This smoothie tastes like dessert but without being loaded with processed sugar and saturated fat! This smoothie is a great way to get your guilt-free chocolate fix along with tons of healthy vitamins and minerals; a chocolate treat that leaves you feeling fabulous afterwards!
What’s the difference between Cocoa and Cacao?
Cocoa and Cacao come from the same place — the Theobroma Tree. Its seeds, the cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate. What’s the difference? The process it goes through after it’s harvested!
- Cacao is cold processed, which preserves the healthy enzymes but has more of a bitter profile.
- Cocoa is hot processed, which improves the flavor but loses antioxidant power.
What makes cacao a superfood?
Polyphenols, which is a powerful antioxidant! Cacao is considered a superfood with its high flavonoid content, which is a family of polyphenol compounds.
But what about cocoa powder, is that still a superfood? Unfortunately, up to 90% of flavonoid content is lost during the processing.1 I know that’s unfortunate news, but hey — if you’re trading out a sugary chocolate bar for unsweetened cocoa powder, that is healthy swap!
Polyphenols are found in plant foods. These antioxidants are thought to improve brain health, digestion, protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. A few places aside from cacao powder where you can find polyphenols:
- Berries
- Beans (especially black beans!)
- Nuts
- Soy
- Vegetables (artichokes, red onions, spinach)
- Black and Green Tea
Is frozen fruit as good as fresh?
Absolutely! Don’t feel that you’re missing out on nutrients if your fruit is frozen rather than fresh. Frozen is fast and convenient for smoothies and the cold fruit makes it so you don’t have to add any ice!
Can smoothies spike blood sugar?
Yes. BUT the beautiful thing about smoothies is the fruits and vegetables are wrapped in fiber, which helps to lower blood sugar. There is a caveat: it’s processed into a drink that makes it so much easier to consume quickly versus sitting down and chewing a plate full of all the same ingredients.
With smoothies, you want to take your time and don’t chug it!
I prefer smoothies over juicing because of the fiber content! Juicing removes all that incredibly important fiber and your blood sugar doesn’t stand a chance!
Spinach
I often times put a handful of spinach (or kale) in my smoothies! Spinach is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! Spinach is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K1, folic acid, and calcium.
Spinach may reduce oxidative stress, promote eye health, fight cancer, and regulate blood pressure.
But, there are some people who should limit their intake! Spinach is high in calcium and oxalates, so people that are prone to kidney stones may want to avoid spinach. And because it’s very high in vitamin K1, this can be a problem for people on blood thinners.2 Consult your doctor if you’re concerned! If spinach isn’t for you, use another green (hello, kale) that your doctor has given a thumbs up!
What are hemp hearts?
Think you need fish for omega-3 fatty acids? Think again! Three tablespoons of hemp seeds contain 3,000 mg of ALA omega-3 fatty acids, which is 162–236% of the daily recommended intake.3
Hemp hearts are hulled hemp seeds, they have a delicious buttery/nutty flavor and are loaded with healthy fats, protein, omega-6 as well as vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Hemp hearts may reduce blood pressure, lower your risk of heart disease, and aid in digestion.
Flaxseed power!
Flaxseeds are small but mighty, packing an impressive amount of omega-3s (1 Tbsp contains 1,597 mg!) lignans, and fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. Make sure you’re consuming ground flaxseeds, whole seeds will just pass through before the body has a chance to extract the nutrients.
Lignans are a phytoestrogen and antioxidant. Flaxseeds contain 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods!4
Don’t get hung up on the word “estrogen” in “phytoestrogen”, it’s NOT the same as the estrogen your body produces. Eating foods with phytoestrogen won’t cause your (mammalian) estrogen to soar through the roof, increasing your risk for breast cancer. It’s actually the opposite! When you consume phytoestrogens, your body produces less active forms of mammalian estrogen. This reduces breast cancer risk and can also help with menopausal symptoms!5
The easiest way for me to get flaxseeds into my regular diet is to sneak them into smoothies! I also sprinkle them on oatmeal, cold cereal, chili, black bean burritos, and spaghetti. Easy peasy.
Print
Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get your chocolate fix with this decadently rich and healthy smoothie!
Ingredients
- 8 oz Plant Milk
- Handful of Spinach
- 1 Banana
- 8 Strawberries (more to taste)
- 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
- 1–3 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa or Cacao Powder (to taste, cacao will be more bitter than cocoa)
- 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Add more cocoa powder or strawberries to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Chop extra fruit and nuts to garnish your smoothie. Since we eat with our eyes, it makes it even more delicious!
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Category: drinks and smoothies
- Method: blending
- Cuisine: American
Did you love this smoothie? I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below! 🙂
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790109/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/spinach#downsides
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-plant-sources-of-omega-3s#:~:text=Hemp%20seed%20oil%2C%20which%20is,of%20omega%2D3%20fatty%20acids.&text=Three%20tablespoons%20(30%20grams)%20of%20hemp%20seeds%20contain%203%2C000%20mg,of%20the%20daily%20recommended%20intake.
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed#1
- https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/healthy-nutrition-now/foods/flaxseeds-and-breast-cancer
