Spiced banana almond smoothie

One food that I’ve been incorporating into my diet every day is fresh ginger.  Before I started researching anti-inflammation foods, I’d never used fresh ginger in a smoothie.  I’ve used it countless times in meals as it’s one of my favorite flavors, but never in a smoothie.  Now I’m kind of obsessed.  I think I had this pineapple-ginger smoothie with my lunch for a week straight.  It’s strong, but oh-so-good.

Even if you don’t need the anti-inflammation benefits of fresh ginger (but really, who doesn’t?), it boasts a whole bunch of other health benefits.  Fresh ginger is great for nausea (I drank ginger drinks a lot when pregnant), is said to help keep blood-sugar steady, improves the absorption of essential nutrients, and can increase energy.  I’ve noticed after having a smoothie with fresh ginger for lunch I don’t have my usual dip mid-afternoon energy slump, so it works for me!

This spiced banana almond smoothie is a lovely blend of sweet and spicy.  The fresh ginger adds a little bite, but the almond and banana flavor are still able to shine.  Banana and almond is a classic smoothie combination, but adding fresh ginger and cinnamon take it in a different direction and give it a fresh and fun flavor profile.

As you can probably tell from the pictures, this is not a super thick smoothie.  Sometimes I’m in the mood for a thick, creamy smoothie, other times I really want one that is on the thinner side. For a creamier smoothie, use frozen bananas.  You could even add an extra banana or reduce the water/milk if you want it extra thick.  I love this smoothie as-is, though.  It is light and refreshing, yet has enough protein to be quite filling.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Spiced banana almond smoothie

A classic smoothie combination is given a new twist with the use of fresh ginger and cinnamon.  This vegan smoothie is a great anti-inflammatory smoothie and is packed with protein from the almond butter.

• Author: Healthy Happy Mama
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 drink 1x
• Category: Drinks
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 large banana (frozen first for a creamier smoothie)
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/2 cup-1 cup coconut water, water, or almond milk (coconut water is my favorite here, but they all work)
• ~1/4″-1/2″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of ice

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

 

Notes

Edit:  I have been making this smoothie almost everyday since posting the recipe, and I keep changing the liquid amount I use, so I edited the recipe to reflect that.  Use 1/2 cup for a thicker smoothie, and add more for a thinner smoothie.  

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 338
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 22mg
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 38g
• Protein: 7g

Keywords: banana smoothie

P.S.  I won’t be posting for Fitness Friday this week.  Have a great Easter weekend, everyone!