Move over green smoothies…. beta carotene is coming through!
I love Carrot Cake Larabars, and I love homemade carrot cake, but both have quite a bit of sugar and when I have that much sugar for breakfast, I can always expect a sugar crash mid-morning.
This morning I created a smoothie with all of the flavors of carrot cake, but all of the nutrition of a balanced breakfast!
Here is why you can feel great about indulging in this breakfast treat:
–pineapples provide natural fruit sweetness and contain the enzyme bromelain, an anti–inflammatory which achieves similar results to anti–inflammatory drugs, but without side effects!
–cinnamon balances blood sugar (and is a classic ingredient in carrot cake)
–carrots are a naturally sweet vegetable, and the star of the show (with tons of beta carotene for healthy eyes and skin!)
–almond butter tastes amazing, has healthy fats to stabilize blood sugar and keep you full
–Califia Farms almond-coconut milk is my absolute favorite. It is sweetened with Monk fruit extract, which means double the sweetness and no sugar. Plus, it is thick and creamy in a smoothie.
**You can try either raw or cooked carrots – the cooked carrots will probably provide a creamier consistency, but my smoothie was delicious and plenty smooth just by adding lots of creamy nut milk!
The Recipe:
(this is approximate, as I did not measure as I excitedly dumped the ingredients into my blender)
1 carrot
1/2-3/4 cup frozen of fresh pineapple
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp almond butter
1 cup almond-coconut milk (or any creamy nut milk)
1 scoop plant-based protein powder (optional)
Have fun experimenting!!!
