Strawberry Soy Smoothie with Silk Soymilk

Thank you to Silk Soymilk for sponsoring today’s conversation. 

As a general rule, I’m not a big fan of my kids’ pre-bedtime ritual. Giving baths, combing tangled hair, arguing about vitamins/pajamas/toothpaste/current events – just not my thing. I try to weasel my way out of it as much as possible and just skip straight to the snuggly bedtime part.

Most of the time, my husband pretends not to notice my sudden extreme busyness at exactly 7:00 every night, and he handles bath time without me. But sometimes he’s not home, I just have to suck it up and do it.

Last night was one of those nights. My husband wasn’t home, and I was on my own for bedtime. I must have been even crankier than usual, because my 9 year old looked up from the bathtub and asked me, “Mommy, what did you eat for dinner?” Yep. My kid accused me of being “hangry.” (Hangry = Hungry + Angry.) True story.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that she was right. I hadn’t been feeling well earlier in the day and had more or less skipped dinner – so by 7:00 p.m., I was hangry. When I get hungry, I get irritable. Anyone who knows me well knows this about me.

So what to do? As I’ve shared before, I’m kind of on a perpetual quest to find protein-packed, good-for-me foods – especially for after I run. It’s particularly important to include protein in your post-workout recovery – a good rule of thumb is to use a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio:

To use the 4:1 carbs to protein ratio:

• Your weight divided by 2 = suggested grams of carbs
• Suggested grams of carbs divided by 4 = suggested grams of protein

Here’s how that looks for me:

• 113/2 = (about) 57 grams of carbs
• 56.5/4 = (about) 14 grams of protein

I typically don’t have an appetite after I run, but skipping my protein is 1) bad for my muscle recovery, and 2) a first class ticket to Hangry Town. Given my poor appetite, I usually find it easier to drink my protein, versus eat it.

And that’s where Silk Soymilk comes in. I recently shared my love for strawberry milk, both as a snack and for post-run recovery. The problem is, sometimes (not always) dairy upsets my stomach. Soymilk can be a great alternative – it’s easier on my stomach, and one serving has 8 grams of plant-powered protein. I found this recipe on marthastewart.com for the easiest Strawberry Soy Smoothie ever:

Strawberry Soy Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, thickly sliced
• 2 cup strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup Silk Original or Vanilla Soymilk
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

In a blender, combine ripe banana, strawberries, soy milk, and honey. Puree until smooth.

Done in under 5 minutes and tastes delicious!

Are you ready to Fall Back In Love with Soy? Visit silk.com/lovesoymilk for a coupon, product info, recipes, and more!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.