Breakfast Smoothie: Chocolate Banana

I love making this for breakfast. It's super fast & easy, and I know I'm getting a nice boost of protein, simple carbohydrates, and some good fat from the hemp to start my day.

Ingredients:

• 1 c almond milk* (vanilla, unsweetened)
• 1 tbsp raw agave nectar
• 1 tbsp raw cacao nibs (could also use cacao powder)
• 1 tbsp raw supergreens
• 4 tbsp raw hemp protein powder
• 1 medium-large banana (frozen is best)
• 1 c spinach (also best frozen)

Directions:
With my Ninja, I prefer to use the small blending cup when I'm doing single servings (this is about 2 cups blended).  I put in my milk first, followed by my banana, my powders & cacao nibs, and top everything with the spinach.  I start off using the dough button (#1) for about 5-10 seconds, then bump it up to blend (#2) for 10-20 seconds, followed by about 10 seconds on crush (#3) to break down the cacao nibs.

Pour into a glass & enjoy!

*not a raw food, though you could make it yourself!

In My Pantry: Raw Vegan Protein & Meal Replacer

I'm presently still stuck on the Garden of Life RAW Meal, this time in Vanilla.  I'm having a hard time switching to another brand because I know I like the taste and for the price, it's scary to jump into something new.  Also, it's raw.  Most of the other meal replacers are not a raw food.  For my protein, I just switched to the Hemp Pro 70 from Manitoba Harvest.

Why did I choose these two?  Keep reading!