I have a hard time getting in any fruit or vegetables. So, I use smart substitutions and make healthy smoothies while keeping them just as delicious. Also, I don’t like spending too much time in the kitchen post workout so I usually choose to whip up a smoothie in five minutes or less.
I love nuts. So, an Almond butter smoothie is a perfect treat. You can use peanut butter instead of almond if you like, but your smoothie then won’t be as healthy. This smoothie is one of those that’s so decadent you’ll have to remind yourself that it’s actually very healthy! Let me give you some of the health benefits of this smoothie before we get to the recipe…
Health benefits of almonds
I’ll focus on almonds considering they are the main ingredient in this smoothie. Almonds are high in vitamin E and manganese. They are also a great source of magnesium, copper, vitamin B2, tryptophan (boosts levels of your feel-good hormone, serotonin) as well as phosphorus. Manganese are essential for energy production. A quarter cup of almonds contains about 8 g of protein.
Some research shows that almonds can help you lose weight. Also, the monounsaturated fats in almonds can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Besides being great for your heart, almonds can reduce meal surges in blood sugar thereby protecting you from diabetes.
Sounds like almonds might need to be considered a superfood…
Almond Butter Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
1 frozen peeled banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp almond butter
One tbsp honey
1 cup water
2 tbsp flaxseed oil
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
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