Protein Shake/Smoothie

I had been thinking about replacing one meal a day with a protein shake/smoothie, but never really took the plunge.  I thought ice was a must for any good shake/smoothie concoction and I don't have an ice maker.  I think freezing ice cubes each day is cumbersome.  But, I learned ice isn't a must.  I had talked to several people that said they freeze bananas and use them in protein drinks and decided to give it a try. I have yet to make a shake without frozen bananas.  All you have to do is peel the banana, cut or break it into smaller pieces, and put it in a freezer safe container.  Super easy!

Kale is super popular right now because of all of the health benefits, so I add it to my smoothies as well.  I actually did a bit of research about Kale and how best to handle it because I had never eaten it.  I learned it is best to remove the center stem because it is much tougher than the leaves.  I also freeze my kale.  I clean it and put it in a gallon sized freezer bag whole, then freeze.  After it is frozen you can actually crush it, much easier to add to smoothies that way.

It took me a few times to get it right.  I played with different types of ingredients to find what I like best.  Some things I learned:

1. Flax seed is best used in oil form rather than ground (which is what I tried first)
2. Ground nuts do not blend up enough (I'm extremely picky about textures when it comes to food-chunky drinks, not my thing.)
3. Raspberries and other berries of the like have LOTS of seeds and I don't enjoy drinking them.

I may change some of the add-ins, but the basics stay the same protein powder, flax oil, banana, and kale.  The other fruit I add changes depending on what I have.  Don't forget you need to have liquid of some sort or you will probably burn up your blender.  My liquid changes I may use juice, milk, or water.  What you add depends on your taste.  I have been thinking about trying Almond Milk, but haven't bought any yet.  I have also started adding local honey because I have seasonal allergies and I heard that might help.

I recently won some Barlean's Flax oil from a Twitter party; it couldn't have come at a better time either.  You can buy it at Whole Foods in several different forms and flavors.  As far as the protein powder the one I am using right now is pictured.  I prefer chocolate when I just mix with milk, so that is what I started with.  I am almost out of it and looking for a different flavor.  So, I decided to buy individual packets of different types, brands, and flavors because I don't want to spend money on a whole can of it if I won't like it.

The result might not look very appetizing, but I truly enjoy drinking my protein shakes; which if you knew me you might be surprised about.  I'm very picky.  

What kind of shakes are you drinking?  Never had one, are you inspired to try it now?