[Guest post by J Bondurant]

Protein after a workout promotes muscle recovery. Whether I workout first thing in the morning, mid-day or in the evening, I almost always have a green protein smoothie after my workout.  It fills me up just enough, and I sneak in lots of greens. 

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• 1 banana, frozen

• 2 cubes greens

• unsweetened vanilla almond milk (use enough for desired consistency)

• 1 scoop of [chocolate] protein (16 g)

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Since I am a texture person, I prefer the greens and banana frozen so that my smoothie is like a milkshake.  The bananas are easy – I simply freeze them individually in sandwich bags. Greens certainly can be bought frozen from the store; however, I like to use fresh greens that I puree and freeze myself. Not only is it more economical that way, but also the greens are much smoother in your drink. I buy 2 large bags of a kale/spinach combination at Costco, puree it in the food processor (add a little water), freeze the puree in ice cube trays, and then store the cubes in a freezer bag for several weeks at a time.

Perhaps the biggest key to a great smoothie though is the right tool.  I absolutely love my Nutribullet 900.  In the medium size cup, I add the banana and greens first, fill to the line with almond milk, and then add the scoop of protein.  It comes out perfect every time.