On the days where I go running or walking early in the morning, I don’t really like to eat a real breakfast before I head out. Solid food just doesn’t sound good, so smoothies are a great alternative. Plus, you can whip them up in no time. I want to have plenty of energy when I’m out there running, and smoothies like this are perfect for that. It provides some protein and healthy carbs, which makes it a great pre-workout snack.
A fairly new favorite food of mine is frozen sweet cherries. They are delicious all on their own, but I also love putting them in smoothies. You can find bags of organic dark sweet cherries at Sprouts and Whole Foods.
Combined with a really ripe banana, you really don’t need any extra sweetener in this. That’s my little trick for making smoothies without any added sugar. The cherries and banana provide all the sweetness it needs. It doesn’t matter what type of smoothie I make, it always involves an overripe banana.
I used peanut butter in my recipe, but you could try almond butter instead. I plan to give that a shot next. If you don’t want to buy a whole jar of peanut or almond butter, try to find those little packets of nut butters that some stores sell. You need a tablespoon, which is about what these contain. Just be sure that the only ingredients are nuts and salt. If possible, try to always buy organic peanut butter. Non-organic peanuts contain high amounts of pesticides.
My husband really liked this Banana Cherry and Peanut Butter Smoothie, so it’s man approved, too. You could easily double this recipe to make enough for two people. This recipe makes about a 12 oz. smoothie.
Banana Cherry and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 overripe banana , peeled, broken into small chunks
- 3/4 frozen dark sweet cherries
- 1/2 cup whole fat greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp peanut butter (preferably organic)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.
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