A personal trainer shares her go-to protein-packed smoothie that tastes like cookie batter

• Fitness instructor Kelsey Wells has been a fan of protein smoothies for a long time.

• Her go-to recipe is "a meal in a cup" that "tastes like oatmeal cookie batter," she said.

• It provides protein, fat, slow-release carbs, and fiber too.

Kelsey Wells' favorite smoothie is "a meal in a cup" and "tastes like oatmeal cookie batter," she said.

The personal trainer and fitness instructor has long loved smoothies as a way to boost her protein intake, knowing how important it is for muscle maintenance and growth, as well as recovering from workouts.

"I don't love eating meat and in fact I was vegetarian for a time, so I started eating a lot of protein smoothies," she told Insider. "I love a good protein smoothie."

Wells is a fitness trainer on the Sweat app where she has strength training programs for home workouts, the gym, and her new program, PWR Fusion, which features 30-minute workouts.

Wells said her go-to smoothie is "so yummy."

The recipe consists of:

• Vanilla protein powder

• Oats

• Almond butter

• Honey

• Banana

• A dash of cinnamon

• Skim milk (or milk of choice)

The oats, protein powder, and almond butter mean Wells' smoothie provides fat, protein, and slow-release carbs, keeping her feeling full longer.

Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine previously told Insider that this is an essential component of a well-balanced smoothie, and the biggest mistake people make is creating smoothies that are just fruit.

"When people are like, 'Oh, I had a smoothie for lunch,' I'm like, 'That's not a meal,'" Wells agreed. "But if you're putting the right things in it, it truly can be. If I'm taking the time to blend up a smoothie, I don't just want fruit and ice and some protein, I want a meal in a cup."

Read the original article on Insider