I love a good protein shake. I don’t love eating a lot of protein sans vegetables or fruit. This shake solves that issue with a healthy handful of kale. Yes, you heard me, kale.

I’ve had this gluten free, dairy free protein shake for breakfast the last three days in a row. I used kale that I picked from my garden. Starting the day off with a heaping dose of protein keeps my energy level up and helps me get in a better morning workout.

Mint Chip Protein Shake

• 1-2 ounces kale leaves (about a handful)
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 scoop Frank Zane Egg White Protein Powder (or protein powder of your choice)
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 10 drops vanilla crème stevia
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 tablespoon chocolate drops

1. Place kale, hemp seeds, protein powder and water in a vitamix
2. Blend on high speed for 60-90 seconds, until smooth
3. If your shake doesn’t blend up nicely in 90 seconds add just a bit more water
4. Blend in peppermint, stevia and coconut oil, then ice
5. When shake is thick and smooth, blend in chocolate chips
6. Serve

Update: I apologize as I made this shake with protein powder and did not write it in the recipe above; I have fixed this error.

The boys are back in school, if you can believe that. They started last week. We are getting into a good groove and I welcome the routine, though I miss the houseful of boys that we had here all summer. It’s so quiet until my two arrive home with a gaggle of friends looking for food, which of course I’m more than happy to provide.

I haven’t offered them this Mint Chip Protein Shake yet, however, I will this week. And take note, this shake is not about hiding foods from your children (or adults), it’s about being able to eat something rich and smooth for breakfast that has a nice dose of fiber in it. I don’t think this tastes super kale-ish, however, it does have a good earthy flavor to it. I’m curious to see if you like it too.

Here are some other protein shakes for you: