Every morning for as long as I've had children we have eaten two breakfasts. Breakfast one is fruit, and breakfast two is something more substantial. Often times, breakfast one is a smoothie. My favorite smoothie of late is banana almond.
I start with two handfuls of raw almonds. Or if I am particularly on top of things, 2 handfuls of crispy almonds (however, right now I am not particularly on top of this thing!)
Throw in 3 to 4 frozen bananas. I always use frozen bananas in my smoothies. They taste less banana-ie and more like ice cream this way! They also add that nice creaminess that is essential to a good, dairy free smoothie.
A couple of handfuls of baby spinach on top.
Then I add 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds. I love hemp seeds and eat lots of them on salads and in my smoothies. They are high in protein, fiber and Vitamin E, contain all 9 essential amino acids, and have a balanced Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. There is a lot of power packed into these little guys!
This morning, after adding my seeds, Buddy requested some cocoa powder {for some health benefits of pure cocoa powder, read here} in the smoothie. And since I can't resist a 6 year old boy in boxer brief undies, ever, I gave in. I added some (fair trade) cocoa powder and then water to about half way up the bananas and blended it up.
This turned into a dessert smoothie! The hemp seeds add a malty flavor to the chocolate, making it a little too rich for our morning tummies, but we did get about half way through. It is delicious, and perfect for an afternoon snack.
