Protein is important. So is taste and so is health. Here’s a smoothie I make every afternoon. It fills me up and is so delicious I wish I was eating three a day. It’s thick, hearty and sweet. Pure power! Plus it’s raw vegan so everyone can enjoy and no one gets hurt.

You can find all the ingredients at the Vitamin Cottage. Just toss them in the blender and press play…oh, but don’t forget to first offer the food to God, the divine (or greater good, depending how you think), and fill the rest of the blender with love:

Coconut Water (1/3 of one of those Amy & Brian’s cans)
1 large Banana
3 coconut date rolls (yum!)
3 big spoonfuls of raw Hemp protein powder (Nutiva brand)
1 small handful of raw spanish almonds (preferably soaked over night)
2 spoons of raw cacao nibs

So that’s the basic recipe, but get creative and play around with the combinations to match your taste. Sometimes I sub walnuts, hemp seeds, or sesame seeds for the almonds. And sometimes I sub soaked figs for the dates. But the hemp protein is most important and so is the cacao! And if yours doesn’t taste as good as mine, add agave nectar.

If you’d like to learn more on raw nutrition, check with local mama and elephant columnist Brigitte Mars.