My go to, get my day started, super-delicious, Superfood Smoothie.
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Pre-motherhood, I found myself susceptible to certain shall we say…“speed bumps” while starting my day…
I would somehow slip-into silly, self-sabotaging situations… i.e. “How is my phone suddenly stuck behind my nightstand?!” “How did I forget to rinse my hair in the shower?!” “Now seems like the perfect time to organize my sock drawer!”
But post-motherhood & from factoring-in pint-sized people, I find that there are so many MORE (random & ridiculous) situations that arise and stop-us from having a “smooth start” to our day…
Situations such as…
Mysteriously Missing Miscellaneousness (Why can I never find your left shoe?!)
Disastrous Doo Doo Diapers (How is it in your hair??!)
Not-so-tiny Toddler Tantrums (I’m so sorry I picked the red cup when you wanted the blue one!)
One of the ways I find that really lets me rock-out-my-morning-routine is to start my day with a smooth-ay!
(Catch the rhyming? 😉 )
That way, not only can I spare myself from having to use the stove, but I can share with my son and I can even sneak-in a few Superfoods while-in-the-process.
(Hola, Hemp Seeds! Bonjour Blueberries! Sup, Spinach? )
It was hard enough to get your pre-mama self out the door, nevermind now, while factoring-in multiple miniature humans…
~And while I can’t contribute by coming over, chiming in & changing your kiddo’s diapers, I can contribute by helping you begin your day with a little bit of Banana-based-bliss*!
*Don’t let the Banana-base scare you off if you aren’t Banana’s biggest fan!
When frozen, Bananas are subject to some-sort-of-snowy-sorcery & they become quite a culinary chameleon, taking on the taste of whatever they’re blended into.*
**Plus they’re an excellent Whole Food source of sweetness & energy!
Here’s my go-to recipe for my Protein Packed, Whole food, Peanut Butter, Blueberry, Banana Smoothie.
Ingredients
1 & 1/2 Frozen Bananas
1/4 Cup Frozen Green Peas
1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter Powder
2 Tablespoons of Hemp Seeds (Hemp Hearts)
1 Cup of Non-Dairy Milk or Filtered Water
Calories: 422 (When made with Unsweetened Almond Milk)
Yield: 16 ounces
Optional, but awesome, add-ins
For Flavor:
-A tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter or an extra scoop of Peanut Butter Powder will give it an extra boost of “Peanut Butter flavor.”
**When I want to make more of a “Milkshake” than a smoothie, I like to add an extra scoop of Peanut Butter Powder, extra frozen Bananas, and remove the Blueberries. I even sometimes swirl in a scoop of natural Peanut Butter for double the decadence! It totally tastes like & has the texture of a Dairy Free Peanut Butter Milkshake!
*Add in Powdered Cocoa or Cacao for a “Chocolate” Peanut Butter Milkshake.
Hello Heaven!
-When I’m looking for an actual “Banana” taste, I add half of a fresh Banana to my Smoothie or Shake. That totally does the trick!
For Nutrients:
–A handful or two of Raw Spinach or other Leafy Greens.
(Leafy Greens can be bitter, but Peanut Butter is a perfect mask!)
For Coldness:
–If you’re looking for a “chillier experience,” add extra Frozen Peas or Frozen Cauliflower (which you also cannot taste) to have a “cooler” smoothie experience without watering it down like ice cubes can do.
Here’s what you do
Step One: Combine everything together in your blender & process until it is smooth and creamy.
Step Two: After adequately blending, taste your Smoothie & see if it is to the taste & texture you desire and alter accordingly if needed.
Step Three: Sip & Savor! 🙂
*Mama’s Magical Tips and Tricks
-I used to always make my Smoothies in a heavy, multi-piece, old-school, Blender, but then I switched to making my smoothies in my Nutri Ninja 16oz smoothie cups. It’s so much simpler! Now, I can sip straight from the cup if I’m in a rush and they’re so much easier to clean-up than having to disassemble all the parts and pieces of a big, bulky, Blender.
~This recipe, as written, will fill the Smoothie Cup to the “Max Fill” line, so if you were hoping to add-in some extras, you will have to use an accommodating blender.
*Click Here to for a direct link to Amazon.com where you will see the Professional Ninja system that I like to use.
Pro Tip when using the Ninja Smoothie Cups:
-I find that what works the best for me is to add all the Frozen Fruit / Veggies first, then the Powders & Seeds & then the liquids.
-You want the liquids to be closest to the blades when processing, and these cups will be flipped over before blending, allowing the liquids to be on the bottom.
-I like to use Stainless Steel Straws in my Smoothies. They allow me to skip the plastic and are a durable, toddler-proof, plastic-free alternative to traditional straws.
~Cheers to being more eco-friendly!
*Click Here to see the straws I snagged from Amazon for a steal!
