We have a banana bread obsession in my house, mainly because I am such an awful baker and it is the one thing that emerges from the oven edible and smelling heavenly. We eat it straight out of the oven, not even waiting for it to cool down. I have various rifts on it for days when I’d like the kids to eat a little less sugar to days when it’s cold and bleak and only a decadent version will suffice. It seemed only fitting to attempt to make it in a smoothie form.
I’ve added two smoothies here for you. One for us grown ups and one for the small folk in our lives. For the grown up version I’ve added Maca which is one of my favourite supplements to throw into smoothies. Maca is known for boosting energy and increasing endurance. Rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, it also contains vitamins B1 and B2 and is high in carbohydrates and fibre. It definitely merits a place on your cupboard shelf.
For my children I tend to focus on ingredients that are going to sustain them for the busy morning ahead. They have this on school mornings when time is pressured or as a snack on the weekends. I use frozen bananas to create a creamy base and then add in oats to keep the children powered up for the morning. Flaxseeds for bowel health and yogurt for protein and gut health. I add a dash of honey or maple syrup and a sprinkling of cinnamon which adds a lovely warmth to the smoothie but also helps stabilise those blood sugar levels.
I hope you enjoy and I promise to post a banana bread recipe soon!
Children’s Banana Bread Smoothie, Serves 2.
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon of flaxseeds, I use Linwoods milled flax, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seed mix
2 tablespoons of oats
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Dash of honey or maple syrup, optional
2 cups of milk
Grown up banana bread smoothie, serves 2
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon of flaxseeds
1 tsp of maca
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
scoop of protein powder
2 cups of almond milk or whatever is your preference.