Tropical Fruit Smoothie

For some reason today I was feeling very summery, and I wanted to create a fruit smoothie whose flavor could be described as "summer" or "vacation" or "tropical". Personally when I think tropical, what comes to mind is coconut, pineapple, mango- the works. On top of all that I've been really into incorporating a little extra protein in everything I eat... and here the challenge was born. Create a delicious, protein-rich fruit smoothie that TASTES LIKE AN ISLAND VACATION. Did I succeed? Let me know.

I also posted the nutrition facts below, just in case you're curious.

If you're interested in watching me make this smoothie, the link to my YouTube video is here.

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This is what you're going to need.

• 2/3 cup Naked protein mango juice
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 3/4 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 heaping serving of powdered fiber (okay holdup that ingredient is COMPLETELY optional. I unfortunately happen to have an extreme difficulty getting enough fiber even when I eat a diet bursting with fiber rich foods so I add fiber powder to my smoothies and juices all the time just to keep my digestion working. Yes, it makes me feel like a 90-year-old man. This step is completely optional, I actually DO NOT recommend following suit here because I have a fiber deficiency and you probably don't. I recommend skipping this step entirely- the only reason I included it in the recipe is 1. maybe you like very high fiber diets too and 2. it affects the nutrition facts I posted below. If you don't include the extra fiber here, subtract approximately 15 calories and 6 grams of fiber from your total nutrition facts. Okay continue.)
• 1/4 cup of water to dissolve the powdered fiber in BEFORE adding to your smoothie mix
• 1/2 cup cubed pineapple
• 1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
• 1 cup frozen peach slices

Prep time: 10-15min

Serves: 2

Basically what I do is I combine all of the non-frozen ingredients in the blender first, and then follow with the frozen ingredients to achieve a smooth, thick, creamy smoothie.

• Pour Naked protein mango juice, protein powder, and optional fiber dissolved in 1/4 cup water to blender
• Blend briefly to stir everything up. This will maintain the smooth texture of your smoothie
• Add the banana and pineapple chunks to the blender
• Blend briefly to combine
• Finally add in frozen mango and peach chunks and blend until all chunks are gone. Your smoothie should have a relatively thick, creamy consistency. If it is too thin for your liking, add a few more frozen peach or mango chunks. If it is too thick to pour you can either lightly tap the side of your blender as you pour it into a glass, or blend in a little bit of water to change the consistency.

When I've made it, no thickness adjustments were necessary.

Voila! You now have a very tropical, summery, island-tasting smoothie that is fantastically creamy and lovely for a hot summer day.

PRO TIP: If you want an island-tasting Popsicle (who doesn't?!) feel free to pour this recipe into Popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Tropical Popsicles would be a great treat for a hot summer night, or to bring to a pool party. Enjoy :)

I entered the ingredients into My Fitness Pal, and app that I've been using to keep track of my calories, macros, and nutrients. Below is a screenshot of the nutrition facts for this smoothie. Remember to subtract 15 calories and 6g of fiber if you did not include the additional fiber above. If you can't read the text in the picture because it is too small, I will type the highlights below.

Calories: 344

Fat (g): 0.7

Carbs (g): 69.8

Protein (g): 20

Potassium (mg): 478

Fiber (g): 10.8

Sugars (g): 41.8

Vitamin A (%): 47

Vitamin C (%): 313

Calcium (%): 9.2

Iron (%): 5.5

Now before you freak out about the sugar content in this smoothie, remember that the recipe makes approximately two full glasses. If you want to make one serving, you either need to cut the recipe in half, give one glass to a friend, or freeze the remaining in Popsicle form. I usually drink both glasses myself because I need the protein and fiber, and I am also NOT AFRAID OF SUGAR. All of the sugar in this smoothie comes from fruit, which means it is natural as opposed to process. Health nuts tend to stray from diets heavy in fruit because of their sugar content but that is simply not necessary. Is sugar in large quantities bad for you? Yes. Will eating a bunch of fruit kill you? No. Studies have actually shown that diets high in fruit are actually better for you.

I usually eat a high protein low carb diet, but you need carbs for energy and often don't get enough if you are an athlete. This smoothie is fantastic if you're eating too much protein and fat, because it will help you balance out your diet and keep your macros in line.

This smoothie is NOT PALEO, but if you substitute 2 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of the vanilla protein powder you can make this smoothie paleo-friendly.

This is a great breakfast on the go, and a fantastic summer treat. Be sure to let me know if you like it in the comments below.