chocolate peanut butter smoothie
This is one of my favorite smoothies because it’s filling, delicious, and balanced. It’s got lots of protein, carbs from the banana, healthy fat from the peanut butter, plenty of sweetness and a little salt. It has enough substance to be a meal replacement, but it also makes a great snack after a hard-hitting workout. On days when I crave chocolate, I can curb those cravings with cocoa in healthy smoothies like this one, instead of reaching for candy or unhealthy sweets.
The antioxidants in cocoa have been associated with lowered inflammation, increased blood flow to the brain, lowered LDL cholesterol, and other health benefits. All of my chocolate smoothies call for unsweetened cocoa powder, allowing you to enjoy the taste and health benefits of cocoa without the unnecessary refined sugar.
Peanuts contain many vitamins and minerals as well as protein and heart-healthy fats, but it’s important to add the right type of peanut butter to this smoothie. Stay away from popular commercial brands, which almost always contain trans fats. Organic, natural peanut butter is perfectly delicious without all that processed junk. The label on my peanut butter reads: organic peanuts, organic palm stearin, organic cane sugar, sea salt. By contrast, a popular brand of commercial peanut butter lists their ingredients as roasted peanuts, sugar, molasses, fully hydrogenated rapeseed and soybean oils (also known as trans fats), mono and diglycerides, and salt.
Finally, in addition to being a good source of potassium, the banana in this smoothie contains b-vitamins and potassium and helps support healthy gut bacteria. It adds a natural sweetness to the smoothie without overtaking the flavors of the chocolate and peanut butter.
Hope you love this smoothie as much as I do!
chocolate peanut butter smoothie
Ingredients
1 banana
1 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp PB powder
1 scoop chocolate Vega Protein & Greens
⅛ tsp sea salt
½ tsp Stevia (I prefer Truvia brand)
¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
8 ice cubes
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
