2015-12-09
Joybynature.com Team
Dec
09

 

Image Source: Delightful E Made

I love peanut butter. I can have it for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. I can even munch on it in between my meals, so basically you get the point of how much I love peanut butter. Peanuts are packed with protein and are considered very good source of energy for healthy eaters (yes, that’s what they call us dieters, these days!) Often people mistake peanut butter to be unhealthy because of its high fat content, but what people don’t realise is that peanuts are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids which are rather good for our health. It is also packed with Vitamin B, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It contains minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, etc. Peanut butter is a mixture of peanut and some oils, but if you use natural peanut butter, it has nothing apart from peanuts, no added sugar or oils, plain peanuts. It is a great source of good calories and helps in many ways to keep the body fit and healthy. And about bananas… I go bananas even if we talk about bananas. (just like the minions!) Banana is another food, easily mistaken to be unhealthy, but again, we miss the point that it is a great source of potassium, which is quite rare to find in natural products. Another thing about a banana, that people generally miss is that you should always eat a ripe banana. The more brown spots you see on a banana the healthier it is. Which means the yellow and clean bananas are not that healthy. If we blend these two, that would be heaven for me, and out of this heaven a smoothie is born. It is called the Peanut butter banana smoothie.

 

Ingredients

1 cup skimed milk
1 ripe banana, mashed, a couple of slices for garnish

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
3-4 ice cubes

 

Recipe

 

Add 3-4 ice cubes in a blender

 

Mash one ripe banana and put it in a blender.

 

Add a tablespoon (or more, if you like) of peanut butter in the blender

 

Pour 1 cup milk in the blender, on the above ingredients.

 

Add 1 teaspoon of honey or brown sugar

 

Close the lid and pulse the blender until all the ingredients mix up well and form a thick puree.

 

Pour it in a tall glass and garnish with sliced banana.

 

Indulge and enjoy!

 

Health Benefits/Nutritional Value

 

Milk: Milk is a low calorie food, which is a source of lactose. It is a good source of calcium, Vitamin A, and proteins. It also contains potassium.

 

Banana: It is a very rich source of potassium, makes great pre-workout food as it is packed with energy and helps to sustain the blood sugar level during the workout. It also prevents muscle cramps or sore muscles during workout.

 

Natural Peanut butter: It is rich in protein and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, etc. It is a healthy alternative to regular butter. If you use natural and organic peanut butter, it would only contain peanuts and no added oils, emulsifiers or sugar.

 

Organic Honey: Organic honey is a healthy alternative to regular white sugar (contains 38.2% of fructose, 31.3% of glucose)

 

Nutritional Value Per Glass:

 

Calories: 300

 

Fat: 9 g

 

Carbohydrates: 45 g

 

Fiber: 4 g

 

Protein: 13 g

 

Sugars: 13 g

 

Sodium: 200 mg

 

Notes

 

It is always advisable to use natural peanut butter because not only is it a great source of protein but it is also free from any added preservatives, fats or oil.

 

You can use coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk instead of regular milk.

 

You can also use curd or sweet buttermilk instead of milk to get a richer texture.

 

So here’s the recipe of my favorite smoothie. A smoothie I am nuts about, a smoothie I go bananas on and I am pretty sure, that if some day, a minion visits me by mistake and I give him this peanut butter banana smoothie, he would stay with me forever. Let me know, what is your reason to make this smoothie.


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