Let’s Make A Banana-Free Smoothie!
This is ish is bananas! B-a-n-a-n-a-s! (Thanks Gwen Stefani!)
There are so many smoothie recipes out there that require bananas. Now I don’t dislike bananas (I actually love them), however, I do believe that bananas (and other high sugary fruits) should be eaten in moderation. Bananas have a higher calorie and sugar content than a lot of other fruits so having them as a wholesome treat once in awhile with some almond butter or cacao nibs is something I recommend. But if you’re like me, who consume green smoothies and juices on the daily, it’s probably a fine idea to swap out bananas once in awhile from your typical smoothie and think outside the box! When you’re on a plant based diet, remember that a variety of vegetables and fruits are key. (Especially veggies!)
While having a banana is a great source of vitamin B and potassium, you don’t need to eat them daily to be healthy. Despite popular belief, you also don’t need them to make a nourishing smoothie either. You can have a an incredible creamy, healthier smoothie without it – and a delicious one at that! For those of you who don’t like the taste of banana in your smoothie or on a lower glycemic, low sugar and low fructose diet (like moi), I got chu!
What you’ll need:
1/4 of frozen organic strawberries or raspberries (frozen wild blueberries work too)
1 cup of frozen cucumber slices
1/2 cup of frozen zucchini slices
2 packed cups of spinach (or other leafy green)
1 cup of kale
1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk frozen cubes (or 1.5 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 scoop of Vanilla Vegan Protein Powder
1 tbsp of ground flax
2 tbsp of chia seeds (trick: you can gelatinize it with some water before throwing it in!)
1 tbsp of hemp hearts
Optional: 1 tsp of pure almond butter, stevia to taste (if you like it sweeter!), cacao powder, maca powder, 1 tsp of baobab powder, cinnamon
For an extra creamy smoothie, add 1 frozen avocado slice. For a sweeter smoothie, add 1/2 cup of frozen melon or cantaloupe. For a frothier smoothie, add ice or more almond milk frozen cubes.
To make this a fruit free smoothie, you can eliminate the frozen berries and add more frozen cucumbers. Frozen cucumbers actually taste a bit sweeter so you might not even miss the fruit!
Add the almond milk first in the blender. Throw in the rest of the ingredients. Blend, blend, blend! Devour.
Leave a Reply