-The Almond Milk can be substituted with Filtered Water, but you will be curtailing the creaminess. When I omit the Almond Milk, I add a little extra frozen Banana to compensate. (Or, sometimes, I sneak in half of an Avocado 😉 )
~If you do use Almond Milk, you may need to add a splash of Filtered Water to thin it out a little bit. Blueberries and Almond Milk are both a bit thickening.
Penny Pinching Pointer:
-Some stores will sell overripe Bananas at a much lower price per pound! I like to buy the discounted super spotty browning Bananas & freeze them immediately so I can use them in our Smoothies! (Or sometimes, I bake them into Banana Bread Bites!)
The last time we went to our favorite local Amish Market, we wound up with 10 pounds of browning bananas for $10.00! They have been making our morning Smoothies for almost three months now!
– I like to pre-freeze my Bananas in 4 even chunks so I can always measure & add my bananas easily.
This Smoothie isn’t only aesthetically appealing & spectacular to sip, but it also contains ingredients that are absolutely amazing for your body!
~Benefits of Blueberries:
-High in Antioxidants (especially Wild Blueberries)
*Antioxidants fight Oxidation & Free Radicals, & they help prevent cellular damage.
-Protect against several types of chronic diseases (including certain types of Cancer, Heart Disease and Diabetes)
-Provide an impressive 3.6 grams of Fiber per cup! (Fiber helps keep you feeling full & helps keep you “regular,” which can, in turn, aid weight loss!)
-Enhance brain health by improving Memory & Cognition, along with promoting healthy brain aging.
-Anti-inflammatory (Thank you Antioxidants!)
-Lower blood pressure
(Science stuff citation: https://draxe.com/health-benefits-blueberries/)
~Benefits of Bananas:
-Energy Boosting (Fast acting Carbs to the rescue!)
-Ideal for Athletes (Help repair & recover muscles)
-High in Potassium
*Potassium:
-promotes circulatory health
-helps to manage blow flow and hydration levels
-regulates water retention & Sodium levels
-lowers High Blood Pressure
-prevents muscle cramping
-Has biodegradable packaging (Great protection for tossing them in your bag & taking them on the go)
-Contain 3 grams of Fiber (Which promotes digestive health & helps keep you feeling full)
-Great food for your mood (Contain Tryptophan, which helps regulate serotonin, one of the happy hormones)
-Good Source of Manganese (Keeps your skin healthy & glowing.)
(Science stuff citation: https://draxe.com/banana-nutrition/)
~Hemp Seed Highlights:
-Are a “Perfect Protein” (Contain all 20 Amino Acids & each of the nine essential Amino Acids that our bodies cannot produce)
-Quality source of (GLA) Gamma-Linolenic acid (Naturally help balance Hormones)
-Can aid in Weight Loss (A natural appetite suppressant)
-Help relieve Arthritis & joint pain (Anti-inflammatory)
-Full of Fiber (Feeds your Probiotics, helps build your immune system, keeps your regular & relieves Constipation)
-Supports Soft, Smooth Skin (Promotes healthy cell growth)
-Help prevent Cancer (Fatty Acids + Omega 3s + GLA)
(Science stuff citation: https://draxe.com/7-hemp-seed-benefits-nutrition-profile/)
*Never had Hemp Seeds?
-They are crunchy before blending & taste a notoriously “nutty.”
~They blend seamlessly into smoothies & work wonderfully sprinkled on cereal.
Want to hear a humorous story about Hemp Seeds?
~When I found myself working at a Health Food Store, I had a customer come up to the counter and yell at me for “selling drugs to children.” When I asked her to what she was referring, (as we DID sell supplements and Vitamins) she brought me a container of Hemp Hearts, and asked me “how I could sleep at night knowing I was publiclly peddling drugs to children,” before she walked out in a huff. (Not going to lie, that gave me a good laugh!)
-Let me set the record straight by saying, you cannot get “high” from eating Hemp Seeds and that you won’t experience any “psychotrophic effects” from doing so. Hemp Seeds only contain trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinoids (better known as THC), or the “chemical” that gets you “high.” So eating Hemp Seeds will not result in the same effect. Rather, Hemp Seeds are a Whole Food Source of Protein & many other nourishing nutrients.
Why do I choose to use Peanut Butter Powder over a scoop of Natural Peanut Butter?
-The Peanut Butter Powder gives the Smoothie so much more Peanut Butter flavor, and it has a lot less calories than traditional Peanut Butter.
Why do I choose to use frozen Green Peas instead of a Pea Protein Powder?
-There have been quite a few recalls on Protein Powders of late, even the organic ones I’ve thoroughly researched and truly trusted. (Plus, our bodies recognize and process foods in their “natural unprocessed form” most efficiently & easily.) So, now I feel the safest by getting my Protein through a Whole Food, unprocessed source. (That’s not to say that Protein Powders are a bad thing! They’re a concentrated source & supplement for many Vitamins & Minerals. If protein powder is your thang, don’t hesitate to sip & savor!)
