It's taken me a really long time to fully understand my health complications and what foods I can and cannot tolerate, and I'm still not 100% there yet. It's been a work in progress for many years now, but I can finally say that I've made some major strides. I try to opt for whole, fresh foods whenever possible (like lean meats, fish, veggies), but smoothies have been a game changer for me when I'm pressed for time or need some extra calories. Sometimes dinners and lunches are unpredictable, so I try to make a smoothie either early in the morning or towards the night when I'm home. When I make one in the morning, I can at least be sure that I'm getting some legitimate nutrients in early on for energy.

Since I cannot have whey, I used plant-based protein in all of my shakes. Thankfully, I've been able to find some great brands that have helped me so much through this process. Here's what's in my smoothie:

Orgain's organic plant-based protein is what I use most often. I've tried their chocolate fudge and vanilla bean flavors so far, which go great with other ingredients. For the liquid base I use Silk's unsweetened vanilla cashew milk. Then I'll use some bananas, hemp hearts, and chia seeds for extra omega-3's, healthy fats, and protein.

For my quick Vanilla Smoothie recipe I use:

• 1/2 cup of ice
• 1 cup of cashew milk
• 2 scoops of plant-based protein
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp of hemp hearts
• 2 tsp of chia seeds
• 1 tbsp of almond butter 
• Optional: Gluten free granola to add on top (best part in my opinion)

Blend all ingredients, add the granola, and enjoy!

xo Erin