Dreamy Banana Cream Smoothie

I created this lovely creamy dreamy banana smoothie on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I came home from doing errands and my belly was growling. But I wasn't in the mood for a salad and even though I had last night's leftovers of kale sweet potato bowl, I wanted something else. Something sweet (but not overly sweet) and fulfilling enough to tide me over to dinner but not fill me up too much. I sound so HIGH maintenance. Haha!

So I created a dreamy banana cream smoothie and it was EXACTLY what I wanted. Sweet perfection. It tasted almost like banana cream pie! Dreamy, indeed.

There are a few ingredients that I must tell you about because it's possible you've never used them before: hemp seeds, mesquite powder and medjool dates. Even if you're familiar with these nutritionally dense and delicious foods, I must tell you why they will make your body joyous.

Almond Butter: A great source of vitamin E and magnesium plus protein, fibre and good fat!

Mesquite Powder: I was first introduced to this ingredient when I was at Belmonte Raw getting Carol's famous "Comfort Smoothie" and was curious what gave it a sweet smokey flavour. I had never used it before and then low and behold one week later I was at Mylk Uncookies chatting with the owners Elaine and Toni and they gave me a bag! I was thrilled to try it out.

So mesquite (mes-keet) is a traditional staple food of indigenous cultures from the arid regions of the Americas. Native to South America, the mesquite tree produces large seed-filled pods, which are collected, ground into a delicious flour, and used in recipes.

The flour is an excellent form of fibre – which not only improves digestion and detoxification but further benefits sugar metabolism. It also contains lysine (an amino acid important for tissue repair), as well as notable quantities of digestible protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. I used Navitas Naturals brand of mesquite and loved it.

Hemp Seeds: They are called "soft" because after removing the hard shell of the seed, the inside is revealed and it's delicious, soft, and full of nutrients: 40% protein (very high quality with all essential amino acids) and loads of Essential Fatty Acids, including Omega 3, 6, 9 and gamma-linolenic acid.

This makes hemp seeds a complete protein, an anti-inflammatory food thanks to those healthy fats and they are the ingredient in this smoothie (along with the almond butter) that satisfies your belly for a few solid hours.

Medjool dates: The soft, moist date is one of mother nature's sweetest treats. They add a smooth sweetness to this smoothie recipe and what might surprise you is that medjool dates contain a fibre knows as Beta-D- glucan.

Beta–D–glucan decreases the body absorption of cholesterol as well as delays the absorption of glucose in the small intestine. This in turn helps to keep blood sugar levels even!

Dreamy Banana Cream Smoothie

1 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp mesquite powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 frozen banana

4 tbsp soft hemp seeds

4 medjool dates, seeds removed

Almond milk + water: enough to cover all the ingredients.

Blend and enjoy!

Serves 2.