Hi friends!
What prompted this post is that lately I’ve heard some people are avoiding bananas and I think THEY are bananas (just kidding – listen to your body!) but I also have a friend who can’t have them so I decided to experiment with a recipe of my own. You’ll notice that this isn’t as sweet as your traditional smoothie recipe so feel free to add some honey or maple syrup if you’re vegan.
Some info on bananas:
Bananas are mostly made up of carbohydrates but as the banana ripens, the starch in them is turns into sugar. So therefore, unripe green bananas are high in starch and ripe yellow or speckled bananas contain mostly sugar and are absorbed by your body relatively quickly. Pro tip: If you want to feel full longer after your smoothie and avoid the “sugar high”, you should add some fat to your smoothie to slow down the digestion process. This could be coconut oil or some nut butter like almond or cashew.
Bananas also contain some important micro-nutrients such as Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper and Fiber! Fiber is an indigestible carb but it’s so important for your gut health and helps to make you feel full longer.
Having said that if you’re avoiding bananas for any reason, substitute it with some butternut squash! It’s way lower in sugar, only 82~ calories per cup and also contains lots of your micro-nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin E, as well as a few B vitamins like B1, B2, B6, B1 & B9. A GREAT alternative to get lots of punch in your smoothies.
Trust me, not all vegan protein powders are created equal. I used Garden of Life’s vegan vanilla protein powder, which you can find here. This protein is vegan, GMO-free, gluten-free and organic. I was impressed when I first tried this protein for it’s smooth vanilla taste and loved that a lot of their ingredients are sprouted, which increases the absorbability of nutrients. It also contains probiotics, which is always a plus for your gut! It’s definitely not fibrous and ‘pulpy’ like some vegan protein powders can be.
I’d love for you to give my recipe a try! Please tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@balancingandie) so I can see your lovely creations! Click here to pin this recipe for future reference or subscribe to my blog to receive updates directly to your inbox.
Notes
Buy pre-frozen squash or steam/freeze ahead of time. I assume you could also try canned squash but maybe only 3/4 cup and I haven't tried this myself!
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen butternut squash (about 250g)
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups cashew milk (or other DF milk)
- 2 scoops vegan vanilla protein powder
- 7 frozen strawberries (about 1 cup)
- 2 tsp honey (vegan sub maple syrup)
- 1 tsp nut butter (of choice)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
Optional Toppings:
- cacao nibs
- bee pollen
- hemp seeds
- chia seeds
- granola etc.
Instructions
- For the squash: Peel the butternut squash, cube and steam it for about 5 minutes until fork can easily go through the squash. Freeze at this time or buy pre-frozen squash and skip ahead to step 2.
- Blend all ingredients in high powder blender. Add more or less milk depending on desired consistency.
- Enjoy!
Nutritional Disclaimer
This information is provided as an estimate only and does not contain any of the optional ingredients in its calculation. The below information may change with any substitution you make or variances in items used.
