Gingerbread Smoothie

This is a great on the go breakfast or snack.  Packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, anti-inflammatory herbs and even some iron.  Oh, and it’s delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2-4 Tbs of hemp protein powder

1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs molasses
 If you have blood sugar issues you can decrease or take out the molasses.     Replace with a pinch or two of stevia powder for sweetness.  1 tsp of molasses  plus the stevia will give you the gingerbread flavor. 

Fresh or frozen fruit (optional)

Put all the ingredients in the blended and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Why these ingredients?

Unsweetened almond milk: The best tasting unsweetened non-dairy milk that I have found.  Dairy is pro-inflammatory and best avoided (unless using 100% raw milk from grass fed cows)
Hemp protein powder: A whole food minimally processed protein that few people are allergic too.  High in protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.*
Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory
Ginger: Anti-inflammatory and good for digestion
Cinnamon: Helps regulate blood sugar and can benefit digestion
Molasses: 1 Tbs of molasses contains 15% of your daily iron.

Fruit:Adding in 1 cup of blueberries or other dark berries will give you a nice dose of tasty antioxidants.  The antioxidants in these berries, which are called flavanoids, are beneficial for cardiovascular health.

* If you hate the texture of hemp protein powder, you can use a different protein powder.  You can also leave out the protein powder all together for a refreshing drink that is still anti-inflammatory.