Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Every morning for the past few years, I've used protein powder to make a breakfast shake for an extra boost to start my day. Good quality protein powder is pricy, though, so I began to think about using real food ingredients instead of powder. I've been amazed at how much more satisfying my breakfasts are now!

Here's what I use:

1 banana, broken into small chunks and frozen
1/4 cup natural, no sugar added peanut butter
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla)
honey to taste - I use just a squeeze

Place all the ingredients into a blender and turn on the smoothie setting - if you have one. Otherwise, high will do. Blend until you reach your desired smoothness.

The frozen banana chunks make this smoothie nice and thick. If you don't like your smoothies as thick, just add some more almond milk.

The natural peanut butter lends a little graininess and texture. Occasionally I will throw in some ground flax meal for a little fiber which also adds a gritty texture.

I drink this smoothie around 9:00 am and it keeps me going until lunch time. This is a great afternoon pick-me-up snack, too. No matter what time of day, I like knowing that I'm getting my protein from real food ingredients instead of processed powder.