Bananas are often used in smoothies because of their sweet taste and creamy texture, the perfect combo.
I have a few meal planning clients that don’t like bananas. I actually frequently run into others with the same feelings at my workshops or in my health groups. Well, I’m a smoothie and banana lover, but I’ve found myself occasionally forgetting to get bananas at the store, or have bananas that just aren’t ripe enough for a smoothie, and have been forced to make a smoothie taste good without.
Let me tell ya, it’s not that hard.
Typically, when I’m missing a banana, I make sure to include a sweet fruit like a red apple, ripe pear, or an orange. I up the sweetness factor a bit more with some raw honey or a scoop of vanilla protein powder. The protein powder also helps give the smoothie a bit more bulk while keeping it creamy.
This smoothie uses an apple and my favorite protein powder (though any protein powder will work) and also includes greens and berries because plant fiber is the key to health and I love a good dose of antioxidants in the morning. It’s topped with peanut butter and ground flax seed to up the healthy fat load and make you feel full.
Here is a delicious smoothie that tastes like a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich in a cup, sans banana!
Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
Ingredients
Directions
Naturally Vegan (is using a dairy free milk and protein powder) and Gluten-Free.
Meal Prepping Tip: Wash, chop , and portion all of the ingredients except for the strawberries, milk, and ice cubes into containers that are kept in the fridge for the week. When ready for smoothie, just dump a container into a blender and add strawberries, milk, and ice and blend!