{"id":9606,"date":"2018-07-10T18:38:29","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T22:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganlovlie.com\/?p=9606"},"modified":"2019-12-11T02:15:18","modified_gmt":"2019-12-11T07:15:18","slug":"coconut-cherry-brown-rice-protein-shake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veganlovlie.com\/coconut-cherry-brown-rice-protein-shake\/","title":{"rendered":"Coconut Cherry Brown Rice Protein Shake"},"content":{"rendered":"

A flavourful sprouted brown rice protein smoothie<\/strong>\u00a0naturally sweetened with cherries. Coconut milk produces a creamy texture and a sweet refreshing aroma. Water kefir is optional for some added probiotic benefits for a delicious nutrient-dense plant-based protein shake<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition. Read below for full disclosure.<\/small><\/p>\n

Whole foods undoubtedly provide a much preferred balance of nutrients than meal replacements, although a carefully selected protein shake\u00a0may often\u00a0present an agreeable healthy choice.<\/p>\n

I try to get my macro and micro nutrients mostly from freshly cooked whole foods. And when it comes to sometimes adding in a meal replacement, I am\u00a0quite\u00a0selective.\u00a0The cost of convenience can be rather high with sometimes a negative impact on health. And what we are really buying is time — to do something else. Whether we use this ‘bought’ time in a mindful way or we’ve actually sacrificed an opportunity to mindfully prepare a nutritious homemade meal is a conversation for another day.<\/p>\n

With that said, my protein smoothies are\u00a0still like a meal that I prepare with fresh ingredients. The recipes vary depending on what I need for the day or what I have on hand. Sometimes I go for high-calorie shakes naturally sweetened with fresh or frozen fruits and at other times, I go for a high-fat low-carb option by skipping the fruits and using stevia with coconut oil\u00a0or coconut milk\u00a0and cocoa powder\u00a0with cinnamon for flavour.<\/p>\n

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Kevin introduced me to protein powders quite a number of years ago when he was weight lifting. I soon joined him at the gym with a workout schedule that was aimed mostly at strength training at that time. Protein shakes have since been part of our diet whether we were training or not.<\/p>\n

Our workouts nowadays are less strenuous and currently involves more stretching, yoga postures and light cardiovascular exercises rather than heavy weight lifting. But protein powders\u00a0are still woven into our diet and they sometimes replace a whole meal with a freshly blended nutrient-dense\u00a0protein smoothie.<\/p>\n

When it comes to protein powders, not all of them are made equal. Some may contain\u00a0dozens of different ingredients, many of which are\u00a0processed foods\u00a0that are\u00a0difficult to break down and not to mention added sugar in the form of dextrose, maltodextrin and the likes.\u00a0The\u00a0kind of protein powders that\u00a0we go for\u00a0are free of synthetic ingredients or fillers.<\/p>\n

We’ve tried many different brands of vegan protein powders, some were better than others. Being allergic to nuts and\u00a0a lot of seeds makes it quite a challenge to find the ideal protein powder in our case. Hemp and flax seeds for example, which we can only consume a small amount of at a time, are often added\u00a0to\u00a0a lot of vegan protein powders. Hence, easy-to-absorb plant-based protein powders such as pea protein or sprouted brown rice protein are our preference.<\/p>\n

Recently,\u00a0we came across a\u00a0selection of\u00a0vegan protein powders<\/a>\u00a0from a\u00a0relatively new brand —\u00a0Naked Nutrition<\/a>. There were two in particular that\u00a0we found interesting\u00a0— the Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Protein\u00a0<\/strong>and the Pea Protein<\/strong>. They\u00a0contain just one ingredient<\/strong> each.<\/p>\n

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We decided to try the Sprouted Brown Rice Protein<\/strong>. Sprouted foods are acclaimed\u00a0as nutritionally superior. When a grain is sprouted, this\u00a0reduces the amount of starch stored within and\u00a0produces enzymes that make it easier for the body to digest and metabolise\u00a0the protein they contain.<\/p>\n

Not only is it a huge nutritional benefit, but we also found the taste to be much better and the texture smoother compared to other unsprouted brown rice protein powders that\u00a0we have tried before.<\/p>\n

