Reinventing the smoothie

The other day I was told I was going to have to cut out banana’s as part of an attempt to control some of my digestive symptoms flaring up. Big problem… as banana’s are actually the only fruit I like. I practically have one everyday in my morning smoothie bowl, so hearing I had to cut them out, I knew I was going to have to find a suitable substitute. Introducing….. frozen courgette! Sounds weird, but trust me it does the exact same job of thickening up smoothies and turning them into an ice cream like texture as bananas do. Plus, it massively lowers the sugar content. I am a complete convert, and don’t think I could go back to a banana based smoothie anymore. Below is a basic recipe that I use but feel free to ‘shake’ it up with whatever fruit you can get.

Serves 1

A handful of frozen raw courgette (chopped)

1 ½ handfuls frozen mixed berries

1 handful of kale

¾ cup plant milk

Optional: flaxseed, oats, chia seeds, nut butter

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and thick. Top with nuts, seeds, homemade granola or museli and a dollop of nut butter.