dairy-free vanilla protein smoothie

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recently i had the opportunity to lead a small group on a winter adventure. although it was an online group program it reminded me of the wilderness trips i used to lead. it was a top notch group of participants and we had an exciting 7-days without coffee, alcohol or refined sugar.

no coffee, sugar, or alcohol?

no coffee, sugar, or alcohol and i consider it fun? don’t get me wrong. you know i enjoy my coffee but i also enjoy taking a break from anything i really love. i’m able to observe how i react once it’s re-introduced and better evaluate whether it’s something that serves me or not.

when most people hear the word cleanse. they think of bird food. of starvation and deprivation. of discomfort and struggle.

by day 2 of the no frills, the adventurers asked if it was ok not to eat the afternoon snack found on the meal plan because they were so full.  feedback i love hearing from people who are cleansing!

personally, i’m not one to cleanse for extended stretches of time and i’m much more interested in a few shorter detoxes throughout the year. this keeps me feeling my best.

it starts to get easy–there’s a rhythm and like anything it becomes a practice.

a practice of noticing habits.


at first, 7-days without coffee, alcohol and sugar might not sound very exciting but once you get rolling you barely notice what you’ve eliminated and it’s exciting to find new foods and food combinations to work with.

there’s weight to be lost, energy gained and most of all there is confidence in your own willpower to boost.


one mistake i see a lot of people making when choosing to eat healthier or choosing to move towards a plant-based diet is thinking that they need to eat less when in fact, we most likely need to eat MORE. the first thing most people i work with say:

tell me what i need to quit eating…..i’m ready. 

however, when we focus on eating mindfully, there are so many foods we’re able to eat in unlimited amounts AND when we are eating enough foods–we won’t succomb to cravings or feel the urge to snack at night.

thus improving our sleep.

it’s a win. win.

and there are a number of wins that came out of the adventure but similar to the wilderness trips i used to lead, it’s challenging to explain to those not on the adventure…because it’s something that happened on this trip we were on.

back to the smoothie. it’s creamy. flavorful. and it’s the one thing i was craving during the adventure. let me know what you think in the comment section below about the smoothie or cleansing and detoxing!

vanilla dairy-free protein smoothie

2 cups superfood frenzy hemp milk or other milk alternative

1/2 up to 1 frozen ripe banana

2 medjool dates, pitted

1 tablespoon hemp protein powder

3 teaspoons maca powder

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1/2 fresh vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

put everything in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. i prefer the consistency after letting this sit for a few minutes before devouring because it will thicken up and it feels like a milkshake.

*note: i do NOT have any affiliation with a maca or hemp protein company nor do i have a company i am loyal to, however i have tried a number of both and have currently been using manitoba harvest hemp pro fiber and navitas naturals maca powder for reference.

Comments

71 Responses to “dairy-free vanilla protein smoothie”
  1. Kathy Brown says:

    I drink a smoothie every morning so I will definitely be giving this recipe a try
    Looks delicious

  2. Willow says:

    This smoothie sounds like one that I would enjoy. I love all the ingredients in it! I could really use a cleanse! I have gone on the Master Cleanse many times. I think it might be time to do that again.

    • Jessica says:

      nice, i love hearing how people like to cleanse…they’re challenging in so many ways but also so rewarding!

  3. Lisa says:

    Thanks for sharing! That smoothie sounds yummy. I’ll have to give it a try!

    xo- Lisa

    http://www.thatssodarling.com

  4. Kash+Mike says:

    I agree. When I went Vegan for 30 days I ate larger quantities of food. I never felt like I was starving. A good diet will allow you to eat but feel good. Good article. Bonus* I have all of the ingredients for your smoothie in my kitchen!

  5. Sheila Joy says:

    I want to purchase some plant-based protein, but there’s so many different ones out there and I don’t want to waste my money on something that tastes chalky, ya know?? What kinds you to recommend?

    http://www.insearchofsheila.com

    • Jessica says:

      hi sheila-i totally understand not wanting to spend your money on a chalky gross plant-based protein! in the post i linked to the manitoba hemp pro fiber i’m currently using and have a number of friends enjoying also. i’m not an affiliate of theirs-just a fan. i haven’t personally tried the vega brand powders but know a number of people that like them too.

  6. Sandy KS says:

    I am trying to add more protein in my diet but stay under a1800 calorie diet, while eating healthier. Do you know how many calories is in one of these drinks? My oldest son is always trying to get me to eat these protein shakes or smoothies to help improve me getting healthier. He is a sports fitness nut but I am not sure. As he can’t tell me how many calories are in One of these.

    • Jessica says:

      hi sandy, i don’t know how many calories are in this smoothie. it’s definitely nutrient dense and most likely higher in calories but it’s all good for you and super healthy. i don’t tend to watch calories but choose my ingredients wisely to keep me fueled. give one a try and see how you respond to it (:

  7. Lauren says:

    I love detoxing from everything for a short time every now and again. Why do you like the maca? When I was trying to get pregnant my specialist told me to avoid it, since it messes with hormones but I see so many healthy IG-ers using it in their smoothies.

    • Jessica says:

      hi lauren-from what i understand, it can actually help balance hormones and i use it mostly to nourish my adrenals…listen to specialist as i don’t have any experience with pregnancy but have heard the opposite with maca in regards to fertility.

