Every autumn, I fall head-over-heels for foods and flavors that stereotypically fit the season - squash, sage, clove, chai. So even before tasting this creamy banana chai smoothie, I knew I would love it simply because it showcases one of my favorite spice blends.

Even though I made a couple modifications to my friend's original recipe, it was important to me to keep her name in the recipe title. Madi's the best friend I could have ever asked for, and she deserves some notoriety on my little slice of the internet!

Madi's Chai Banana Smoothie | DoYouEvenPaleo.net

You'll see that this recipe calls for whey protein powder, which isn't strict paleo. Madi included it in her original recipe, and it's how I made it when I tried it myself. You can easily omit it if whey isn't your thing (or use a different, non-dairy protein powder).

I've never been opposed to whey protein, and lately I've been incorporating it more into my diet. For a while, I thought I didn't need it, but let's face it - protein powders are a very convenient way to increase protein intake. I've recently noticed that as a CrossFitter, I simply wasn't eating enough, especially right before and right after the WOD. Part of the problem was that I didn't have anything quick to prepare on hand, so protein powder is an easy solution to that.

There are paleo protein powders out there, but I don't seem to have issues with dairy so I'm sticking with whey for now. If you're looking for a few good-quality whey protein powders, my favorites right now are SFH and BlueBonnet.

Chai Banana Smoothie | DoYouEvenPaleo.net

If you end up using a flavored protein powder, you might have to increase the spices in the recipe lest the protein powder mask the chai flavor.

You know, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just double the spices, mix them together before putting in the blender, and then just have a little extra chai spice on hand for sprinkling on top of the smoothie or for making a second smoothie. Because we all know you're going to want a second smoothie.

It's easy to make variations of this smoothie, too. For a chai banana pumpkin smoothie (ooh, all the fall things!), add ½ cup of pumpkin. Don't have a good nut milk on hand? Use coconut water. It's not as creamy but it gets the job done.

For best results, though, follow the recipe as is and enjoy it with a smile.