Green Girl Sings Praises of Protein Smoothies

So, I’m a vegetarian. I think you may know that already, but if not, there it is. And one thing about vegetarians is that it is very difficult to get enough protein–and pretty much everything else you can imagine. But for me, protein is the key. My friends think I’m paranoid, because every time we make dinner, I’m constantly asking, “Wait, what are we having for protein?” Are my vegetarian friends getting enough protein if they don’t worry about it like I do? Probably not.

The problem is, if you’re a vegetarian and you are eating out, protein is not always going to be readily available. How many times have you gone to a restaurant and found your only options to be pasta or grilled vegetables? I’ll answer that. ALL the time.

So, you can imagine my complete delight when I found a breakfast that offers 26 grams of your daily protein intake! That’s a little more than half the daily recommended value of 50g. Don’t even get me started on breakfast–I do dearly love classic breakfast foods, but seriously, how unhealthy are they? I’ll answer that, too. VERY.

This breakfast is a smoothie. I was very skeptical when I first tried it–many of the ingredients sounded like they would not mix at all. But my mom was so adamant about me trying it that my cousin and I bravely went forth and tried it together. And were astounded! It is SO GOOD. I crave them now. I have them every day, sometimes twice a day because I just keep wanting more! They really fill you up, keep you satisfied until lunch, and give you so much energy for the day. I feel so good on them, I am making all my friends try it, too (they love them as well, so don’t worry).

The smoothie comes from the book Spent (which also has a website coming soon), by Frank Lipman, M.D. Lipman suggests a dietary plan that begins every day with this smoothie. There are slight variations, but the recipe that I use is:

1 cup almond milk
1 capful of vanilla
A squirt of agave syrup
1 cup frozen cherries
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 teaspoons of powdered greens
3 tablespoons whey powder,
Half an avocado

You can see why I was skeptical, I’m sure. My advice to you is simply, don’t be. It’s wonderful. Try it. You’ll be amazed.

Note to self: Another smoothie, please.

Lily Berthold-Bond grew up in a chemical-free zone and has struggled her whole life to understand and accept this non-commercial lifestyle. Now a sophomore at Tufts University, she has embraced her green life and hopes to share its possibilities with the rest of her generation.