Mocha Banana Breakfast Smoothie (coffee + breakfast in 1 cup!)

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Nestle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BreakfastEssentials http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

My husband introduced me to Carnation Breakfast Essentials 5-6 years ago and I have enjoyed making drinks and smoothies with it for breakfast (or really anytime of day – sometimes for lunch!) I find myself being seasonal in the things I want to eat and with the weather getting warmer, I was wanting to switch from a hot breakfast that I have enjoyed all winter (toast, eggs, and coffee) to something cooler and quicker. Do you eat seasonally? Oh how I love my soups in the in the winter, but really can’t stand them in the summer, and I find myself craving salads and fresh fruits and veggies so much more in the warmer weather.

So the other day as I was doing my grocery shopping at Kroger, I picked up new box of Carnation Breakfast Essentials in Rich Milk Chocolate of course! They have other flavors as well – Classic French Vanilla, Classic Chocolate Malt, Dark Chocolate, Strawberry Sensation, and a Variety Pack (which has multiple flavors). And I even got to use a $1.00 off coupon on my purchase and you can too – look for Carnation Breakfast Essentials offers here.

My go-to recipe for using Carnation Breakfast Essentials in years past has been ice, milk, rich milk chocolate or chocolate malt powder, and a scoop of peanut butter! I can’t tell you how many of these I drank in the mornings when I worked out of the home in the car on the way to work or even on Saturdays as I headed out to shop yard sales. And it was so yummy! I mean who doesn’t want to drink a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake smoothie for breakfast?? The added scoop of peanut butter would keep me satisfied until lunch time – no midmorning snack cravings.

I love that even if I am having to grab breakfast on the run, I am still getting good nutrition. Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Powder provides the following nutritional benefits – 21 vitamins & minerals, 13g of protein, and as much calcium as a 6 oz cup of yogurt.

But in the last year things have changed and I have become quite a coffee addict lover. You know it is bad when you go to bed at night looking forward to being able to get up the next morning and enjoy a fresh cup. Once again in summer, I sort of switch to an iced coffee craving instead of hot coffee so I thought why not combine the two – breakfast and my coffee need in ONE cup?

Which is just what I did! And I even threw in the addition of some fruit too.

Here’s how I make mine:

1/2 – 1 cup crushed ice (depending on how cold and thick you want your smoothie)
1/2 banana (preferably frozen)
1/2 cup coffee (preferably cold) or you can brew the smallest brew on your Keurig
1/2 cup milk (or almond milk or coconut milk – whatever you prefer – coconut milk would be amazing!)
1 packet of Rich Milk Chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials

Blend in a personal blender (I have a Magic Bullet) or regular blender and enjoy!

I like to take a bunch of bananas, cut them in half, freeze them on a cookie sheet for a few hours, and then transfer to a Ziploc bag so they are ready for smoothies and I always have fresh fruit on hand. I do the same with strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc. My other favorite Carnation Breakfast Essentials smoothie is a fruit smoothie made with the Classic Vanilla powder, yogurt, some orange juice, and whatever fruit I have on hand or in the freezer – strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, banana, etc.

Smoothies are so customizable – don’t like coffee, do this same smoothie and just leave out the coffee! Want to add yogurt or some greens? So many possibilities and with the addition of the Carnation Breakfast Essentials you know you are adding lots of vitamins and protein to your smoothie.