YO! I have another smoothie recipe to share with you AND the giveaway winner for my Garden of Life RAW Protein & Greens giveaway!  I did NOT think this smoothie was going to taste good at all, but it ended up being probably my favorite smoothie bowl recipe to date! This smoothie has at least 3 servings of vegetables. 3 SERVINGS!! In one drank. That's pretty solid. 

I've been using Garden of Life's new RAW Protein & Greens mix for my smoothies and it includes clean, wholesome, plant-based protein along with a mixture of organic veggies. 

If you haven't tried adding sweet potato to your smoothies, you're missing out! It adds such a delicious natural sweetness and thickens the texture. 

[yumprint-recipe id='18']

 Giveaway Winner

And the lucky lady who won the giveaway....Farah from fairyburger.com! Farah, I know you're crazy busy as a med school student and I hope that this protein gives you a fast and easy way to make nutritious snacks or meals! 

Have a wonderful hump day, everyone! I'm just getting myself ready for work here and trying to pack for the next few days - I'm shipping up to Boston with my co-workers for a weekend full of training. Can't wait! 

XO - Rach

Do you like to drink your greens?

What's your favorite addition to a smoothie?

Alright, I've drank the smoothie bowl Kool-Aid. Why is it so satisfying to eat a smoothie out of a bowl instead of drinking it with a straw??  I've been making this smoothie ALL week this week for breakfast!! It's my new favorite combo with my new favorite protein. I kind of gave up smoothies for breakfast for a while for a couple reasons. 1. It got real cold here and I preferred something hot like oatmeal or eggs. 2. I never could seem to get enough protein or greens in my smoothies to sustain me until lunch time. Until I created a purple monster...

Garden of Life RAW Protein & Greens

Garden of Life sent me some of their new product line to try out, Raw Protein and Greens. I couldn't wait to add the new protein to my smoothies, because it meant getting in even more veggies with breakfast, something I used to struggle with in the morning (let's be real, still do). And the best part...I'm partnering with Garden of Life to giveaway some free Raw Protein & Greens! 

I have to be honest, I was slightly skeptical at first about the whole greens addition to the protein. Garden of Life added a blend of six nutrient-rich greens and veggies in RAW Protein & greens, including organic alfalfa grass juice, organic spinach, organic kale, organic broccoli, organic carrot and organic beet. That's a lot of veggies, you guys!! Don't get me wrong, I love my veggies, but I HATE green juice and I can't stand when my protein shakes taste like raw veggie water...

And the verdict is that this protein is just delicious in a smoothie. I can't speak for how this protein would be mixed with just water or milk, because to be honest, I can't really drink any protein with just water or milk. I like to stick to a smoothie or real food right after a workout - it makes my taste buds and hunger much happier!! So if you're like me and looking for a great protein to add to your hearty smoothies, this one is perfect. Especially if you struggle to get in enough greens! RAW Protein & Greens is also PACKED with protein - 20 grams to be exact. And it's made with wholesome, organic ingredients and comes in three flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate Cacao (both contain organic stevia extract) and Lightly Sweet (with no stevia)...there's nothin' sketchy about it. 

Giveaway

So let's get to the fun part...all I ask is that you:

1. COMMENT on this post telling my WHY you want to try RAW Protein & Greens
2. Follow @ahealthfulheart and @gardenofliferaw on Instagram! 

The winner will be announced on March 1! In the meantime, stay tuned for some more recipes including Garden of Life Raw Protein! 

Banana & Berry Green Smoothie Bowl

[yumprint-recipe id='17']Thank you for your support of my partnership with Garden of Life! All opinions are my own. 

 XO - Rach

Do you like your breakfasts sweet or savory?

What flavor of protein do you usually gravitate toward?

Wouldn't you love to win some FREE protein?!

Happy Wednesday, friends. Today is an exciting one over here and I'm feeling very motivated. One of the reasons being that I can't stop thinking about how great Ellie Goulding and Andra Day's performance was at the Grammy's on Monday night and it totally reminded me how obsessed I am with Ellie Goulding...I mean come on, look at this British badass! #goals.  [embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BB1QN_LTfS8/?taken-by=elliegoulding[/embed]

On a more serious note, today is my last day working at Group Two Advertising. WHAT?! I will no longer be working in advertising and I am pursuing a career in fitness full time. I'm pretty psyched, people. I've learned so much from my time in the agency, but all along I've kept up my fitness jobs part time, and I came to realize that I just needed to take the leap and jump in full time.  Every day when I would get to work, there was just this little hole in my heart because I wasn't pursuing what I am truly passionate about. GOODBYE desk job! I'll chat more about this later, because I know there might be some others in the same boat, but for now, let's talk about these Peanut Butter Banana Protein Bars...

There's not many combos that can beat a little peanut butter and banana. Sure, the taste is spectacular, but aside from the taste factor, the energy that these two foods provide together are perfect for starting your day, giving you a little afternoon boost or keeping you full at night.

 These Peanut Butter Banana Protein Bars are packed with protein to keep you full and satisfy that sweet tooth. They have a dense and moist texture, much like a pound cake or corn bread. And the best part is, these are so easy to make - one bowl, one pan! 

You'll want your bananas extra ripe for this recipe - easier to mix and also adds more sweetness! 

MMM, look at that crumbly, cake-like goodness :) 

[yumprint-recipe id='16'] XO- Rach

Have you ever taken a big turn and different direction in your career?

What's your favorite post-workout snack?

What's one of your favorite food combos?