Inspired by my Daily Dozen – Chocolate Smoothie, I wanted to make something that’d tick even more boxes – and this does! If you’re not sure what the “Daily Dozen” is, check out the chocolate smoothie linked above, or head over to nutritionfacts.org.

In this delicious, high protein, creamy smoothie, you’re getting over 40g protein, a serving of blueberries, two additional servings of fruit, a serving of greens, one of flax seeds, one of nuts and almost one of whole grains. That’s not bad for a single meal!

In this blend, I use a combination of Wyldsson vanilla protein powder (20g) and unflavoured brown rice protein powder, which I feel adds a good mix of vanilla/sweetness, but it’s not overly sweet. Please use whatever protein powder(s) you have to hand, but you may need to use a bit less if they have a strong flavour. You may also wish to add some vanilla if you’re using a protein powder that doesn’t have vanilla in it.

If you’re not using a high-powered blender, it’s best to grind your flax seeds beforehand. You can buy them already ground, but grinding them yourself is the better option where possible. Once the outer shell is broken, the delicate omega-3 fats are exposed to air and light, which means oxidation starts fairly quickly. Freshly grinding them helps keep those fats intact and prevents the oils from losing their nutritional value (or going a bit unpleasant and stale).