Name: Tropical Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Yield: 2 smoothies or 1 big smoothie
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk; ¼ cup non fat plain Greek yogurt; 1 frozen banana; 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks; 1/3 cup frozen mango chunks; 1 T. shredded sweetened coconut; 1 t. honey

Do you have a go to weekday breakfast? My weekday breakfast is the same Monday through Friday. Boring I know, but with running and getting ready for work I don’t have a whole lot of time. My breakfast consists of an egg white omelet filled with turkey breast and topped with salsa. I also have a piece of whole wheat toast and most important a big cup of coffee. Protein is something I need and crave in the morning after my runs. If I don’t have protein with breakfast it’s a sure bet that I will be starving again an hour later. On the weekends however I like to switch things up. I still usually fix my omelet, but since my runs are longer I eat a little more. When it’s cold out I like to make oatmeal or waffles to warm me up and when it’s hot out, yogurt with fruit or granola or a smoothie like this Tropical Smoothie really hits the spot.

My favorite thing about smoothies is that you can make them thick and creamy like a milkshake, but without the guilt! It’s kind of like having dessert for breakfast. I love how on a hot day you can literally feel your insides cooling off as you suck down the fruity goodness! This Tropical Smoothie was just what I needed after a very hot and sweaty 15 mile run a couple weekends ago.

To make this smoothie I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any type of milk would work. For the fruit portion, I used a frozen banana, frozen pineapple, and frozen mango chunks. For a little more creaminess and protein I added in plain non fat Greek yogurt. Then for some added sweetness just a little bit of coconut and honey. I felt like I was drinking a pina colada, it was so creamy and refreshing!

Along with being a refreshing drink, smoothies are also convenient because they are easy and fast to make. I think it took me a total of 5 minutes to whip this up, so there is no excuse not to make it! If you love the flavor of tropical fruit and are craving something cold and creamy get your blender out and give this Tropical Smoothie a try, you won’t be disappointed!