Vegan day 41: Chocolate banana peanut butter SMOOTHIE
Yesterday was for juicing – today it’s a smoothie! I made one of my all time favorites:
Chocolate banana peanut butter SMOOTHIE!
Who would ever have thought something like this would actually be healthy? Well, it is- of course to the degree of your choices for the ingredients. This smoothie has protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Depending upon your selection or substitution, this can also be made raw and more alkaline!
I recall the day that I realized that chocolate was made from a nut (cacao!) It was such a bright day for me coming shortly after releasing so many unhealthy items from my diet such as white bread, white rice, pasta and alcohol! With this new revelation- of course I jumped right into a dark chocolate whirlwind! I would really like to know where the vegan line is drawn with dark chocolate! Some places say that when it’s over a certain percentage dark chocolate cacao that it is automatically vegan. When I look at some popular brand packages with 85% cacao- they still say it contains milk! When it comes to cacao- I’ll stick to a nice big V for vegan sign on it – thanks! As with anything super yummy, one still has to watch portion size and the potential for addiction. Sure moderate eating is just splendid- if you can live moderately lol! Some people, however, like myself understand far too well the pull of desire and indulgence. That being said, I have to watch my cacao! First off, some vegan cacao still has sugar- and sugar is sugar- and it’s addicting! Second for me, if I eat it every day, my rosacea may act up. I do have to say that it has NOT been around for 41 days. The main non-vegan item that I was eating just before I started this blog and journey was yogurt and consequently, my skin was not right. It’s fascinating how our bodies communicate with us- all we have to do is listen. Who can listen though when the body is screaming because we slam it with so many toxins at once- processed meats, packaged foods, sugars, flour, GMOs, caffeine, smoking, alcohol and drugs! This is most definitely a processs- it’s about the elimination of what’s unhealthy for you and then the addition of what brings in health, nutrition and vibrancy. MAJOR SCORE FOR CACAO– check off the health box and enjoy the benefits- yes in moderation!
Ingredients:
Banana– I love bananas!
Peanut butter– peanut butter is easy to find, high in protein and delicious, but also higher in fat and not considered raw. If you use almond butter which is an easy substitute, you can enjoy the benefits and still be raw. If you make your own almond butter or nut butter even better! Say that 10 times fast!
Hemp– hey if I am going to make a smoothie, unless it’s that Dr. Oz green tea smoothie with kale, I’m all about adding the HEMP for extra power nutrients and protein. I use Ruth’s Goodness certified organic HEMP protein powder with E3 live & maca or the HEMP protein powder with sprouted flax & maca.
Almond milk– I generally add a nut based milk. I bounce between almond, oat, hemp, hazelnut and soy milk. Soy is higher in protein but I prefer to save my soy for tofu and tempeh. Oat milk is higher in fiber and does well for protein but tends to be more caloric. Hemp milk has omega 3 benefits. Almond milk is generally lower in calories. Honestly, packaged milk is packaged milk- if you want the best, freshest and most raw- make your own! I’ll show you tomorrow how to milk your own almonds!
Just put everything in a blender and this meal is ready in one minute! Some call this a meal replacement but I don’t agree. This is a meal in and of itself. If you choose a raw nut butter and make your own milk- this is fully nutritious not to mention raw and alkaline! This is perfect for your body. Feel free to make additions too! I add nutritional yeast and wheat germ! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The information given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
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