Hidden Secret Banana and Mango Smoothie!

For this recipe all that is needed is four ingredients: mango, banana and my two secrets almond milk and almond paste. To get the most nutrition from this drink I always use Rude Health Almond Milk because it has no added nasties and The Real Food Source Almond Paste. The almond paste is the only one I can find that is not roasted so therefore gives you more of the nutrients from the almonds. We buy this in bulk from Amazon.com as it works out the best value for money. The smoothie is cool and soothing and packs a punch nutritionally.

Mango, as I have mentioned before in my blogs is ‘The King of Fruits’. It’s one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavour, fragrance and taste. Mango is rich in prebiotic dietary fibre with lots of vitamins, minerals and compounds too. New research suggests mangos can help to protect the body against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers.

The next ingredient in this tasty smoothie is bananas. Bananas are one of the worlds most widely consumed fruits for good reason. The curved yellow fruit is big on nutrition and it’s packed in its own convenient packaging. Bananas hold the potential to help lower the risks of cancer and asthma. They can also help to lower blood pressure, improve heart health and promote regularity. The bonus for adding them to smoothies is they give them a creaminess that can taste like ice cream.

Next we have almond milk. The milk from almonds can be more beneficial and nutritious than ordinary milk, due to the fact that it contains more nutrients and has not been subjected to the same processing. The health benefits of drinking almond milk are vast. It holds an important source of several fat soluble vitamins which include vitamins A, D and E. It is also a good source of omega fatty acids which are most commonly associated with fish.

Finally we have almond paste. Making nuts part of a diet will help to support the body against blood sugar level spikes and lowering the risk of a heart attack. Almond paste provides one way to boost your almond intake and it offers health benefits thanks to its impressive nutritional profile and works well in a variety of recipes. In this smoothie, as well as adding protein and fibre, the almond paste adds an extra creaminess and texture to the smoothie.

Serves 2

Equipment needed

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large measuring jug
• Teaspoon
• Hand blender, Blender, Food processor or smoothie maker

Ingredients

• Mango x 1 medium or about 200g if using frozen
• Banana x 1
• Almond milk x 300mls
• Almond paste x 1 heaped tsp

Method

• Start by weighing and measuring the almond milk and almond paste.
• Leave the almond milk in the measuring jug and add the almond paste to it.
• Next chop the banana and add that to the jug
• Then chop and remove the stone from the mango.
• Add that to the jug.
• If using a hand blender then blend all the ingredients together.
• However, if using another piece of equipment then pour the ingredients into it and blend.
• Serve in a tall glass and enjoy.

Hidden secret smoothie is a great recipe to enjoy at breakfast with pancakes or as a mid afternoon snack. It can give you a boost in the morning or a wake up in the afternoon. The smoothie is also great if you want to make it into ice lollies or ice cream. You can put it into moulds to make lollies or a tupperware container for ice cream (but remember to stir every hour for about six hours then leave in the freezer until ready to eat). Remove the ice cream about 30 mins before serving to let it soften. It’s delicious any of these ways and as always, enjoy.