Forté Recipes: Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This recipe is for all of my peanut butter and chocolate fans. Really, could there be any better combination? The frozen banana adds all of the sweetness you need so there is no added sugar to this perfectly delicious smoothie that really tastes more like dessert.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 cup milk

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 large handful ice

Directions: blend together until smooth.

Bananas

Bananas are a staple in our house for multiple reasons including their taste, their cost, and their nutrition. We use bananas in smoothies, on sandwiches, in baked goods, and eaten plain as a snack. They are also my go to before working out in the morning so I always try to have them on hand. Compared to other fruits and vegetables, bananas are one of the lowest cost produce items. When it comes to nutrition bananas are well known for their high potassium content, which is important to maintain normal blood pressure levels.  They are also a great source of fiber for bowel health and vitamin C.

Peanuts

At one point in time, it was thought that eating peanuts during pregnancy increased the risk of a peanut allergy in the baby, but that thought has since been debunked by a large study that showed that women who actually ate peanuts during pregnancy had a decreased chance of having a baby with a peanut allergy. This is lucky for us because peanut butter is rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. It is also very high in niacin, magnesium, and vitamin E. Eating peanut butter has also been linked with better weight management and decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Milk

Milk is a rich source of nutrients including protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and riboflavin. Each cup of milk contains 8gm of high-quality protein. This is important because protein needs increase by about 25gm/d during pregnancy. It is also important to space your protein intake throughout the day and include a rich source at each meal and snack versus the typical American diet, which is light on protein throughout the day with a heavy protein meal at night.  Milk is also a great way to meet your calcium needs as adequate calcium intake has been shown to decrease the risk of preeclampsia—one of the most common health conditions of pregnancy.

-Heidi

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