Keep yourself fueled with this plant based Very Berry Banana Spinach Smoothie that's full of fruit flavor, vitamins, and other health benefits!
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Sometimes I'm so preoccupied during the day that I forget to eat lunch at a decent time. Some days this even starts at breakfast! But it's so important to get my meals in during the day to keep me fueled and focused. One great way to get a healthy dose of nutrition without having a cook a big meal is by making a smoothie. The flavor possibilities are endless and the results are always delicious!
While packaged smoothie mixes are convenient, I need to be careful when buying them now. The last time I bought a packaged smoothie mix, I ended up with my first dairy reaction because of the whey protein in the mix. So to play it safe, I've been stocking our freezer with frozen fruit to make my own smoothie combos.
Nuts.com was nice enough to send me a package full of some of their plant-based, dairy-free items to try. The package included so many great items including pea protein powder, freeze dried spinach, and almond and oat milk. Perfect smoothie ingredients!
Pea Protein Powder
Pea protein is a plant based source of protein made from - you guessed it - peas! It's rich in iron and great for vegetarians and vegans who want to add a boost of protein to their smoothies. It's also allergy-friendly for people like me who can't have dairy. Pea protein also keeps you full and is heart healthy.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is a great source of calcium. It also has vitamin E, which is linked to brain health and a bunch of other benefits for your body. Unsweetened varieties are often low in sugar making it a great milk alternative!
Oat Milk
Oat milk has quickly become my favorite milk alternative. It's creamier than most milk alternatives. It's also full of fiber, which is good for gut health. And it's good for cholesterol levels, is a good source of iron, and helps you stay full longer!
Freeze Dried Spinach
While I've seen veggies like spinach added to many smoothie recipes, I've never tried it for myself. However, I've been super intrigued. We constantly have spinach in the house, but freeze dried spinach has a long shelf life. It also adds some great nutrition to smoothies like Vitamin A and C. You can't taste it, but all of that green goodness is in every sip!
Very Berry Banana Spinach Smoothie
I currently have frozen strawberries, blueberries, and cherries in the freezer. Frozen cherries became a favorite of mine after trying Trader Joe's Very Cherry frozen fruit blend years ago. I would eat the frozen cherries right out of the bag because they're just that good!
Since I haven't been to TJ's in a while, I wanted to make my own "very berry" blend to add to smoothies. As much as I love the blackberries and raspberries in the original blend, strawberries are just so good in smoothie mixes!
Why add the banana with all of this fruit? Bananas give smoothies a creamier texture. Plus, they are full of health benefits and can help give you an energy boost.
Very Berry Banana Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup frozen cherries
- 1 banana chopped
- 1 cup freeze dried spinach
- 2 tsp. pea protein powder
- 1 cup almond or oat milk
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Adjust the amount of milk, as needed.
- Then, pour into two glasses and enjoy.
Notes
I don't like anything too sweet, so I didn't add any extra sweetener. But if you want to add a little more sweetness, you could add a pitted Medjool date to the smoothie mixture. In my opinion, the fruit adds enough sweetness on its own. This is a refreshing fruit smoothie that's full of berry flavor!
Did you make this Very Berry Banana Spinach Smoothie recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
