Banana and Spinach Smoothie

We liked the smoothie I made yesterday but thought that it would be better if it had a little more banana flavor and less peanut butter. I think I got it right today both in terms of flavor and texture. At least my husband and both liked it, so that is good enough for me.

Today I added a little cinnamon to the smoothie for health and flavor. Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood glucose, trigylcerides and cholesterol. In a study by the USDA, cinnamon was shown to reduce the growth of leukemia and lymphoma (cancers). Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory food. The ability of cinnamon to reduce blood clotting is well documented. Overall, cinnamon is a good thing to include in your diet wherever possible.

Banana and Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie with Raw Spinach
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 bananas
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 cup of almond milk
2 tablespoons of flaxseeds
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 small bunches of young spinach (about 20 leaves or 2 cups)
2 cups of ice

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and process until it is completely smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 332.12
Calories From Fat (38%) - 127.12
Total Fat - 14.86g
Saturated Fat - 2.5g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 161.09mg
Potassium - 839.3mg
Total Carbohydrates - 43.09g
Fiber - 8.6g
Sugar - 20.9g
Protein - 10.17g

Comments:

The texture of this smoothie was much better than yesterday. The extra banana undoubtedly helped, as did the reduction in liquid and the use of chilled glasses. The smoothie was thick and rich, almost like a milk shake. The banana flavor was the most pronounced, but it didn’t overwhelm the smoothie. I could taste a hint of peanut butter in the background. As usual I thought the spinach was at most a background flavor. I couldn’t taste the cinnamon at all. Next time I will double the cinnamon.

Both my husband and I have decided the spinach in our smoothies is a good thing, and something that we will continue to do through the summer. We both like knowing that we are consuming a healthy raw vegetable in our breakfast.

Nutritional Info updated 07.05.09