Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie

A rich, creamy chocolate smoothie offers flavors of both banana and strawberry. Serve this healthy treat as a snack, breakfast, or dessert that is sure to be loved!

WHAT’S NEW?

I got to teach a group of very kind, knowledgable family medicine residents today and the classroom topic and case study was on fad diets, dieting, and supplements. It was super fun to step outside of the clinic and spend time with medial providers. It gave me the opportunity to share with them an RD perspective in giving nutrition advice: to use your platform as a physician wisely and to discuss evidence-based nutrition!

As RDs, trust me when I say we’ve heard it all: avoid everything white, never eat breakfast, you can only eat x-y-z food if combined with q-r-s food, such-and-such supplement causes drastic weight loss…you name it, we’ve heard it! We got to discuss nutrition and science…and then take that to the teaching kitchen to whip up about 5 different delicious, plant-based recipes. Our case study focused on a woman leading a busy life and whose breakfast was…not so wholesome. The case study made me think of this recipe and how ideal it would be to kick off one’s day. It’s incredibly wholesome and tastes divine!

ROLL CALL FOR THIS RECIPE

• Chocolate Lovers: With intense chocolate flavor, this smoothie emphasizes chocolate over sugar. Dark chocolate lovers, this one if for you and will satisfy most any chocolate cravings!
• Kid-Friendly: Full of fruit and chocolate, kids will devour this smoothie! There’s simply nothing NOT to love! 
• Adaptable: One of the best things about smoothies is that they’re incredibly adaptable — simple ingredients and a combination of your favorite falvors is the easiest way to create healthy smoothies you’ll love. Add or subtract what you like or what you have and create your own masterpiece and serve up a smoothie with a slightly different spin each and every time!

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Banana: Offering lots of sweetness and a creamy, unique texture once frozen, the use of frozen fresh banana in smoothies is practically a secret ingredient. Just be sure to use RIPE banana, brown even! You may certainly use another frozen fruit in its place, and/or additional strawberries, if you prefer. 
• Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries work great here, as do another frozen berry or pitted sweet cherries. If you don’t love berries, swap in additional banana or another fruit of your liking.
• Cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder is packed with fiber and offers up that intense chocolate flavor while being extremely low in calories and high in antioxidants. Use more or less to your liking.
• Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a nice option for the higher protein content, however you can use a nondairy option, if you prefer. Flavors other than strawberry can be used, as well.
• Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk, however use whatever milk variety you prefer – cow’s milk, cashew milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, hemp milk, or whatever other non-dairy milk you prefer! Using a chocolate milk, such as chocolate almond milk will taste great but add additional sugar (carbs and calories, too).
• Chocolate: A small amount of chocolate creates a fun texture and unique, rich flavor making for delicious smoothies that can double as a dessert! Dark chocolate is best to reduce sugar and to satisfy the chocolate lover, but whatever you have on hand is great. Use more or less to your liking.

VARIATIONS, STORAGE, and TIPS

• A quality, high-speed blender is key for making a delicious, thick smoothie at home
• Serve this smoothie drinkable or as a smoothie bowl, topped with your favorite things: coconut, sliced banana or strawberry, other fresh fruit, a dollop of peanut butter or almond butter, chia seeds, or ground flaxseed. 
• You can store leftover smoothie in the fridge for up to 1 day
• Add healthy fats to your smoothies for more staying power: avocado, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseed, etc.
• If you find the smoothie needs a bit of additional sweetness, start with a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup or honey

FAQ 

What yogurt do you recommend?

I used a zero sugar strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt. Using a yogurt sweetend with stevia, monk, or another non-nutritive sweetener reduces the sugar content of the smoothie. There’s endless yogurt options out there, including nondairy yogurts and plant milk yogurt options.

Do you have to use frozen bananas?

No, but it does make for delicious, creamy smoothies and loads of natural sweetness! But you may want to add a few ice cubes and/or another frozen fruit (such as the strawberries) so that the consistency is smooth and the temperature is cold and smoothie-like! About a cup of ice should suffice if you’re not using frozen fruit in this chocolate strawberry banana smoothie recipe.

What’s the best way to add extra protein to this recipe?

I love adding collagen peptides to keep flavors the same while adding a bit of protein. However, you can add your favorite protein powder and even better if it’s low in sugar and a banana, strawberry, or chocolate flavor! Adding additional Greek yogurt and/or a higher protein milk are great ways, too.

How can you make this smoothie vegan?

This can become a healthy vegan smoothie with use of a nondairy milk and vegan chocolate option. In reading dark chocolate labels to ensure they are vegan, ensure the ingredient list does not include: milk, casein, whey, or lactose.

NUTRITIONAL MERITS

• With 7.5 grams of fiber per serving, this smoothie is a high-fiber food
• Easily made vegan
• Low in sodium with less than 80 millgrams of sodium per serving
• Cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants and can help protect against heart disease

Choc-a-holic? Check out some other recipes you may love!

• Greek Yogurt Chocolate-Strawberry Bark
• Vegan Banana-Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
• No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
• Pomegranate and Dark Chocolate Bites
• Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Banana Smoothie
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Cups
• Easy Vegan Dark Chocolate Pudding

Be well,