Banana & Vanilla Almond Butter Smoothie

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenBanana & Vanilla Almond Butter Smoothie

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	15 minutes
Servings	5	Cost Per Serving	$1.85

Banana Smoothie

1	Banana, frozen
2 cups	Almond Milk (or any type of Milk)
1/2 cup	Ice (only if banana isn't frozen)
1 tbsp	Honey

Vanilla Almond Butter

2 cups	Almonds
1 tsp	Pure Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Pod (seeds and pulp)

Place almonds in a food processor and blend until almonds turn into a ground flour-like form. Stop and scrape down the sides every once and a while. Continue to blend, scraping sides when needed. Almonds will turn into a smooth paste with a creamy, butter-like consistency after about 5 minutes.
When almonds have reached a smooth, creamy consistency, stir in vanilla.
Add 2 tbsp of almond butter to a blender along with remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more or less liquid as needed until a creamy, smoothie-like texture is reached.

PDF link to nutrition facts for Banana & Vanilla Almond Butter Smoothie.

Healthy eating guidelines for cancer survivors and for cancer prevention recommend reducing meat intake and choosing vegetarian protein sources such as nuts more often. People with chewing and swallowing difficulties may find it challenging to include nuts in the diet. This smoothie offers a way to enjoy the benefits of nuts and is a good source of vegetarian protein.
Almonds are rich in calcium and vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. A small handful of almonds contains the same amount of healthy plant chemicals as a cup of green tea.
Snacking on almonds instead of snacks with more carbohydrates while trying to lose weight reduced weight, waist circumference and blood pressure. Consuming 1.5 ounces of nuts per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat has also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease.