This delicious tropical citrus protein smoothie bowl is delicious and full of protein, antioxidants, and a healthy source of energy to fuel your day!
It’s taken a long time to figure out that the old adage of “you are what you eat” really is true.
I’ve learned that I can take a break from working on my fitness for a week or two visiting family in the summer without losing all the progress I’ve made so long as I eat healthy.
There are simple steps you can take to lead a healthier lifestyle that honestly don’t have anything to do with physical activity.
Eating Healthy Long-Term is Easy
Here are a few things you can do to jump-start healthier eating habits:
Eliminate soda and other sugary drinks. These add up sugar throughout your day without you realizing it.
Aim to have fresh fruit and veggies at every meal. Start small. I know it’s daunting for me, but adding even a bowlful of fresh strawberries adds fiber and is a natural source of several vitamins and minerals.
Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. Ever notice that when buying food center aisles are usually full of processed foods with tons of sugar? The perimeter always has fresh produce, eggs, protein, etc, that are healthier alternatives.
Cook at home more. You have more control of what’s in your food.
Follow the 80/20 rule. Eat clean 80% of the time and allow 20% for indulgences such as ice-cream and/or pizza. Whenever I am too strict with myself, I tend to go make bad choices when I mindlessly snack.
Fail to plan, Plan to fail. As with all things in life, when you plan things out, you tend to succeed. Make it a plan to have healthy snacks stocked up, and toss out the junk that tempts you. This way, when you feel like you need a snack to hold you over, you won’t grab junk food to tide you over.
I also try to stay away from simple carbs and instead rely on complex carbs, vegetables, fruits and proteins that supply a longer-lasting source of energy.
Increasing Protein Intake
As long as I have 25-30 grams of protein at every meal, I feel full and satiated for a longer period of time. This eliminates the urge to snack on something unhealthy for a “quick fix” that leaves me crashing later.
Getting in enough protein can sometimes be a challenge. That’s why I need the help of quality protein powders. Look for a protein powder with no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.
I shoot for 20g – 30g of protein, and as little sugar as possible!
I’ve tried several whey protein powders and some of them have a chalky texture. Others that use stevia as a sweetener have a lingering, artificial after-taste. Look for a protein powder that uses cane sugar and stevia leaf extract to sweeten the taste.
Premier Protein
100% whey protein powder – 30g protein
This is the protein powder I used in this recipe, however, I’m now dairy-free so I recommend taking a look at the ones below.
Garden of Life
organic plant-based protein
A trusted brand, Garden of Life introduces an organic plant-based protein powder with 30g of protein with vanilla flavor.
Vega, plant-based protein
Protein & Greens – 20g plant protein
This protein powder has 20g of protein without the chalky texture that some dairy-free protein powders have.
Tropical Citrus Protein Smoothie Bowl
For a twist on my regular blueberry and banana breakfast protein smoothie, I thought I’d adapt it into a tropical citrus protein smoothie bowl with fruits such as pineapple and peaches, plus a splash of orange to brighten my morning. This was so easy to do I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner!
Smoothie bowls are the hipster cousin of your regular smoothie. They have a thicker consistency than regular smoothies, and are topped with fresh fruit and other crunchy ingredients. The end result is a delightful marriage of flavors and textures. The possibilities are endless. This is the perfect excuse to make your breakfast oh so pretty!
In this recipe, I used peach flavored yogurt since my supermarket ran out of peaches, but if you find fresh peaches GO FOR IT! I wanted to keep the smoothie a bright citrine color (yellow just screams tropical!) and opted to have the blueberries and blackberries on top.
You can blend the berries into the protein smoothie bowl, but you won’t have that gorgeous citrus hue. It’s up to you!
Even though it looked good in the beginning, I went crazy and added chia seeds (antioxidants!) and coconut flakes (texture!). I also had walnuts but I honestly couldn’t fit more on the bowl, haha. I just popped them in between spoonfuls of my smoothie bowl. Walnuts are a natural source of omega-3s so next time I make this I definitely plan on adding them.
The tropical flavors of this protein smoothie bowl is underneath the toppings, but if you wanted to go all out, you could swap the blueberries + blackberries + bananas for kiwi + pineapple + pomegranate seeds. Heart-eyed-emoji!
I hope you like it as much as I did!
Tropical Citrus Protein Smoothie Bowl
A protein rich smoothie with tropical flavors.
Ingredients
Smoothie
- 1 scoop Premier Protein whey protein powder
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 small ripe banana, sliced and frozen
- 1/2 cup Yoplait peach flavored yogurt
- 1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 cup ice cubes
Toppings
- 1/2 small ripe banana, sliced
- 1 tbsp coconut flakes
- 2 tsp fresh blueberries
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- handful of blackberries
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth, and pour into a bowl.
- Top with sliced bananas, berries, chia seeds, and coconut flakes.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 468Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3.1gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 247mgCarbohydrates: 66.9gFiber: 3.3gSugar: 42.6gProtein: 37.7g
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