I am more adding it to help me remember the smoothie combinations I like. I was going through my smoothie recipes and found some I hadn’t made in a while and now I have been craving some different combinations. This being one of them. It’s an easy smoothie with banana, peanut butter, chocolate protein, and Barleans chocolate greens. I also add a little cinnamon at times or ground flaxseed.

Chocolate and peanut butter help me satisfy most any cravings, and when sugar is ditched there’s been many. I like having simple protein shakes my daughter will enjoy as well and I know there isn’t any added sugars and empty calories. So many of the shakes at smoothie joints and the gym have so much added sugar. They add syrups to many of their drinks, and to me this is just wrong. I hate that those trying to lose weight think that by having a smoothie at the smoothie bar at their gym is good for them, especially when adding all the boosters. In reality, the sugar defeats their entire purpose!! Why not use real fruit to sweeten your protein shake? Their workout is jeopardized and the weight staying on. Maybe the gyms like job security.

Enough of my rant, here’s the simple recipe, more for me than for you, but please do enjoy!!

I also like to add cacao bits at times. These are nutritious, but have a very bitter taste. Make sure to blend well if you add them. I like the chocolatey flavor they lend.

These smoothie joints remind me of Facebook. A friend posted how Facebook is more like FakeBook and it’s so true. The smoothie joints portrays themselves as healthy, but when you ask for the ingredients, you find out that syrups are added, with loads of sugar. Also, the proteins used can have fillers and additives. So really you think you are being healthy, but the “healthy” look of a smoothie is fake. It’s load with empty calories. Facebook is much the same. People oversharing on their so called joyous lives and pretending their lives are much better than they really are. Most of these people are living a much different life behind closed doors.

It’s sad. I don’t know why I felt the need to share this. I think authenticity is pretty and needed in this world. Real people being real, eating real food!! Real people, real food…..now that is healthy!!

Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit