It’s time to bounce back from holiday overeating! Start your day or end your workout with this Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie full of caramel apple pie goodness!
I’m going back to the gym today, guys.
Once upon a time (about 14 months ago, actually), I decided to get healthy and fit, in anticipation of getting pregnant in the near future. A little birdie told me that, if you get in shape before conceiving, and stay that way while pregnant, you’ll have an easier time shedding baby weight after your little one is born.
And that sounded like a great idea! So, taking the advice of the dietitian angel on my shoulder, Lara, I joined a brand new, lovely little 24/7 gym, operated by a few of the nicest people I’ve met. I bought new gym clothes, tried to drink lots of water, ate multiple small meals a day, and made smoothies every morning for Mr. Crumby and I, which were perfect for curbing our hunger until lunch.
But the smoothies I made back then were nothing like this Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie! No, most of them were mostly berries, spinach, chia, and protein.
Can I just tell you how glad I am that I branched out from the berry patch?!
So, being a wannabe gym rat went very well for a solid 6 months. Having a buddy in Lara (already a gym rat) to keep me motivated and in check was a big help, and knowing she was depending on me to hold her accountable for working out pushed me to skip as little as possible. And all the hard work paid off! I was starting to see definition and muscle where I had none before, and I was leaning out exactly how I wanted to. But, of course, when summer rolled around, it started to get hotter, vacations were taken, and our gym time became less and less of a priority.
Mostly on my part.
By July, and the months following, my gym visits were sadly few and far between. I’d attempt to get back in to a routine, but all of my time was consumed with work and starting up this blog, which is clearly peddling the opposite of what I was achieving at the gym!
I’ve always been about balance. I feel that if you’re busting your rear working out 4-5 times a week, and your meals are well within your macros, you should be allowed sweets at least once or twice. Or three times. You know, it just depends on what it is you’re snacking on.
Call me delusional if you will. I’ll never be what society calls “skinny;” I’m literally an average-sized girl, both in height and weight, and I’m OK with that.
I’m not OK with depriving myself of pizza and pasta and bacon and beer, sweating to death for 1+ hours a day, and then not being able to eat a damn Swiss cake roll if I want to. I’ll be happy with that part. I have pretty good self-control, and I feel everything can be enjoyed in moderation. If I eat more than 5 or 6 Oreo cookies at a time, my guilt kicks in and I put them away.
Not that there haven’t been those days where I could have eaten a whole package. I love me some Oreos.
That said, I ate some foods and desserts that are much more calorie-rich than those over the holiday season; with our big vacation in less than a month (even though I’ll be bundled up in multiple layers, so my size won’t matter anyway), and 2015 (hopefully) being the year of Baby Crumby, it’s time to get back to the grindstone!
Lara has our workouts all set up, my meal planning needs work, but is coming along, and I have some awesome new smoothie recipes up my sleeve to start my day off right, and they double as great recovery drinks.
And of course, as I go along, I’ll be sharing them all with you, starting with this Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie.
I was contacted by MilkShake Bar during the summer about trying a sample of their whey protein powder. I was so excited to be asked, and since my blog was so new, I jumped at the chance! I received my sample of the Vanilla Caramel Whey Protein Powder and set it on the counter so I’d remember to use it right away…
…and then I stopped making smoothies altogether. Time constraints, you know.
More like excuses.
I finally had a craving for smoothies in December, in the midst of all my junk food consumption, and this lovely little package was still waiting for me, right where I left it. I had plenty of apples on hand, so I got to work, throwing stuff together in the blender until I came up with this glorious Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie!
It really is quite delicious! MilkShake Bar’s line of Whey Protein was created by Aesha Karunakaran, a woman, and is ideally formulated for women, not only in nutrients, but in flavors! I mean, where else can you find protein powder that tastes like Rocky Road ice cream, Cream Puffs, or Cupcake Batter?! Oh right, nowhere. The best part is that it tastes amazing! There is no chalky aftertaste, and it will actually calm your craving for that ice cream sandwich hiding in the back of your freezer (yep, that’s one of their flavors!)
Aesha has made what was once a dreaded part of a workout (protein powder+water=blech) something you actually look forward to as you sweat off the extra weight or aim to lift that next 5 pounds! And I, for one, am all for that! I can’t wait to try their new formula in more recipes!
Unfortunately, at the time of this post, because of its increasing popularity, the MilkShake Bar shop is out of stock until February, but they are completely reformulating their recipes to include natural sweeteners, as opposed to the sucralose they had been using, based on customer feedback. You can visit their Facebook page to request to be added to their waitlist, or just check back around Valentine’s Day to see what they have available.
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Caramel Apple Pie Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized apple cored & cut in to wedges (peeled or unpeeled - i leave the peel on for color)
- 1 cup ice cubes depending on the thickness you want
- 1 cup almond milk or soy or cow
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 scoop MilkShake Bar Vanilla Caramel Whey Protein Powder
"Caramel Drizzlin' Sauce"
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
Instructions
- In a blender, add apple and ice cubes. Pulse until finely minced, almost to a pulp.
- Add almond milk, almond butter, chia seeds, cinnamon, and protein powder. Pulse until smooth and well combined.
- Dress is up with a drizzle of "caramel" and a slice of apple, if desired.
"Caramel Drizzlin' Sauce"
- Combine almond butter and agave or honey in a small bowl. Mix until it reached your desired "caramel" consistency.
- Drizzle sauce on the inside of your smoothie glass before adding smoothie.
Nutrition
What’s your smoothie flavor of choice?
Look out for FitCrumbs, coming soon on this very blog!!! In the meantime, follow me on Pinterest for more great healthy smoothies, snacks, and meals!
Alli says
I normally drink strawberry or banana/peanut butter smoothies (boring, I know), but your apple pie smoothie looks amazing! I can pretend I’m having an apple pie milkshake since apple pie is probably my all time favorite dessert. This one’s a keeper!
Logan Can says
This looks so good! I love protein shakes! I’m definitely pinning for later! 🙂
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Mmmm. I love me a delicious smoothie, especially one that looks and sounds as decadent as this one! It’s so exciting that this year will hopefully be the year of Baby Crumby! Speaking from personal experience, being in shape pre-pregnancy has been a HUGE help in how I have felt during pregnancy. I can’t speak to the whole after part… but I’m hoping that’s right, too!
Also? THIS. –> “I’m not OK with depriving myself of pizza and pasta and bacon and beer, sweating to death for 1+ hours a day, and then not being able to eat a damn Swiss cake roll if I want to. I’ll be happy with that part. I have pretty good self-control, and I feel everything can be enjoyed in moderation.” Basically, that’s my philosophy on food… and we were meant to be friends!
Amy Albers says
Oh, my gosh – this sounds amazing! I’m a runner and always looking for a good post-run protein drink!
Andrea B (@goodgirlgonered) says
This looks really good. I might have to give it a try. I’m on the hunt for some great new breakfast-y ideas and this might fit the bill!
Kristin says
You had me at caramel apple! Yum! I’m drooling!
Lara says
You know what tomorrow is don’t you??? It’s the first day of the first week of our #FitCrumbs adventure. Are you ready to get your little booty in shape? I suggest you practice many ways to help lower yourself onto the toilet because tomorrow is leg day! You know I love you!!! <3 Lara