Cherry Cacao Almond Butter Protein Shake

This Cherry Cacao Almond Butter Protein Shake is packed with nutrients, and gives you an antioxidant boost from both the cherries and cacao!

HAPPY SATURDAY!!! So glad the weekend is here and so glad it is going to be nice outside! The husband and I are thinking about getting the little fishing boat out today. He will fish, I will more than likely just lay there and try and get some sun. 😉

I should probably take my NASM training materials out with me. I haven’t been as diligent in studying since the 4th of July weekend. And I was doing so well! Right on track with the study guide and chapters each day. But it is hard to get back into the studying mindset. I did buy a human anatomy coloring book, per suggestion of Heather from Life in Leggings. So instead of reading I’ve basically just been coloring muscles each night. I do love to color. 🙂 I just never thought I’d be coloring muscles… Anyways, Heather’s blog has been a huge help in giving me a head’s up on what to expect for the test. She has some great study guide tips. So if you’re preparing to take the NASM cPT exam, or thinking about getting certified, I highly suggest checking out her NASM & Study Guides page!

Before the husband and I head out for our Saturday activities, I wanted to make us this protein shake. Hopefully you’re not sick of my “protein” recipes… but for how often I strength train and use weight circuit training, I basically need a decent amount of protein in every meal and snack I have, hence the addition of protein powder in a lot of my foods and recipes I share. I won’t get too far in to the protein talk today, but if you’re focusing on building muscle and you do high-intensity training a few days a week, you should look into your protein intake, and make sure you’re getting enough!

Okay so! Let’s talk about some of the essentials of this shake, shall we?

The cacao, pronounced “ca-cow” is essentially the unprocessed, raw form of chocolate. I know dark chocolate gets all the hype about being “good for you”, but commercial dark chocolate is processed and contains added ingredients you typically don’t need, or may actually be harmful to you, i.e. soy lecithin. (If you have a soy sensitivity or allergy, make sure to check your labels, because this ingredient is in TON of packaged products. From cooking oil spray to bagels to baking chips.)

CACAO contains an abundance of antioxidants, and is an excellent source of iron and magnesium. (Read this article here for why magnesium is so important!) And while cherries also contain antioxidants, they also aid in reducing inflammation (think post-workout soreness), fighting belly fat, and help you get more sleep! Talk about the perfect fruit!

The almond butter I added was to get a good dose of healthy fats in. PLUS, I just got this new almond butter that I HAD to try out…

Kalot Superfood Fusions Cherry Almond Vanilla… with VITAMINS? Yes, please. Plus the whole cherry vanilla thing, obviously I had to include this in my protein shake! 😉

–OMG. I just checked out their website, and holy cannoli they have way more flavors than I originally thought! I’m in trouble…

(Hello, my name is Ashley, and I’m a nut butter addict.)

P.S. “KOLAT” just did a little re-branding and changed their brand name to “KALOT”. Check out their about page on the website. They seem like a pretty neat almond butter company! 🙂

How to Make...

Cherry Cacao Almond Butter Protein Shake

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Ingredients

• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk)
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 2 scoops favorite chocolate protein powder (I like this one)
• 2 TBS cacao powder
• 2 TBS your favorite almond butter

(optional add-in, 1 cup spinach)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into your blender, or NutriBullet, and blend until smooth.

Recipes Notes:

*This shake would make a great post-workout recovery drink with a good amount of protein, plus a natural source of carbs from the cherries to replenish muscle glycogen, not to mention the anti-inflammatory boost!

Nutrition Information:

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 257
• Sugar: 9
• Fat: 11
• Carbohydrates: 18
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 24

Do you have a nut butter addiction? What is your FAVORITE brand of nut butter?

Enjoy the weekend, friends!