How to make a pumpkin banana spice smoothie

You don't need an expensive blender to make great smoothies. I use a $40 Ninja. But I do spend money for high-quality ingredients - fresh and organic as often as possible.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of vanilla flavored almond milk into a blender. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in your smoothie, use plain almond milk.

Feel free to use soy milk if you like that better than almond milk.

Add 1/2 cup pure pumpkin.

Slice 1 ripe, medium-sized banana and add to the blender.

Most protein powders come with a measuring scoop. In my protein powder canister, one scoop = 4 tablespoons. I use 1/2 scoop or 2 tablespoons in my smoothies.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal for a healthy dose of fat. Don't accidentally add flax seeds - you need the ground seeds.

If you like, you can throw in a few leaves of spinach for added nutrition. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't.

Viola! A creamy, nutrient-rich smoothie that tastes good and is good for you!