How to Make a Hemp Protein Smoothie

Smoothies are fastly becoming a real big deal these days. You see them in gyms, coffee shops, grocery stores and there are also specialty smoothie franchises popping up everywhere. Being that people are always on the go, they are very convenient. The only problem is, the caloric content can really add up without you knowing. In an effort to save your waist from total expansion, you can make your own right from the comfort of your own kitchen. This particular one is high in fiber, loaded with protein, low on the glycemic index, dairy free, vegan and weighs in at about 360 calories. Oh, I almost forgot, it is also delicious!

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Hemp milk
• Hemp protein powder
• Banana
• Dehydrated frozen apricots
• Raisins
• Cinnamon
• Blender
• Ice cubes

Hemp Heaven on the Rocks

1. Go shopping. You can't possibly make a great tasting smoothie without ingredients right? Well the first thing you need to do is go to the market and get what you need. Here's a list for you... Hemp milk, hemp protein powder, bananas, dehydrated apricots, raisins and cinnamon. When you get home, throw the apricots in the freezer.

2. Get out the blender. It doesn't have to be a world class demolition machine. It just has to be strong enough to crush ice and blend fruit. Unless it's made of crepe paper, I think your blender will be up for the task. In the event you like to eat your shakes with a spoon, throw in a little bit more ice. This will give it more thickness. 2 ice cubes should be just fine.

3. Add ingredients to blender. Throw in 8 oz. of hemp milk, 1 heaping tbsp. of hemp protein powder, 1 banana, 2 apricots right out of the freezer, 1 heaping tbsp. of raisins, a few shakes of cinnamon and 4 ice cubes. This will froth it up a little bit. A lot of people prefer their smoothies a little thicker, myself included.

4. Fire it up. Start the blender and watch the magic happen. Blend for about 45 seconds or until a smooth consistency has been reached. When it is done, it should resemble a cookies and cream type appearance. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a pinch of cinnamon as well.

Tips & Warnings

• You might want to leave the ice cubes out until the blender has started. Sometimes they don't blend smoothly when they are surrounded by other ingredients. You can easily throw them in one at a time as it is blending.

• You are most likely going to have to consult with your local health food store to get the hemp milk and protein. If there are no stores nearby, you can easily get them online.

• Try to get the high fiber hemp protein. One tbsp. has about 7 g of fiber AND 7g of protein.

• Bananas have a tendency to ripen quickly when left on a counter, especially in the summer. For this reason they can be frozen as well.