Your December Meal Plan is Here
Your December Meal Plan is Here
The Smoothie Edition
Did you know that I start every single day with a smoothie? As a sweet-breakfast-person, I feel like there is really no better way to get a dose of protein in the morning, along with some hidden veggies and healthy fat. So today, I am SO excited to bring you 4 exclusive smoothies from Heather DiBiasi’s brand new cookbook, Protein Power Smoothies.
Heather is a registered dietitian and weight loss expert. She follows a low-carb framework with her clients and helps women lose weight by balancing their blood sugar and regulating hunger hormones. She does a wonderful job of demystifying what it means to be low-carb and making it approachable and sustainable. I connected with her on Instagram a couple of years ago and have learned so much from her perspective on navigating the low carb path step by step, and breaking it down into actionable meal suggestions with an easy-to-follow structure. If you look at her IG feed, it is full of the most inviting smoothies and desserts and I am thrilled that she agreed to share these exclusive ones from her new cookbook with We Ate Well.
Why is this in my Weeknight Simple newsletter? Well, it’s December. We have plans. Hopefully lots of plans. At dinnertime. So why not start each day with a protein-rich smoothie that will balance your blood sugar, and reduce your cravings through the day, so you don’t dive face-down into all those holiday treats? For that matter, if you didn’t get around to a protein-rich breakfast, why not do an easy-peasy breakfast-for-dinner which basically tastes like a holiday treat? You just can’t go wrong with these smoothies.
Protein Power Smoothies comes out Dec 12. Pre-order it here to get started with a protein-rich bang in the New Year.
Your Shopping List:
Protein powder
Heather recommends (and I concur) Truvani for plant-based protein and Garden of Life grass-fed whey. You’ll only need vanilla and chocolate for her book.
Reprinted with permission from Protein Power Smoothies by Heather DiBiasi, Fair Winds Press, December 2023. Photo credits: Heather DiBiasi.
Gingerbread Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon cashew butter
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cauliflower rice, frozen
pinch sea salt
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve.
Salted Caramel
Ingredients:
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon cashew butter
2 small pitted dates
1 cup cauliflower rice, frozen
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with another pinch of sea salt. Serve.
Chocolate Hazelnut
Ingredients
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 cup zucchini, frozen
pinch sea salt
natural sugar substitute to taste
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer warm hazelnuts to a towel and use the towel to rub the skins off. It doesn't need to be perfect; it's okay if not all the skin is removed.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve.
Sweet Golden Milk
Ingredients:
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 frozen banana
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 cup yellow squash or cauliflower rice, frozen
pinch ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve.
Want more smoothies so you never get bored? Pre-order Heather’s book here and get it as early as next week! You can also connect with her on Instagram here or her website.
Wishing you good times and good eats this holiday season. 🎁🎄❄️🤶
PS: This is the last issue of We Ate Well for 2023 (and the last free issue of Weeknight Simple). If you missed my gluten-free fruitcake last week, get the recipe here.
PPS: If you would like to gift a signed copy of The Vegetarian Reset to a loved one. I am also happy to mail it internationally but please allow enough time to get it by snail mail.
🥦🥦Respond to this email to request a bookplate, along with the name of the giftee and your address! Please note, you will have to buy the book yourself - you can use one of the links in the footer of this email or stop by your favorite bookstore.
Before you go….
See you in January with lots of good things. XOXO.💚