Pre-workout Protein Smoothie

I love eating haha, no but seriously I do. So it is always fun for me to come up with new ways to make yummy and healthy recipes. This one I made this morning and I really liked it. It isn't very sweet, which is good because I can't handle too much flavor first thing in the morning.  This gave me just the right amount of fuel for my workout.

Side note: I want everyone to know that eating is not a bad thing, in fact eating at the right times and the right things for your body can truly enhance your workout experience. Making sure you are getting enough nutrients to fuel your body is so important! So please don't think food is the enemy :)

I love this protein smoothie for breakfast and also for a pre-workout pick me up. It is packed with protein and nutrients to keep your body fueled. It also contains carbs to stop your body from burning out too fast (because we all know that the body needs carbs whether we like it or not). 

Sorry these pictures aren't super high quality, all I had to take them with was my phone. Let me know what you think and how it works for you! Also, if you are working out right after this, I would recommend drinking only 1/2 to 2/3 of this recipe and saving the rest for after you workout.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder (make sure the sugar is no more than 3 grams)
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (sometimes I even use the coconut and almond milk mixture)
• 1 handful of spinach (I don't put a lot of spinach in it but a small handful is good)
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Almond Butter (once again if it has added sugar than you'll want to buy a different one next time)
• 1 Tablespoon all natural unrefined honey
• 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
• 1/2 Banana 

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until it is all mixed well. Add ice and blend some more if you desire.

Nutritional Facts (I got these by entering all the ingredients in MyFitnessPal, so they might not be exact).
Servings: 1
Calories: 397
Total Fat (g): 16
Saturated Fat (g): 2
Cholesterol (mg): 0
Sodium (mg): 135
Potassium (mg): 410
Carbs (g): 36.2
Fiber (g): 10.5
Sugars (g): 20.3 (this is from the banana and the honey)
Protein (g): 19.8
Vitamin A (%): 10.7
Vitamin C (%): 5
Calcium (%): 55
Iron (%): 24.7