Cocoa Banana Prebiotic Smoothie
As the warmer weather rolls into Portland - as in 85 degrees yesterday whew!! - I find myself craving all the cold and creamy foods. Yogurt, ice cream, smoothies, margaritas...you name it, I want it.
With gut health and probiotics being all the rage in the nutrition world as of late, I recently whipped up this refreshing and mild smoothie using frozen cauliflower as my cold mix-in of choice. In addition to being a cruciferous veggie packed with fiber and Vitamin C, cauliflower just so happens to also be a prebiotic. Prebiotics are special foods that provide fuel for the probiotics in our gut that help feed "good" bacteria. Prebiotics are found in a wide variety of whole foods including flaxseed, wheat bran, garlic, onions, seaweed, cocoa, apples, bananas, and oats.
For this recipe, I thought, "why stop at one prebiotic?!" "I want a healthy, happy gut - don't we all??" With frozen cauli being such a mild flavor, it pairs well with nearly any food you add; therefore cocoa and bananas were my obvious choices for additional prebiotic foods. I also threw in kefir, a probiotic yogurt drink, as well as some peanut butter because...every sweet recipe needs some peanut butter.
Voila!
Cocoa Banana Prebiotic Smoothie
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter (or nut butter or choice)
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened kefir (low-fat or whole)
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- Optional toppings: cocoa nibs, banana slices, and a drizzle of peanut butter
Directions
- Blend all ingredients together until mixture is smooth and creamy
- Top with cocoa nibs, banana slices, and peanut butter if desired
XOXO,
