For the past few days I’ve been making a huge morning breakfast smoothie using Vega: Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer. For those of you not familiar with Vega it’s a nutritionally complete powder made from natural plant-based whole-foods. It’s alkaline, easily digestible, gluten-free, soy-free, and GMO-free. It contains no animal products, including eggs and dairy. No wheat, no yeast, no added sugar, no artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or artificial preservatives, and no herbicides or pesticides. It comes in four different flavors - Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, Nuteral, and Berry - three different sizes - 36oz containers, 17oz containers and small single serving packages - and was formulated by Brendan Brazier. A vegan professional Ironman triathlete and best-selling author on performance nutrition.
It is a complete meal with only 240 calories per serving. However I personally think the 2 scoop serving is a bit much for one person, and so if I’m making the smoothie for just me I use only 1 scoop, which is 120 calories. The product is sweetened with stevia and contains 100% of your RDA - in the full 2 scoop serving - for Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B2, B3, B6, B12, Thiamin, Folate, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, and Chromium. It also contains 60% dietary fiber, 52% protein, and 43% Potassium. There is no sodium, only 6g of fat, and only 7% Carbohydrates. It also contains 2,500mg of Omega-3 Fatty acids, 1,500mg Omega-6 fatty acids, 2,500mg Chlorella, 2,500mg Maca root, 300mg Digestive enzyme blend, 83mg dairy-free probiotic blend, and 43,000mg of plant based protein from hemp yellow pea, brown rice, and whole flax seed.
I’ve never really been into protein powders, or things of that nature. Not as a omnivore nor as a vegan. I know/knew plenty of people who drank boost, and whey protein and what not and never really understood it. However a couple of friends of mine have recently been raving about Vega, and since I’m always interested in making sure my husband and I receive optimal nutrition I thought I’d give it a try. As healthy as we eat day to day, lets face it there are those crazy days where we just don’t have the time to consume as many fruits and veggies as we need to or would like to. On those days we’re subjected to eating fast, carby, usually fatty foods, which always leave us feeling so gross and drained. This is the perfect solution to that. All you need to do is add Vega to water and shake, but if you’ve got a bit more time or want to give yourself an extra kick you can blend it with some water or non-dairy milk, and some fruit of your choice. It really does keep you feeling full so you can power through those busy mornings without having to munch down a cliff bar, or stop off at starbucks for a bagel.
As far as taste goes it’s a nutritional supplement, so it kind of tastes like one. A little chalky like most of them are, but the berry flavor is pretty good and made even better by blending it with a banana or some blueberries. I actually quite like the chocolate one as well, I didn’t think I would, but it’s pretty great. I thought it was less chalky and less powdery then the berry flavor, and it’s totally brilliant blended with 1 C almond milk 1 C water and 1 banana. Tastes just like a chocolate banana smoothie and who doesn’t love that?
Anyway all week I’ve been playing around with different combinations of ingredients. I used all kinds of different fruits, I used kale and some other greens, and all of my concoctions were okay, but this morning I really hit the jackpot. This smoothie was so good that I think it’ll be the only one I make when I use berry flavored Vega. So if you have Vega give it a try, and if you don’t have Vega but are curious about it I really suggest trying it out. Especially if you’re concerned about getting the proper nutrition through your diet, or just if you have a busy life and need something more substantial then a cup of coffee and a power bar in the morning.
*** Note - This recipe makes enough for 2 medium sized eaters. So I suggest halving it if it’s just for you. Unless your particularly hungry, or a big eater. Or you can always drink half of it, then refrigerate the other half to enjoy later in the day. ***
Nutritional Powerhouse Smoothie
4 C purified water
2 Medium sized Bananas
1 C Frozen Blueberries
½ C Frozen Mixed Berries (I used a blend of Raspberries, Blackberries, and Mulberries)
2 Scoops Vega
- Add ingredients into a highspeed blender in order listed above. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds until smoothie is well blended and smooth.
- Pour into two large glasses and enjoy!
***Note - If you’re not used to getting much fiber in your diet I recommend not going anywhere that won’t have a bathroom available. Also be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to help the fiber move through your system.***
Vega’s Website - http://myvega.com/
The fact that Brendan Brazier is both a vegan & professional Ironman alone is worth noting. That'll show any meateater who wonders how you can gain & keep muscle mass. ;) - Matt
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