Peanut Butter & Banana Power Smoothie

I am more than a little excited about the new Vitamix blender that is supposed to be arriving today, so smoothies have definitely been on my mind.  Also, the new Whole Foods store in Foggy Bottom has those great make-your-own-nut-butter machines, so I've been enjoying fresh peanut butter and have been finding lots of excuses to eat more of it.

Here is an easy smoothie recipe that makes a great post-workout snack or an on-the-go breakfast.  Peanut butter with banana is one of my favorite combinations, and it really makes this smoothie taste like a treat.  I like to add some cinnamon and nutmeg for depth of flavor, and the oats and flax meal are for a fiber boost.  If you don't have flax meal, feel free to leave it out or substitute oats or bran instead.




You could easily make a chocolate or mocha version of this (think coffee ice cubes with some unsweetened Valrhona cocoa), but I like to reserve my chocolate treats for later in the day and turn the smoothie into some Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

C and I usually split one of these smoothies as a midday snack, but you can easily drink the whole thing as a breakfast or mini-meal.

Peanut Butter & Banana Power Smoothie (2 servings as a snack, 1 serving as breakfast)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (if you can find it, otherwise use plain)
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 banana, broken into 3 pieces
2 Tablespoons rolled oats (quick oats will work too)
1 Tablespoon flax meal (optional, see above)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend at the highest speed until the mixture is smooth.  It'll take between 30 seconds and a minute, depending on the blender.   You want to make sure the oats really get blended well.

Nutrition facts for one serving as a snack (2 total servings):

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 202 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 191 Calories from Fat 80

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.8g 14%

Saturated Fat 1.1g 5%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 181mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 22.7g 8%

Dietary Fiber 4.6g 18%

Sugars 9.1g

Protein 7.8g

Vitamin A 5% • Vitamin C 9% Calcium 13% • Iron 5%

Nutrition facts for one serving as a breakfast or mini-meal (1 total serving):

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 403 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 159

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.7g 27%

Saturated Fat 2.1g 11%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 363mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 45.4g 15%

Dietary Fiber 9.1g 36%

Sugars 18.1g

Protein 15.6g

Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 17% Calcium 25% • Iron 11%