A smoothie is a thick beverage made from blended raw fruits and vegetables and is a quick and easy way to get more healthy foods into your diet. This sweet dark cherry, banana, yogurt and vanilla version is rich and it seems more like a milk shake than a wholesome drink.
I’ve loved cherries for as long as I can remember and frozen cherries make them available all year long. Cherries are a sweet juicy fruit and because of their high levels of antioxidants, they are said to be extremely beneficial to your health. Tasty and healthy is a plus in my book.
THE NUTRITIOUS REAL FOOD INGREDIENTS!
Smoothies are a wonderful addition to your weekly menu plan as long as the ingredients are kept simple and clean and are real foods. Cherries are one of those fruits that need to be eaten organic since the entire fruit is consumed. No added processed sugar or unwanted toxic artificial additives or pesticides.
Use a powerful blender, capable of blending firm or frozen fruits and vegetables.
First, add some yogurt to the blender pitcher. Second, add your favorite vanilla protein powder, some pure vanilla extract and a little honey. Third, add a sliced banana and the frozen organic sweet dark cherries.
Last, blend everything together until smooth, pour into two glasses and serve with a straw or pour into a glass mug with a lid for storing in the fridge or taking on the run.
This recipe will make two servings, so you can share all the goodness with someone or save another serving for yourself. Keep the smoothie nice and cold in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for no more than a day. The nutrients begin to break down once the fruits are chopped.
I recently learned a new bit of news about cherries. They are rich in melatonin, which helps regulate our sleep cycle and as far as I’m concerned that is a good thing.
For easy stress-free shopping, find some of my favorite non-perishable recipe ingredients in our Vitacost.com Healthy Living Shop or some of my “Featured Kitchen Favorites” in our Walmart.com Shop or try our Personal Care & Tea Shop. They contain links to online stores where I like to shop.
Sweet Dark Cherry and Banana Smoothie for Two
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: No Cooking Yield: 2 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Check for Probiotic Cultures and No Unwanted Additives)
- 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder (I Used A Vanilla Powder to Keep the Rich Red Color of the Cherries)
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract (Get the Best Quality You Can)
- 2 Teaspoons Honey (Local is Preferred)
- 1 Banana, Sliced
- 2 Cups Organic Frozen Cherries (Sweet Dark Cherries)
Preparation
- Use a powerful blender, capable of blending firm or frozen fruits and vegetables.
- Add the yogurt to the blender pitcher.
- Add your favorite vanilla protein powder, the vanilla extract and the honey.
- Slice the banana.
- Add the banana and the frozen cherries to the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into two glasses and serve with a straw.
- Enjoy!