  8. I am a smoothie lover. And a vanilla lover, plus I do high protein diets so this is right up my alley. I’ll try this.

  9. Krysten says:

    I haven’t done a cleanse in a long time, but I feel like having no coffee would be so hard for me. (I have a toddler) . I might try it anyway. This smoothie looks delicious!

  10. I drink protein shakes several times a week, dairy free when I can. This smoothie recipe sounds promising! I may try it, thanks for sharing!

  11. Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen says:

    This sounds very tasty! I have a protein shake at least once a day made with water. Have never tried maca, so may try adding it sometime.

  12. Neelofar says:

    Oh man, no dairy, sugar and alcohol sounds so hard! Congrats for getting through it! I’ve always wanted to try maca powder, and this sounds delicious!
    Neelofar
    http://www.theloveliestlily.com

    • Jessica says:

      it was challenging but totally worth it and give maca a try, you won’t be bummed!

    • Jessica says:

      thanks! no coffee was the most challenging part for me and i was so happy pouring my first cup…and the maca is delicious. it has a nutty flavor that makes it so yummy (:

  13. I am planning to make more smoothies now at home and this is definitely worth to try

  14. Wow, this sounds like a winner to me!! 🙂
    I will have to give this drink a try.

  15. I try to replace a traditional lunch with a healthy smoothie just about every day. This one is a nice break from the vegetable based smoothie I typically drink. I’m really looking forward to trying it!

  16. Laina Turner says:

    This sounds amazing, and so healthy. I will definitely try this!

  17. Robin says:

    My fave thing to make for breakfast is a smoothie…. this sounds like a delicious recipe, and I am dairy-free so I can’t wait to try this one out tomorrow am! xoxo Robin

  18. This looks really good! I love adding dates to smoothies, so good!

    xx nicole
    http://www.nicoleparise.com

  19. Mira says:

    I’ve never tried maca powder. I just had to google it, can’t believe it is so nutritious!

  20. Rachel says:

    This looks delicious! I want to start making more smoothies!

  21. Melissa Chee says:

    This looks amazing! I just got my tonsils out so it’s one of the few things I can have.

  22. I could do without the sugar and alcohol but NO COFFEE?! That’s brutal! Ha! This smoothie looks delicious – I’d love to try it!

  23. Lydia says:

    I’m not dairy free but I still think i would try this as going dairy free occasionally wouldn’t do me any harm at all.

    • Jessica says:

      it can be fun to try and definitely does no harm…i have clients i’m coaching that are not dairy-free and they use their own milk when they’re making this smoothie too (:

  24. Lovelovelove good new protein smoothie and shake recipes to try – this looks YUMMY.

    Coming Up Roses

  25. Cori says:

    This smoothis sounds awesome! I am always looking for new recipes to try for my breakfast.

  26. Annissa says:

    This sounds so yummy! I’ve never tried maca in a recipe before.

  27. Yum! This looks so good and refreshing! It would be perfect for a post-workout snack option!

    • Jessica says:

      it’s one of my favorite post-workout snacks, i tend to start thinking about it before i even finish up….powered up protein smoothies for the win(:

  28. That sounds really delicious and healthy:)

  29. I love dairy free protein smoothies. This one looks perfect to make and take on the go. 🙂

  30. Rachel says:

    I keep telling my self one of these days I will cleanse, in the mean time I just eat a little healthier than I used too!
    This smoothie sounds pretty yummy though!

  31. I LOVE adding maca powder to my smoothies. It’s such a great way to balance hormones and get an extra boost of energy. And vanilla extract in smoothies is DIVINE!

  32. Excited to try this recipe. I love to make smoothies and this looks like a great one. Can never go wrong with protein.

  33. Erica says:

    I love dairy-free smoothies. I especially love uses maca since it makes your brain think of chocolate and it has such a pleasing taste. I’ve never actually used a date in a smoothie though. I’ll have to try it sometimes. I don’t have a power blender (just a regular glass one) so I worry a little that I’d end up with pieces of date floating around. But anything is worth a try!

    • Jessica says:

      the dates are optional and no worries about the high speed blender….i actually like it when there are little pieces of date floating around and my vitamix never allows that (:

  34. Kate says:

    Great tips and points! I think you are so right-when you switch to eating better you do, in fact, get to eat more! This smoothie looks delicious!

  35. Meghan says:

    Wow what a challenge. I live my life mainly cow milk free for awhile. There are just so many other alternatives out there.

  36. Bea Alvarado says:

    I need to try this. Dairy always breaks me out, so this is the perfect fit for me!
    http://thebbar.org/

  37. Ruthie says:

    I need this in my life!!

  38. Theresa says:

    This sounds so yummy!
    I have to try it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Love from Austria,
    Theresa | http://www.primetimechaos.com

  39. Kate says:

    This recipe looks really filling and delicious. I have never thought to use dates in a smoothie. What a great idea!

  40. The hubs will love this. Saving for later!

  41. Jennifer L says:

    Wow this looks so incredible! I will bookmark this so I can make this smoothie this weekend.

  42. Jerneja says:

    I have been trying to have a no sugar cleanse for the longest time, but it’s hard when I bake all the time. Your post just gave me the final kick I needed to do it.
    Awesome smoothie recipe, I’ll have to try that! 🙂

    • Jessica says:

      believe me, the struggle is real but i plan my recipe testing around it and it always feels so good once i’ve done it!

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