kiwi blackberry hemp smoothie {giveaway}

It is rare to see a giveaway or a sponsored review on this blog, come to think about it this is a first. Over the years I have had several companies reach out looking to sponsor a post or send along a product for review, however none of them ever felt like the right fit. A few weeks back Pacific Foods approached me looking to see if I would be interested in participating in their non dairy month during the month of June; I jumped at the chance! First I love Pacific's line of vegan products and have been a loyal customer for several years, secondly I love the fact that there is a whole month dedicated to promoting dairy alternatives. Each week I will be featuring a smoothie and recipe featuring the non dairy beverage of the week. This week let me introduce you to Hemp Milk, which just so happens to be one of my favorites!

Pacific is a company that carries many of the core values I look for in a Company,  they are NON GMO, Certified to the Source & Organic, which are all important  to me. Their main philosophy : Grow Better, Farm Friendlier, Never a Rogue Filbert Shall This Way Pass- read their full story here. .

Hemp milk is a powerhouse - a great source of plant based nutrition containing Omega 3 and 6, 10 essential amino acids and 4 grams of digestible  protein plus a whole slew of other amazing benefits that you can read about here.

If you follow me on Instagram {if you don't you totally should!} you already know of my recent smoothie obsession. When the warmer weather hits I like to start my day off with a smoothie or as a post workout fix. This smoothie features 3 different sources of hemp: hemp milk, hemp seeds & hemp protein {powder}. Hemp protein is a high quality source of protein due to its high rate of digestibility. The better a protein is digested, the more efficiently it can be used by the body. One of my favorite things about hemp in general is the nuttiness it brings to the table- super tasty. 

All the hemp goodness is blended together with blackberries, kiwi and banana then topped off with a sprinkle of hemp seeds. The hemp milk I used already had hints of vanilla, but for a little extra vanilla goodness you could add in a splash of pure vanilla extract.

My favorite thing about a smoothie besides the endless combinations- they come together super fast. You can blend this in a large capacity food processor or a blender, in a pinch an immersion blender also works really well.

Wanna participate in non dairy month? Tag your non diary creations with #nondairymonth and  if you decide to try your hand at this smoothie I would love to see your creation, tag it with #smbp! One last thing! Pacific would love to hook one of SMBP Readers up with a case of Hemp Milk- enter below for a chance to win!  {The giveaway will run until 12:00am EST on 6-6-14 and is open to US residents only.  Please use the box below to enter.}

Kiwi Blackberry Hemp Smoothie

makes 1 smoothie

you will need:

1 ripe banana {frozen or fresh}

6 blackberries {frozen or fresh}

1 kiwi peeled and sliced in half

1 (8oz) container of Pacific Vanilla Hemp Milk

1 tsp hemp powder/protien

1 tsp hemp seeds + more for sprinkling

splash of vanilla extract {optional}

assembly:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass, top with extra hemp seeds and enjoy!

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*I was given this product to review however all thoughts and opinions are my own