By Mariah Ashley

Ever wonder what your fellow photographers eat to keep their energy up while shooting? Well, welcome to the first installment of “fitographer”. I’m excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you today, the Nutty Banana Protein Smoothie. With my fitographer recipes I’ll share the foods I eat for sustained energy while working and overall well being.

See, spring might be here but I am no chicken. I’ve been around the coop a few more times than I care to admit. Come August I’ll be 42. Ouch. Photographing weddings was physically demanding in my 20’s {circa 1998 for anyone who’s counting}. Now it’s 2014 and the wedding day is just as long and the equipment is just as heavy. It’s time to start training for the wedding season like the marathon that it is. I find that one of the best things I can do for myself while I tackle the next six months of non-stop shooting is provide my body the proper fuel. It’s amazing what a difference it can make in my energy level and stamina. I once heard someone say, “Food can be the cause of your poor health or the cure for it.” I’m no expert in any of this, just a good-food enthusiast. I’ve read lots on the subject and hope that any gems of information I uncover will also be helpful to you.

I thought I’d share this first recipe, the Nutty Banana Protein Smoothie because it’s pretty much how I start off every day and it makes me feel great. Plus, it tastes like dessert, so that’s always good. I like to drink this in the morning before a long day of shooting. Usually I’m not even hungry at lunch time if I’ve had the smoothie for breakfast.

The Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

3 ice cubes

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

2 dates, pits removed

1 tbsp hemp protein powder

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp almond butter

Blend, pour into a fun glass, pop in a straw, ENJOY!

Tip: Use organic products when possible. Not in the budget to buy all organic? These are the top foods to avoid due to the high content of pesticide residue; apples, strawberries, spinach, grapes, potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, pears, celery, peaches, nectarines, bell pepper, blueberries, kale, cherries. *

When you eat a vegan diet like I do, people always ask, “But how do you get your protein? Don’t you have to eat animals products to get the proper amount of protein?” The answer is no, you don’t. This smoothie packs a whopping 11.15 grams of protein. By comparison, if you were to eat an egg for breakfast instead of this smoothie you’d only be getting 6 grams of protein. The hemp powder has 3.75 grams and is also a complete protein (all essential amino acids), the dates have 1g, flax 1.6g, almond butter 2.5g, almond milk 1g, and the frozen banana has 1.3g. In addition you are getting a substantial does of Omega 3 and Omega 6, Calcium, and Potassium. The recommended daily allowance of protein is .8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. I have calculated my body weight in kilograms to be 67.13kg. This means I need 53.7g of protein per day according to the RDA. The nutty banana smoothie provides me with 20% of my RDA for protein. Not bad for a breakfast or mid afternoon pick me up.

Let me know if you try the smoothie and if it makes you feel happy and energized. I’d love to hear from you! As you can see, it works for Trish and me!

*Environmental Working Group, 2011 Shoppers Guide, “The Full List: 53 Fruits and Veggies