Popeye Smoothie

Just like oatmeal, smoothies are a food obsession of mine. I make one almost every day (usually my favorite Strawberry Banana Smoothie). Smoothies are amazing because they are super easy to make and you can add as many different ingredients or combinations of ingredients as you want. But even with my love for smoothies, I am not a huge fan of the green smoothie idea. Who the heck wants to drink something that color?? Plus, the idea of adding spinach to my smoothie makes me all but gag. I do not want to eat a salad with my smoothie, thank you very much.

However, since green smoothies are getting a lot of attention on Pinterest lately, I decided to bite the bullet and make my own version. And to my surprise, I love it. You cannot even taste the spinach! With ingredients including cottage cheese, spinach, and PB2, my Popeye Smoothie is a protein powerhouse, making it a perfect post-workout snack/meal. As long as you can get over the in-your-face bright green color, you're golden. So grab the ingredients and a blender (and a dark colored glass if you don't want to be blinded by green), and whip up this healthy smoothie.

Popeye Smoothie
(Serves 1)

1/2 medium banana
1/4 cup low fat no salt added cottage cheese*
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1-2 packets stevia (or sweetener of choice)
2 Tbsp Original PB2 (mix with 2 Tbsp water to make it easier to blend)
2-3 handfuls of spinach
1-2 handfuls of ice

optional add-ins:
1 scoop unsweetened vanilla or chocolate protein powder
1-3 tsp chia seeds

*Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient to a super creamy smoothie. Even if you are not a fan, try it once and I bet you will never use yogurt in your smoothies again!

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more ice until desired consistency is reached. Drink immediately.

Print this recipe!

Nutritional Information (without optional add-ins):
1 serving
Per serving:
Calories: 196
Fat: 6.2g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 15.5g

Pros:
-Quick and easy to make
-Easy clean-up
-Healthy and high in fiber
-Packed with protein; great post-workout snack
-Refreshing
-Delicious (cannot taste the spinach)

Cons:
-Disturbing color

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5