A foodie's quest to turn up the heat through strength and conditioning with whole food and a hungry mind.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Healthy Low-fat Cherry Cola Zevia Protein Smoothie


Are you a blender fanatic? Do you find yourself searching for new and interesting things to blend into a cool, creamy, and healthy smoothie for a guiltless pleasure any time of day?

I am and do this often; basically daily. I’ve blended beets, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, spinach, carrots, and a few other veggies with some fruit, protein powder and milk to create luscious smoothies.
So, as I sat staring the six pack of Cherry Cola Zevia I had at home, it was only natural to want to blend it into a tasty treat to enjoy after dinner.

It’s so simple; take a delicious and healthy drink like Zevia, add fruit, veggies, protein powder, and anything else you add to smoothies, blend and enjoy. You don’t even need to worry about adding extra sweetener; the zero calorie stevia that sweetens Zevia plus whatever fruit you use will be more than enough.

I cut heart shapes out of the Cherry Cola Zevia Protein Bread I made.  This is a perfect combination if you like to have something to dip in your smoothies.

Such a simple pleasure that I’m sure is not used or appreciated by many people. Hopefully this will inspire more of you to leave the sugary ice cream at the store and make something healthy at home. You won’t miss the guilt from having a heavier treat, and maybe you’ll even appreciate the extra energy you have from something healthy like this.

Cherry Cola Zevia Protein Smoothie
Serves 2

 
Ingredients
1 12oz can of Cherry Cola Zevia; I opened a can a let it sit a few hours to help reduce the carbonation
1 frozen ripe banana
2 scoops unflavored or vanilla protein powder; I used stevia sweetened whey protein
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek or regular yogurt
1/2 cup pureed beets; these really help turn your smoothie red, but pumpkin or carrot puree is good too

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth and creamy. If needed, add some milk (dairy or non-dairy) to thin it out. Garnish with fresh cherries, kiwi, or strawberries….or just pour and enjoy!
Try this with all of the Zevia flavors to see what you can come up with. I think next time I’ll use the Cream Soda Zevia for a comforting smoothie bursting with vanilla flavor.

This easy recipe is a must for the hotter days ahead; might as well start practicing now.

Q: What is your favorite flavor smoothie? Would you rather drink your smoothie or have to use a spoon?
I love a thicker smoothie where I can add something crunchy and use a spoon to devour all of its goodness. Yum!

4 comments:

  1. This is so cool! I never thought to use a soda to flavor me smoothies. I love to add coffee and pumpkin to make my own frapps, but my very favorite is a sweet potato pie smoothie - and definitely think enough to eat with a spoon!

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    1. I have to admit I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it's an awesome way to add flavor! Yummm, I love coffee and pumpkin blended with some vanilla and ice. What all do you use for your sweet potato pie? I'd love to give that one a try. Thanks for the comments!

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  2. do you ever add xantham or guar gum to up the creamy-factor?
    i've never added soda but i really like the idea! i've frozen stevia-sweetened nonfat plain greek yogurt and in ice cube trays and then added it to diet root beer. it was like a root beer float!

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    1. I haven't added those gums before, but have been wanting to try. I have added a little Cream of Tartar to my purees and those turned out pretty well.

      I used to make smoothies/purees and freeze them in ice cube trays to have instant "ice cream" by just adding almond milk and blending.....I need to do that again. The Greek yogurt cubes in root beer sounds awesome...now I have to try! Thanks for reading and commenting!

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