If you're anything like me (bad luck) then you probably have a big soft spot for anything SMOOTHIE related. Just a mere uttering of the word sends your tastebuds into a quivering saliva-induced wreck (nice image for a late Sunday afternoon).
I mean, come on - it's practically a milkshake, but made of entirely healthy ingredients, and very, very little of the so-say 'bad' stuff, i.e. fat (unless you're a rascal and add a sneaky something else to the blender unsuspectingly. In which case, shame on you!).
So, this Sunday's post is therefore dedicated to the not-so humble smoothie. I fancied something in liquid form to treat a mid-afternoon slump, and this recipe for maple peanut butter smoothie just fitted the bill.
Ingredients (1 serving):
125g non-fat cottage cheese
100ml almond milk
100ml water, plus ice cubes
1 TBS peanut butter (Whole Food)
1 TS maple syrup
1 TBS low-fat greek yoghurt
Possible additions: 1/2 banana, sweetener, ground nuts, vanilla extract
After having made one smoothie with just the first 6 ingredients, I went ahead and had another go at blending, this time replacing the yoghurt and maple syrup for 1/2 banana and some gingerbread syrup (for an added Christmassy effect - it just had to be done). It was even better second time round - just goes to show what joy half a banana can bring to any smoothie recipe (all hail the graceful banana!).
This is surely one of the most protein-packed smoothie out there (bonus points if you add some protein powder, but to be honest, it's not necessary considering the main ingredient - cottage cheese - is protein-loaded in itself). If you wanted the nitty-gritty of how powerful this blend is, a break-down of the nutritional info follows (based on one serving of the cottage cheese smoothie with banana alternative, sans yoghurt):
If you analyse this percentage-wise, the fat/protein/carb proportion is amazing at 10%|47%|43%. Compared to many of the corporate smoothies out there, this kind of smoothie is far more effective in that it packs in as much protein as a chicken breast, combined with slow-releasing carbs of which 60% are sugars (mostly all-natural), and essential fats (mostly unsaturated), all of which combine to effectively fight away any pesky hunger signals.
Best consumed as a lunch replacement (like I did today with my greedy double portion size), as a quick energy fix or even as an on-the-go breakfast shake. Go on - blend and slurp to your heart's content.
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