Berry Banana Smoothie

OPTIONAL: almond extract and the peanut butter.
If you have allergies or are avoiding the extra protein of the PB, simply skip it. to bump up flavor, you could add more vanilla, a date, or add a dash of nutritional yeast to give it a creamier/deeper flavor.
Maple syrup also works for extra sweetness, if dates aren’t on hand.

4.24.2020

A silver-lining in this pandemic-caused furloughed life, is that I have more time to dedicate to the message of EAT PLANT-BASED FOR THE SAKE OF THE EARTH AND YOUR OWN BODY! (IT’S ALSO THE MOST BUDGET-FRIENDLY!), but the new facemask mandates tabled site-time for a spell.

For budgetary and environmental reasons, we’re a use-what-you-have-on-hand sort of family (waste-streams are important). I had plenty of long-ago-gifted/unused sheet sets, and hand-me-down sewing supplies from my sweet mother-in-law, so I pushed back against my discomfort with sewing and redirected site-time to honing a new craft. I’m the sort that gets vexed if something doesn’t work out on the first try, but after some redirected breath I’ll push failing-forward until enough attempts present a functional result. Our masks may not be seamstress-perfect, but they were free, zero-waste, hand-sewn with love, and gave me the time to listen to a feast of new podcast interviews.

These days, my mental space is a cacophony of essays I want to write, info I want to share, and recipes I know y’all need in your bellies. A resource post will be forthcoming, as will a Plant-Based/Oil-Free Refried Bean recipe, but tomorrow looks to be a sunny day (ie a great day for the garden) so give me a day or two. Around this writing is life in all its beautiful, demanding glory. [Also, if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see what we’re eating each day and what we’re doing/cooking/eating when I’m not on this site.]

Drinking this berry smoothie (and securing it in a basket because I’m clumsy and I’ll take no chances :-D ), hand-sewing Ian’s face mask, using the ironing board as my workstation so I can stand/pace/stretch/foot-pump, and listening to this heart-melting/mind-opening podcast with Dr. Dean Ornish and Anne Ornish about lifestyle medicine.

I say often that this Plant-Based Whole-Food life (which is a pillar of lifestyle medicine) is started with small steps toward manageability. How do you start? You swap an unhealthy food item with a healthier alternative. Food isn’t just about mouth fun, it’s about giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive and power you through the day. If you’re feeding it harmful foods it will falter accordingly. Start by looking at a favorite meal or snack, and test what could be substituted. Aim for that vibrant Venn Diagram of flavor, health, sustainability. That line-up is abundant in the plant-based realm and it is the drive behind every recipe I post.

[For example, we still eat tacos, but we have beans instead of meat, avocado instead of cheese, Siete Shells, and cover it all with vibrant vegetables and sauces. We swapped in healthier alternatives, kept all the flavor/crunch/spice we loved, and we carry on joyfully without looking back.]

But, let’s start with one of the most important steps because it is the most volatile. If you’re sipping on soda or some other sugary elixir, kick it to the curb NOW. It is clinically tied to increased disease and all sorts of death: even the sugar-free/diet ones. Additionally, their packaging is causing environmental harm.

Think I’m on a high hill? I come from kin saturated in sugary-drink consumption. Shifting away from that lifestyle was incredibly hard, but it was necessary for my health and the health of my cub (our kids see what we consume and will repeat those habits to their doom.)

We and our kin should mainly be drinking water. If you find yourself wanting to drink something sweet: make sure it is full of fiber, not empty/harmful calories. You want to be consuming something that will fill you with power and vitality, not lead you down a path of chronic disease and inflammation.

Yeah, but a smoothie is still sweet, what makes it a healthier than soda/sports drinks/milkshakes?

• All of the above are void of fiber. A smoothie is a whole-food because it retains all its fiber which is essential to the proper function of your body, because it is good for your heart, regulates blood sugar, promotes gut-health, and is even fuel for your micro-biome.

• The sweetness of this smoothie is from fiber-filled complete whole-fruits —not refined or added sugar— so it is good for you, not harmful.

• The blueberries, strawberries, banana, and even the whole oats in this homemade oatmilk are all bursting with antioxidants.

• It’s made with heart-healthy oatmilk, not harmful cow breastmilk (also more environmentally kind and compassionate)

Want to dip your toe onto a new path of health and environmental kindness? Start with a simple smoothie. :-)

Ingredients needed to start: homemade oatmilk (or any plant milk), frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, frozen bananas, vanilla extract, and optional: peanut butter and almond extract.

Add to a blender and puree until smoothie consistency. Re-season to taste.

[Those berries bags are great for reusing (we use them in the fridge to wrap veggies and in the freezer again too), the bananas are in a many-times-reused Ziploc, the extract bottles can be recycled, though we’re looking for a better source/container option.]

Nutritional yeast is also an add-on option. Gives it a richer, buttery taste.

The color of health, folks! Split this in two and share with a loved one, or enjoy at your leisure.

Live kindly, feast kindly. <3