Whole-Food Protein Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries or other  seasonal fruit
• ½ cup frozen cranberries
• ¼ lemon with rind (optional)
• 2 tbs. almond butter
• 2 tbs. pumpkin-seeds
• 2 tbs. chia seeds
• 2 tbs. hemp seeds
• 1 small handful nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or pecans (optional: add a Brazil nut or two for selenium)
• 1 leaf de-stemmed, ripped-up kale or handful of spinach (optional)
• 1 tbs. extra-virgin coconut butter
• ½ cup unsweetened almond or hemp milk
• 1 cup water, plus 1 to 3 ice cubes if desired.

Improvise! It’s fine to use the greens, seeds, and seasonal fruits you have on hand — just strive to maintain suggested ratios.

For a fast to-go smoothie, put the ingredients in a wide-mouth Mason jar and use a hand blender to mix to desired consistency. Then drink one portion straight from the jar. Chill the unused portion for a great midmorning or afternoon snack.

You can also use a regular blender, if you prefer. If the shake is too thick, add more water until you reach a drinkable consistency.

Makes 2 to 3 servings. Prepared as shown, each 1-cup serving contains about 370 metabolism-boosting calories — a nice balance of plant-based protein, healthy fats, and phytonutrient-rich, fiber-packed, low-glycemic carbs. Rightsize the recipe based on your appetite and energy needs. You can also add unsweetened, plant-based protein powder and supergreens to further pump up the nutritional value, if desired.

Prep time: 3 to 5 minutes, including cleanup.