Vegan Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie Recipe

Summer is right around the corner which means the heat is on! To keep cool during the warm summer months, I prefer to indulge in my favourite drinks besides water - smoothies. Now, we all know that some smoothies come jam packed with sugar and other unnecessary additives that would do your body more harm than good. One of my favourite healthy smoothie recipes is a Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie. Another great bonus to this recipe is that it can be easily tweaked to accompany your lifestyle, especially if you are vegan or lactose intolerant!

I like to think of this smoothie as a healthy dessert because not only does it taste absolutely delicious, but it also contains a large amount of vitamins, nutrients, and protein! Plus, you also keep your sugar intake extremely low as you avoid sweetened fruit juices or yoghurts which are often added to fruit smoothies. There are numerous different ways to tweak this recipe to your own liking ( how about adding unsweetened Chocolate Almond milk instead to give it a chocolatey taste? ) so go ahead and experiment, indulge, and enjoy!

Unsure of which protein powder to use in your smoothie? Read below to learn about two examples that I personally love.

Hemp Protein Powder

Nutiva's Organic Hemp Protein Powder is by far my favourite protein powder. Hemp powder is extremely nutritious for your health as it packs 15 grams of raw protein and 8 grams of fibre in one serving. In addition, Hemp Protein Powder also contains essential amino acids and healthy fatty acids per serving which will leave you with a wide range of extra vitamins and nutrients that are necessary for your health.

Rice Protein Powder

Sunwarrior's Rice Protein is another form of vegan protein powder that you may want to try if you decide to add protein powder to your smoothie or if you are gluten intolerant or prefer to avoid gluten altogether. Rice protein powder also comes packed with essential amino acids and nutrients to fully unlock the health potential of your smoothie!

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If you are wary about adding protein powder to your smoothie, then don't stress yourself. You do not have to add it if you don't want to! The protein powder is simply for those who want to get an additional protein boost out of their drink ( peanut butter is already a good source of protein ). The taste will not be changed, but the texture may be slightly thinner. To thicken up your smoothie without using powder, simply add more peanut butter.

Bananas

• Help lower blood pressure
• Promotes bone health
• Antacid properties ( great for those who suffer from Acid Reflux ).
• A good source of fibre.

Organic Peanut Butter

There is not much of a difference between organic peanut butter and regular peanut butter as both are vegan friendly. However, organic peanut butter does not contain any partially Hydrogenated Oils or Trans Fats. Trans fats are often to blame for their ability to increase your LDL cholesterol levels, which is your 'bad' cholesterol. If you have cholesterol problems, or want your recipe to be as heart friendly as possible, stick with organic peanut butter.

Non-Dairy Milk

Non-dairy milk, such as Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk or Soy Milk have a number of nutritional benefits. Although most of them lack in protein ( except for Soy Milk ), they can be healthier for you in the long run. For example, Almond Milk and Rice Milk contain just as much calcium as regular milk and Almond Milk also comes packed with Vitamins D & E.

When choosing a non-dairy milk, try to choose an unsweetened version to avoid added levels of sugar.