Naturally, because the\u00a0sprouted\u00a0brown\u00a0rice protein powder contains just one ingredient, blending it with only water or some plant-based milk, although drinkable, does\u00a0not quite\u00a0produce a\u00a0palatable\u00a0beverage. But the sky is the limit as to how you can flavour and make brown rice protein taste delicious while also adding to the nutrient profile.<\/p>\n

\"Coconut <\/picture><\/p>\n

My current favourite\u00a0combination\u00a0is\u00a0this\u00a0seasonal cherry protein\u00a0smoothie\u00a0which I’m sharing the recipe for. Fresh sweet cherries being abundant at the moment, it would be a shame not to make the most of them. Plus, apart from their delicious flavour, they add some healthy natural sweetness as well as dietary fibre to this smoothie.<\/p>\n

Although I’ve used fresh cherries in this recipe,\u00a0I like to\u00a0keep frozen fruits in the refrigerator so that\u00a0I always have\u00a0something at hand to make a delicious smoothie at any time. I often freeze my own fruits from fresh — mangoes, bananas, strawberries are the common ones.<\/p>\n

The recipe calls for water kefir<\/strong><\/a> which you can easily make your own at home. I have also seen coconut milk kefir at some regular grocery stores. But I usually make my own kefir from water kefir grains. I’ll be sharing some tips and a tutorial on this soon, so stay tuned. Water kefir is rich in\u00a0probiotics and\u00a0it adds a nice balance of sweet tangy flavour alongside the cherries in this smoothie. You can very well make this smoothie without water kefir though; it’s just as delicious without.<\/p>\n

Where to Buy<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Both the Sprouted Brown Rice Protein<\/strong> and the Pea Protein<\/strong> can be purchased directly from the Naked Nutrition<\/strong> website —\u00a0US store<\/a> and Canadian store<\/a>. You can also buy them on Amazon US<\/a> and Amazon Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Coconut Cherry Brown Rice Protein Shake with Water Kefir<\/h2>\n

Ingredients<\/strong>\u00a0(serve 2)<\/p>\n

1\u00a0cup [180 g, about 30] pitted sweet cherries, fresh or frozen
\n2 dates, Medjool or other variety, pitted and soaked for\u00a020 minutes
\n1\/2 cup [120 ml] canned coconut milk
\n1\/2 cup [120 ml] plain water kefir<\/a> (homemade),\u00a0optional – substitute with water
\n1\/2 – 3\/4 cup [120 – 180 ml] water, adjust\u00a0amount to desired smoothie consistency
\n1\/2 teaspoon vanilla\u00a0extract
\n2 scoops Naked Nutrition Organic Brown Rice Protein Powder<\/a>
\nFew mint leaves
\n5 – 6 ice cubes, if using fresh cherries<\/p>\n

Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Place all the ingredients into a blender. For best results and smooth blending place the ingredients in the order listed.<\/p>\n

Turn the blender on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend at high speed until the smoothie is completely smooth.<\/p>\n

Serve immediately.<\/p>\n

Nutrition facts per serving\u00a0<\/strong>(recipe makes 2 servings)
\nCalories\u00a0302\u00a0| Carb\u00a035\u00a0g\u00a0| Fat\u00a012\u00a0g | Protein\u00a014 g | Sodium 19 mg | Sugars 28 g |\u00a0Dietary Fibre\u00a04\u00a0g
\nVitamin A 2 % |\u00a0Vitamin C 10 % | Calcium 7 % | Iron 14 %<\/p>\n

* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by\u00a0Health Canada or\u00a0the U.S. FDA.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Coconut Kefir Cherry Brown Rice Protein Shake<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
Coconut Kefir Cherry Brown Rice Protein Shake<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Course <\/span>Beverage<\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cuisine <\/span>Vegan<\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Keyword <\/span>brown rice protein, vegan protein powder, vegan protein smoothie, water kefir smoothie<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Prep Time <\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Total Time <\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Servings <\/span>2<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Author <\/span>Teenuja Dahari - veganlovlie.com<\/span><\/div>\n

Ingredients<\/h3>