Quick and Delicious: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I can’t believe it, but The Boy starts FIRST GRADE tomorrow! So crazy how quickly time passes. To all the new moms out there – listen when others say that kids grow up too fast. I didn’t believe it at first either! A new school year means we’ll be working on establishing a routine that works for the entire family. The Texan works in the opposite direction of The Boy’s school, so I’m charged with the daily pick up and drop off. I love connecting with his teacher each morning and afternoon; these few minutes with her give me enough information to ask The Boy leading questions on the car ride home. We have some of the best conversations in the car.

As much as I crave the routine of the school year, it messes with my running schedule. In a perfect world, I’d be up running at 5 in the morning every school day. [In my world, most days, I’m sitting on the couch at 5 sipping coffee and enjoying the silence.] As I think about what my daily schedule will look like, I’ve decided to cut myself some slack this year. This year, I’m going to go running AFTER morning drop off. I’ll enjoy my coffee without rushing [or guilt!] and I’ll still get my run in and have plenty of time to get to work.

This new plan means that I’ll need to grab a protein shake for the car ride to school. I can run on an empty stomach if I get up and go, but forget about it when I’ve been up for a few hours! I found EAS® Protein Powder in the pharmacy section at my local Target and decided it give it a shot! The EAS® Protein Powder Packets are portable, making it easy to incorporate protein into your busy life.

While my mornings are busy, making a smoothie with the blender takes no time at all. And trust me, nothing says fall like this easy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. You’ll be making one every day!

Look for canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling, while you’re shopping at Target and grab some pumpkin pie spice, too. Combine a few tablespoons of the pumpkin, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a few ice cubes, one packet of vanilla EAS® Protein Powder, with six- to eight-ounces of water or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Whirl it around in your blender and your tastebuds will be dancing their way out the door!

One thing I love about the EAS® Protein Powder Packets is that you can toss a packet into your travel bag and use a shaker bottle to combine it with water for a quick, portable protein shake. Over the next few months, I’ll be traveling quite a bit and sticking to my running routine is important. I know these protein packets will join me on my trip and help keep me on track!

Be sure to check out more fun ways to incorporate protein here. I’d love to hear your favorite!