Champion Breakfasts: PBB Smoothie

Smoothies are the ultimate in breakfast convenience - seriously, a breakfast you can drink?! Nothing is more convenient, not even the drive through. And certainly it is much healthier than said drive-through. In fact, unless you add ice cream, thereby turning it into a milk shake instead of a smoothie, it’s pretty hard to de-healthify the smoothie.

To be honest, I hesitate to even post this, because I never really understood the necessity of having a recipe for smoothies. I just always dump a bunch of the stuff in the blender, and if it tastes good, I drink it. If not, I dump it down the drain and kick myself for wasting ingredients.OK, so maybe sometimes I do need a recipe! I do admit that it is fun to browse through smoothie recipes to get ideas for what ingredients to include so as not to stay in my favorite rut of milk/yogurt/OJ/banana (YUM!).

Whether you are looking for instruction or inspiration, here’s my latest smoothie creation that did not go down the drain. Be warned: this is not a smoothie for the faint-hearted as it packs a whalloping 530 calories. But don’t be afraid: these 530 calories are chock-full of protein, healthy fat and fiber that will last you at least until noon, probably even farther. The perfect convenient and healthy solution for those mornings when you hit the floor running and don’t have a seat until the afternoon. If you’re really reticent about all those calories, try halving the amounts of peanut butter and yogurt. It will be a thinner consistency, but still flavorful and still healthy. If you’re concerned about fat intake, use low-fat milk and yogurt (but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the consequences). Use a good quality yogurt that doesn’t have extra sugar and other ingredients: I used Trader Joe’s, which is all natural (including real banana puree and not just artificial banana flavoring) and has only about a teaspoon of sugar added.

Like I said, not much is QUICKer than a smoothie in the morning. I think maybe five minutes from putting the empty blender on the counter and slurping the last drop from your glass is about all it takes.

Pretty EASY, too, easier than going through the drive-through on your way to work.

Much CHEAPer than going through the drive through, as well. Cheaper, also, than buying pre-packaged convenience breakfast foods.

A very HEALTHY convenient breakfast choice. The combination of fats, proteins, and healthy carbs will give you the energy you need to start your day, and the banana gives you your first serving of fruits for the day as well. Honey is the healthiest sweetener possible, and the healthy bacteria in the yogurt will give your immune system some needed ammunition. Just be sure to use an all-natural peanut butter without any hydrogenated oils or salt.