I mentioned this drink in yesterday’s post, and it occurred to me that maybe you’d like the recipe. I’ve also been meaning to share some of my favorite tips for making healthy smoothies, so you’ll find those here, as well.

If you’d like to enter the the iHerb giveaway I announced yesterday, comments here will count. See the end of the post for more details.

This is a smoothie I make quite a lot, since my husband and son absolutely love it (my daughter feels kind of “meh” about it, but that’s just because she prefers strawberry banana smoothies above all else). I am a big fan of this one, too, though if making it just for me, I usually subsitute almond butter for the peanut butter.

I’ve been adding the Cocoa Cardio I reviewed for iHerb together with raw chocolate powder, to this shake, but you could use regular organic cocoa powder instead if that’s what you have on hand.

This makes a great afternoon snack for kids and it’s also a good way to refuel after a workout. I also sometimes make it for dessert.

To make this and other smoothies super creamy, I always keep chunks of very ripe, peeled bananas in baggies in the freezer. Some other hints for making great smoothies:

A high speed blender allows you to add frozen ingredients and ice and blend them with ease, creating creamy drinks that taste great. I have a Blendtec and I love it; I previously owned a Vita-mix, and people rave about that machine, as well. I think you will be happy with either one, and though they are a bit pricey, you will get your money’s worth with these blenders, I promise, especially if you are interested in eating more raw foods (they are almost indispensable for prepping raw foods). I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t use my Blendtec blender.
Fruit: 1-2 cups of fruit will make a 1-2 serving smoothie. Good fruits to use include banana, berries, peaches, mango, papaya, and pineapple. You can use fresh or frozen fruit- frozen fruit will make a creamier smoothie. Leafy greens can be added if you want to make a green smoothie.
You need some sort of liquid to blend your smoothie. Suggestions include water, yogurt or kefir, (raw) or grass-fed organic milk, coconut milk, almond or other nut milk, or a combination.
Some protein is optional, but helpful for balancing blood sugar and achieving a complete meal. Good choices are whey or rice protein powder, raw egg yolks (you should not have to worry about salmonella if you use very fresh, local, free-range eggs, yogurt, kefir, good quality milk, and/or nuts/seeds or nut/seed butter.
Optional additions that are tasty and health-enhancing include coconut oil or coconut flour (thickens a smoothie nicely, but don’t use too much unless you want it more like a pudding), raw organic cacao powder or cacao nibs, Maca powder, Goji berry powder, ground flax seeds, local bee pollen, spirulina or other greens powder, and herbs including fresh mint, cinnamon and ginger.
Sweetening your smoothie is probably not necessary but a small amount of raw honey, maple syrup, or stevia powder are natural ways to do so.

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iHerb is a great company, with a huge selection of products for the health-conscious shopper. If you’re interested in entering my iHerb giveaway, they are sending one of my readers a package of Cocoa Cardio, and they’ll give you a $50 credit toward a shopping spree at the site, as well.

To enter the giveaway, register at iHerb and leave me a comment letting me know that you did.

For a second entry, follow me on twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you did (or let me know that you are already a twitter follower).

For a third entry, like my blog on facebook, then leave me a comment letting me know that you do (again, if you are already a “liker”, just leave a comment telling me so).

This giveaway is open to everyone, and you must register at iHerb in order to be eligible to win. If you are an international winner, you will be responsible for paying any additional customs duties and brokerage fees. The giveaway closes next Monday (8/1/11) at midnight. I’ll select a winner using random.org and again, you’ll get a package of Cocoa Cardio plus a credit toward $50 of iHerb products, plus free shipping, if you win. Good luck!

ps If you don’t win (or if you just can’t wait) and you’ve never shopped with iHerb before, you can use the code GAP735 to get $5 off your first order!

Disclosure: iHerb sent me Cocoa Cardio to review; they also gave me a store credit in exchange for hosting this giveaway. All opinions shared about Cocoa Cardio and iHerb are 100% my own.

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Recipe for Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Servings: large or 2 smaller servings

Ingredients

*1 cup milk preferably raw/organic, or more to taste
*1/4-1/2 cup Greek yogurt- optional
*2 large bananas preferably fair-trade/organic, previously cut into chunks and frozen
*1-2 tablespoons organic peanut butter I like Santa Cruz brand or more to taste
*1 scoop Cocoa Cardio - optional
*1-2 tablespoon raw chocolate powder or organic cocoa powder
*ice cubes or water-optional