Strawberry Banana Soymilk Smoothie.

Smoothie moment. Strawberry Banana Soy Smoothie, also called banana-berry. I'm sipping on a creamy, silky smoothie blended up with bananas and berries. How cliche. Sure maybe. But the "Banana Berry" flavor combo is most certainly a classic. And it has longevity for a reason: it's delicious!

Spinning a Classic. The classic banana-berry smoothie (you know the one you sipped at the mall as a teen) used non-organic frozen strawberries, dairy milk, perhaps some sugary fro-yo and maybe even a powder base thickener. Upgrade needed....

My recipe adds in wild blueberries for an antioxidant boost as well as a few customized smoothie ingredients to tighten, texture and tone up the taste. Think of me as a smoothie personal trainer of sorts. Lets kick this classic into shape! And bring some banana berry-liciousness to your day...

Smoothie Recipe FYI: ACV A lot of readers will ask me why I put vinegar in some of my smoothie recipes. Well I find the subtle hint of acid tightens and tones the fruity flavors. I only add cider vinegar to smoothies that do not already have an acid ingredient (such as citrus) in them. Soymilk smoothies which usually contain a lot of sweet fruits like bananas and blueberries are perfect for my ACV secret ingredient. But just a tiny touch - don't overdo it!

Why the Fresh and Frozen? I like the fresh raw live enzymes that are present in fresh fruits, however I also love the texture of a frozen fruit blend. So I do a combo of the two. Always add the fresh fruit last in your blend to avoid mushiness. More smoothie tips here.

Why Organic? Organic is more expensive than conventional. But for some fruits it is worth it. Like strawberries.

Banana Berry Smoothie
makes 2 servings

½ cup frozen organic strawberries
¼ cup frozen organic wild blueberries
½ frozen ripe banana
1 fresh ripe banana
½ cup fresh organic strawberries
1 cup vanilla soymilk (choose a nutrient fortified brand)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
tiny pinch of pink sea salt (optional)
½ cup coconut water ice cubes

makes 2 servings - nutrition info per serving:
Calories: 198kcal, Fat: 2g, Carbs: 43g, Protein: 5g, Fiber: 5g, Calcium: 19%, Iron: 8%, Vita A: 7%, Vita C: 113%
*percentages based on 2000 calorie diet

Nutrition. This smoothie is rich in manganese, vitamin C, and B12 from the fortified soymilk. It is also a good source of fiber and potassium. You can add a scoop of soy or hemp protein powder to give it and extra boost of vegan protein. Add some flax seeds, chia seeds or flax oil to give it a boost of healthy omega fatty acids!

Directions:

1. Add the soymilk, frozen fruit, maple syrup, cider vinegar, ice and sea salt to blender. Blend until chunky-smooth.

2. Add in the fresh banana. Blend until smooth.

3. Lastly, add in the fresh strawberries and pulse blend for a few more rounds - you don't want to mush up the berries though.

Serve, garnish with fresh fruit!

Optional: I like to add a pinch of spirulina powder or hemp oil to my AM smoothies. Some raw coconut or raw cashews would also be a nice add-in to give the smoothie a bit more body if you crave it.

Happy Banana Berry Day!