Friday, July 10, 2020 7 Brooklin Town Crier Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson Time for a green protein shake Green Protein shakes are my go-to in the mornings as they're an excellent breakfast for busy people. They're also a portable breakfast that won't make a mess if you eat it on the run or at your desk. If you make them the night before, you have a "grab and go" breakfast. Protein is essential in the morning as it kick starts your metabolism. Besides, who has time to cook a high protein breakfast? The Canadian Food guide recommends you get most of your protein from plant-based sources, which means a plant-based smoothie with a scoop of protein helps you meet this recommendation. Protein-rich green smoothies digest easily so your body doesn't have to use much energy to digest it, ensuring you won't crash and burn, midmorning. Lots to add You can add anything to your shake. I start with protein powder and then add L-Glutamine, some frozen greens and sometimes more protein by way of hemp seeds. I also add half a frozen banana to make it creamy and cold along with a handful of whatever other frozen fruit I have on hand. My shake meets my nutritional needs as it's protein and carbohydrate-rich. The greens give my body much-needed micronutrients. I sometimes use plant-based unsweetened milk such as almond or cashew milk, but on other occasions, I use about an eighth of a cup of pre-soaked frozen cashews . When presoaked, cashews are quite soft and if you have a high-speed blender, they'll break up completely in your shake. Like all foods, protein powders are not created equally. Some are full of sugar and stabilizers; others taste awful and a bit chalky. A lot of brands sell smaller sample packages which I recommend trying before you invest in a large tub of powder. An easy one The following recipe has a milder taste and is really easy to make. As is, it has 15.7 grams of protein in it. If you add a scoop of protein powder, you'll probably double its protein content. The recipe is from the blog Ilovevegan.com, I have modified it slightly. Green Smoothie Recipe 1 cup unsweetened almond or any unsweetened nut milk 1-2 handfuls of spinach (frozen breaks down the best) 2 frozen bananas 2-4 soft pitted dates (presoak these the night before if you have time). 2 tbsp hemp hearts 1 tbsp natural peanut butter 2 ice cubes Optional Add-in: 1 scoop protein powder Instruction Combine all ingredients, blend on high until smooth and frothy. Sheree's Hack: Pit, pre-soak overnight, and then freeze Medjool dates for use as a sweetener in smoothies.