High Protein Smoothie Bowl Recipe

I was originally tasked with finding a high protein/low carb vegan breakfast option by my personal trainer. They wanted me to get 1 serving of protein (20 grams), and a half a serving of a carb for breakfast. I went insane trying to lower my carbs for breakfast, prior to this I ate oatmeal EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I still think oatmeal is a fantastic breakfast option for the morning, but if you are looking to up your protein and lower your carbs - my Breakfast Berry Ice Cream is a great option!

Trial and error for this recipe was not pretty. My first run at my Breakfast Berry Ice Cream had me literally drinking a gray liquid gagging at the sink in my office. It ended up being washed down the sink, and I went hungry that morning. My second run brought me into a tiny Asian Super Market down the road from my office. If you haven't gone to an Asian Supermarket, GO! Its a foodie haven, full of unique smells and tastes, a literal adventure down every aisle. There I picked up a bulk box of Mori-Nu Silken Tofu. This is the secret ingredient, the one you don't tell non-vegans about, and then brag about to other people who are vegan. I've tried this recipe with the type of silken tofu that you can find in the refrigerated section and it just does not work out. The tofu flavor seems to be a lot stronger in the fridge-section type - so take my word for it - find the shelf-stable stuff in the little packages. As far as the rest of the ingredients, it really can be mix and match! Any frozen berry (or fruit for that matter) would work well! I chose berries for this recipe since they are naturally lower in carbohydrates than most other fruit. Plus the antioxidant boost from all the berries is a great bonus! To really amp up the protein in this recipe I have also added in some plant-based protein powder. My favorite flavor is chocolate by far, so I just throw that in with this. It doesn't change the flavor much at all in my opinion, and berries and chocolate go great together anyways! You could really boost the chocolate flavor by adding in some Cacao powder as well, but I don't like my breakfasts to be overly sweet.

The Breakfast Berry Ice Cream works wonderfully as a work-week breakfast. I make 5 servings of this every Sunday and freeze them in small containers. Then it is as simple as throwing one in my lunch box on my way out the door! The only issue with this breakfast is that you will get freezing cold while eating it - and if your office is like mine, that means bundling up and sipping a cup of coffee after eating this. Even in the summer they manage to crank the AC up so much that I can pretty much use my winter gear throughout the summer season here. Despite the cold, however, this breakfast is my new favorite!

Breakfast Berry Ice Cream

serves 2

1 Block Mori-Nu Silken Tofu

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries

1/2 Cup Frozen Raspberries

2 Scoops Chocolate or Berry Vegan Protein Powder (I use Orgain Chocolate Protein Powder)

Throw all Ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Divide into two. You can either eat as is (creamy yogurt consistency) or freeze and eat later as an ice cream. I recommend taking it out to soften for an hour or two before eating.

If you make this please post a picture on Instagram and tag @emily_palamara ! We love seeing your spins on our recipes!