Mango almond butter smoothie

Start your day with this creamy and delicious Mango Almond Butter Smoothie. Made with frozen mango, banana, almond butter and milk and protein powder this smoothie will keep you full for hours!

I’ve always prided myself on my self-awareness. I’m very conscious of my personality traits and habits, both good and bad.

…or so I thought.

My whole life I was convinced I was a linear, analytical thinker. I find comfort in routine and predictability. Imagination? What’s that? I swore I wasn’t creative.

But the other day I was chatting with my brother about creativity and how it’s more present in our family than we used to believe. He’s an incredibly talented musician and I like to make art with my food. There’s so many creative personality traits in the rest of my family as well.

Yet somehow I spent the majority of my life thinking I was the opposite of creative. So I’m here to remind you that you don’t have to be who you think you are. Just because you’ve defined yourself in some capacity doesn’t mean you are obligated to be that person.

Start your day with this creamy and delicious Mango Almond Butter Smoothie. Made with frozen mango, banana, almond butter and milk and protein powder this breakfast smoothie recipe will keep you full for hours!

If you want to experiment in the kitchen, play around with almond butter swirls in your smoothie, or do whatever crazy/unrealistic/freaking awesome activity you feel a calling to do, go do it! Be open-minded to trying out things that go beyond your comfort zone and challenge your self-identity. You never know what you’ll find.

Here’s What You Need for This Mango Smoothie:

Mango – you can use fresh or frozen mango for this smoothie! Frozen will make your smoothie extra chilled…
Banana – I prefer using a frozen banana to make my smoothie cooler in temperature.
Almond milk
Almond butter – any nut or seed butter will work in this smoothie if you prefer something else.
Vanilla protein powder
Optional bonus: add 2 cups spinach for an extra veggie boost.

Why mango?

Besides being crazy delicious, mangos are a nutritional powerhouse. They’re low in calories and high in nutrients which makes them a “nutrient-dense” food. It’s high in vitamin C, antioxidants and has been shown to support many bodily functions. (Source)

Tips for Meal Prep

Honestly, this smoothie couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is throw all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth! BUT if you want to prep your smoothie ahead of time, here’s what I would do:

Portion out your frozen banana, mango and spinach if you’re using in an airtight container and store it in the freezer.
When it’s time to enjoy, you can just dump your pre-portioned fruit and veggies into the blender along with the liquid, nut butter and protein powder.
Blend up and enjoy!

You could also blend up a double batch and keep one smoothie in your fridge for a day. Some separation may occur so I recommend giving it a good shake or another blend before enjoying it.