Healthy Protein Smoothie with Nectarines and Oats

I hate peaches. Actually I hate peach fuzz. For as long as I can remember, holding a peach brought chills down my spine, gave me goose bumps and caused my teeth to grind slightly. It is an awful feeling that I still get today every time I hold a peach. The sad thing is that I love the flavor, which is why I adore nectarines. They have a very similar taste to peaches and I don't have to go through the process of cringing every time I pick one up. Just thinking about them right now is giving me an uncomfortable tingle.

Thankfully, I have never found a recipe that didn’t taste as good substituting nectarines for peaches. If you’re not weird like me and peach fuzz doesn’t bother you, feel free to use a peach in this smoothie instead of a nectarine. You’ll end up with a very similar result, though you might need to add a little more ice as peaches tend to be juicier than nectarines.

What I love about this smoothie is that it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of the fresh summer fruits and flavors while giving my body extra nutrients by adding in ingredients like wheat germ and vanilla protein powder. Currently, I am expecting my second daughter and this is something the developing baby, myself and my 1.5 year old daughter Eden can enjoy together. Eden loves this smoothie more than any other and it’s easy to see why. It’s sweet, flavorful and delicious.

For me, I like soaking up as much calcium and protein as I can to keep myself healthy while baby number two takes what she needs from me. It can be so difficult to get in enough calcium, especially when pregnant, so I’m constantly looking for ways to create delicious protein shakes rich in calcium, vitamins and other valuable nutrients. That’s why I typically use almond milk in smoothies instead of regular milk. Not only does almond milk give my smoothies a creamier consistency, but it also gives me an average of 15% more calcium in every serving over regular milk and includes important nutrients such as Vitamin E (50%).

The USDA Daily Food Plan for moms recommends that pregnant women consume 5.5 to 6.5 ounces of protein daily in the first trimester and then increase their calcium intake to between 6.5 and 7 ounces daily for the remaining two trimesters. A healthy protein smoothie like this one then becomes both a meal and an important protein boost all in one. I like starting the day off with a vitamin packed smoothie like this one because not only is it delicious, satisfying and healthy, it’s also super easy to make, and for me, convenience and speed are very important. So enjoy this protein-packed summer smoothie recipe and indulge in a delicious shake-like smoothie without the added guilt and calories.

Like peanut butter? Check out my delicious, protein-packed peanut butter smoothie recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Nectarine
1/2 Cup Almond (or regular 1%) Milk
1/2 Cup Mango Juice
1/2 Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 T. Honey
2 T. Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup Frozen Banana
1 Cup Ice
1/4 Cup Oats
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder