It is pumpkin spice season everywhere. Starbucks has that little famous drink called the Pumpkin Spice Latte or PSL for short. They also can make it in frappucino form. Does it taste great? Of course it does. Only problem is, the calorie count is very high and drinks are full of added sugars. Unfortunately, frequent consumption of Pumpkin Spice Frappucinos or Lattes from Starbucks will not help you get those six pack of abs you want, no matter how much core work you do.


So, what if you can enjoy pumpkin goodness, get your caffeine buzz, cut your calories, and get a nice serving of protein? Well, I may have the answer. I do not have the machinery to make lattes, but I can make frappucinos. Anybody who knows me knows that I love a good smoothie!


Here is a simple recipe I experimented with.


8 oz. – Brewed Coffee – 0 Calories (I will sometimes add an additional tsp. of instant coffee to the mix to get a bit more caffeine.

OR

8 oz. Filtered Water and 2 tsp. Instant Coffee. My Keurig machine was broken at the time I took this picture, so I used Instant Coffee (The 365 Brand from Whole Foods is one of the few types that are somewhat tolerable.)

1/2 cup – REAL Canned Pumpkin (Trader Joe’s Organic Canned Pumpkin) – 50 Calories

6-8 Ice Cubes – 0 Calories (You can also use coffee ice cubes by freezing coffee in an ice cube tray)

1 Scoop of MRM Veggie Vanilla Protein – 140 calories



Blend all of the ingredients together. Top the smoothie with Pumpkin Pie Spice. I use Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice. Here are the total supplement facts for this Pumpkin Spice Protein Coffee Smoothie!


Calories – 190
Fat – 3g
Saturated Fat – 0g
Trans Fat – 0g
Carbohydrates – 17.5g
Sugars – 5.5g
Fiber – 8g
Protein – 23g


Here I am enjoying one of my concoctions!







You can use any vanilla or cinnamon protein powder of your choice, and it will still work. It is meant to be a great tasting PSL alternative that will keep you coming back for more!