I've been playing around with my protein powders lately, because I really LOVE experimenting on myself and seeing how things work for me. And then of course I love to share all my findings with you! Not too long ago I opted to buy a vegan protein powder, because if you know me, protein powder is one of those staple supplements that I use to balance out my nutrition. And I just LOVE smoothies so dang much.
So I bought a big jug of Vega One All-in-One Protein Powder, which is a blend of hemp and pea proteins with natural vanilla flavor and sweetened with stevia (instead of crappy artificial flavorings). It also has tons of green extracts from cruciferous veggies (think broccoli family) and super foods that have been shown to help balance hormones, fight oxidation (think aging and decay) and give you a big dose of vitamins and -minerals. So the product in-and-of-itself is a quality product and a great option if you're sensitive or allergic to other protein powders like whey or soy.
But then there's the actual consumption of it. This commentary is not to knock the product, it's just my personal preference. I reaaaaaalllly didn't like it. The texture and taste, even in smoothies blended with bananas (which is the saving grace for many smoothies IMHO), was chalky and overpowering. There's NO WAY that I would drink this post-workout with water in a shaker cup, the way I would with whey protein. And when I tried baking protein pancakes with it (and unfortunately my clients did too:( ), they were a horrible disaster. The composition of pea and hemp protein is so different than whey, so I have no idea the right proportions to use for baking anything. Not to mention again the texture and taste. This protein powder just won't work (but if you use it and have had wild success, please let me know!).
The ONLY smoothie creation that seemed to be OK was this Green Glow Smoothie Bowl. And the main reason I think it worked is because it just looks so darn cute in a bowl! I'm a firm believer that beautiful food makes the meal taste better. So this recipe was a win for this protein powder. And I'm willing to bet money that using a whey protein powder would taste 100x better!
I have like 3 scoops left of it, so I'm just gonna suck it up and finish it. Then I'm looking forward to going back to the tried-and-true whey protein powder. I seriously can't wait!
Enjoy this recipe, and if you make it let me know below!
Green Glow Smoothie Bowl
Prep Time: 5 min | Total Time: 7 min | Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients:
250ml water
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 large handful baby spinach (or other greens)
1 scoop protein powder (for the love of all things holy, use whey!)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Toppings:
Handful blueberries
Handful mango chunks
1 kiwi, sliced
Handful strawberries sliced
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until combined. Place smoothie into your favourite bowl.
Place all the toppings decoratively on the smoothie, and use a spoon to enjoy!