There's something about sunshine and smoothies

The past 2 days in Chapel Hill, North Carolina have reached almost 70 degrees...cue my seasonal depression beginning to fade away. But in all seriousness, I didn't realize just HOW happy the sunshine makes me. I also didn't realize how much it makes me crave summertime foods like fresh salads, ice cream, and my true favorite - smoothies.

Being mostly plant-based, I've found a lot of new ways to source in my protein rather than meat. One of my absolute favorites has become Nuzest protein powder, it is 100% vegan, has minimal ingredients and is so easy to digest. This isn't even sponsored (but I wish it was hi Nuzest ily), I just really believe their products are that good.

So, with my trusty Nuzest I've come up with tons of different smoothie recipes to enjoy with the warmer weather. I've really found my bliss sipping a smoothie on my front porch and listening to the extremely loud car noises ❤️ (I live on 1 of 2 main roads in my town)

This protein smoothie is filling and packed with antioxidants and healthy fats. I wish I could tell you the grams of protein but honestly, I never measure anything and you'll just have to trust me that it's really good. A big saying I've heard in the foodie community is, "eat pretty, feel pretty," and I genuinely stand by that. Making visually appealing food does indeed excite me and I hope that's not an unpopular opinion lol. My point to that little spiel is that the color of the blueberries in this is so pretty it really makes the whole drink.

Recipe is listed out below:

Prettiest Purple Protein Smoothie

(Vegan, serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of frozen wild blueberries

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 1 serving of vanilla protein (As mentioned, I use Nuzest but any plant-based protein works)

• 1 tbsp of cashew butter

• 1-2 tbsp of hemp seeds (a great plant-based source of protein, I like any brand but I think they're cheapest at Trader Joe's)

• Handful of spinach (optional, but a good way to add in some greens)

• Coconut water + any nondairy milk to blend (I love doing a combination of these because it's hydrating but also creamy - I'd say use anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. You can use more or less liquid depending on how thick you'd like your smoothie to be)

Add everything to a high speed blender until well combined and enjoy! Just a tip, if you're a huge smoothie lover - invest in a Vitamix. I genuinely think it's one of the best purchases I've ever made and it's truly one of my favorite kitchen appliances ever. Message me if you'd like more info on this!

As always, tag me @tanya_tastes on Instagram if you recreate :) Happy Wednesday everyone!