Get the recipe here.

Even the most casual Biggest Loser fan knows that Jillian Michaels tells it like it is. The personal trainer has gained a cult following for telling people what they need to hear — be it to sink lower into those squats, drop and do 20 more push-ups, or that they've royally f*cked up the ice for her smoothie. The latter is precisely why I'm cowering in the corner, a few feet from the blender, as she shows me how to make her go-to breakfast, a Chocolate Almond Smoothie Bowl that looks remarkably like a healthy Wendy's Frosty.

"You're setting me up to fail here!" she shouts.

I argue I presented her with a challenge. You see, the ice was starting to melt, so just before the shoot started, I put it back in the freezer. Only it'd already melted just enough to cause all of the cubes to stick together, forcing Michaels to stab the icy mass with a butter knife to break them apart.

Once the Yeah Baby! author had proven her uh, resourcefulness, we could get back to cooking, which was essentially, as she put it, "throwing a bunch of sh*t in a blender." It doesn't get easier than that.

Michaels is the first to admit she doesn't dream up her recipes from scratch. Fitness and nutrition's her specialty, so she works with chefs to get the balance of flavors just right, and she requests certain ingredients — or makes swaps — to make them fit her lifestyle and those who follow her. Once a dish has passed the all-critical taste and health tests, it can be posted on My Fitness By Jillian Michaels, a subscription-based fitness app that offers workouts, meal plans, and recipes.

Out of all of the recipes offered, her Chocolate Almond Smoothie Bowl has become a favorite of the star, largely because it has that chocolate-nut-buttery combo that's kind of like eating dessert for breakfast. Only you don't have to count it as a cheat day.

"You can't really go wrong there," Michaels said. "Almond butter, we know, is great for heart health. It helps you feel more satiated."

There's enough cocoa powder to make it chocolatey, but not so much it's a diet-killer. Maple syrup gives it a little all-natural added sweetness, though Michaels warns not to mess with the fake stuff. Make sure your maple's the real deal, so you're not downing a bunch of corn syrup and artificial flavors.

As a final tip, Michaels suggests adding your ice gradually, so the smoothie's thick and creamy, not icy and watery. You know, as long as you haven't frozen it into a single lump first.

Jillian Michael Chocolate Almond Butter Bowl

1 serving

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 banana, sliced

1 cup ice

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 scoop egg-based protein powder

1/4 vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cacao nibs

1 teaspoon Paleo granola, no dried fruit (use gluten-free Paleo granola to be gluten-free)

1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut, shredded

  1. Blend the almond milk, banana, ice, almond butter, cocoa powder, protein powder, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a bowl and top with the cacao nibs, granola and coconut.

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