Recipe: Chocolate CocoNUT Smoothie
Hey Spring- thanks for making a cameo appearance over the weekend. Saturday Mr E and I broke out our SUP boards for the first time this year and took a paddle across the river from our home to local river bar. And then Sunday we were back to wearing heavy coats, gloves and hats. What a tease! I know real warm weather will be coming our way soon, so to stay in the mood I suggest whipping up this Chocolate CocoNUT Smoothie for a tropical treat!
This recipe was first featured as part of my Seven Days of Smoothies series on Facebook Live. As I mentioned in my prior smoothie recipes, the inspiration for this series was the introduction of Wildtree’s new Balanced Meal Shake. The blend contains 17g of vegan protein, 6g of fiber, and is a gluten-free, allergy-free option. I’d already done a few smoothies with the Vanilla Shake, but hadn’t played around with the chocolate yet, so I decided to make that the base of this smoothie.
Catch all Seven Days of Smoothies over on my YouTube channel
NUTS FOR COCONUTS (BUT I WASN’T ALWAYS!)
A common debate I seem to have with my dietitian colleagues is whether or not coconut is considered a nut, and in fact a tree nut. The answer that coconut is actually a fruit. Coconut has great health benefits of vitamins C, E, and B, iron, magnesium selenium, calcium and phosphorous. Along with my favorite nutrient of them all – fiber! Despite all these great benefits, it took me until just a few years ago to warm up to coconut. It first started on a trip to Dominican Republic I took with Mr E back in 2015. We were surrounded by coconut trees at our resort, and the poolboys would just pick up the ones that fell, grab a big ol’ machete knife, crack open the top, pop in a straw, and hand them out to us hanging around the pool. It was so amazing that it honestly has been impossible to enjoy a bottle of coconut water the same way ever since.
I also had a strong abhorrence for shredded coconut for most of my life. The joke in my family growing up was that I was a shrimp machine – but if you put coconut on it it meant there’d be enough for everyone else to enjoy. I think it was always a texture thing for me – dried coconut always just tasted weird and chewy. But then Mr E and I were in Hawaii at a luau, and one of the workers cracked a coconut open like an egg, and started to scrape the meat out. Very hesitantly, I tried some to be polite – and it was amazing! I still haven’t 100% warmed up to dried coconut yet, but I don’t make a face or go out of my way to avoid it these days.
RELATED: Wild Blueberry Walnut Cookie Smoothie Recipe
FILLING UP WITH FIBER
One of the biggest reasons I tend to knock on smoothies with my clients is because they’re often missing out on the benefits of fiber when you eat foods whole. So I always aim to put plenty of high fiber foods in my smoothies, including hemp seeds, almonds, and fruit. The Chocolate Wildtree Balanced Meals Shake also adds 6g of fiber plus pre & probiotic benefits. Fiber not only helps us feel more full, but also slows down sugar absorption so we have more energy over a longer period of time. Fiber keeps up way more filled up and satisfied, even after drinking a liquid beverage like a smoothie.
RELATED: Shamrock Shake Recipe
FROZEN FRUIT PACKETS
A local acai bowl shop recently got me into purchasing acai packets to DIY my own smoothie bowls (because paying $12/bowl for theirs was just not happening on a regular basis). When I was shopping the freezer aisle of a local market, I came across so many frozen fruit packet goodies, including Young Green Coconut packs in addition to acai and dragonfruit (with a fantastic recipe coming along with it!). The young coconut adds a creaminess to the smoothie. These packets don’t have all the sugar that eventually gets added to smoothie bowl shop recipes, so I always recommend DIY-ing. And they’re great quick additions to smoothies for added sweetness. Simply run the packets under water for a minute or two to soften it before adding to your smoothie (be careful not to liquefy it).
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RECOMMENDATION: Ninja Blender with Nutri Ninja Cups
Take yourself away on a tropical vacation with this Chocolate CocoNUT Smoothie. The perfect blend to enjoy any time of year!
Ingredients
- 1 Packet Frozen Young Green Coconut
- 1/4 Cup Frozen Pineapple
- 1 Unsweetened Açaí Packet
- 1/2 Frozen Banana
- 2 Scoops Chocolate Wildtree Balanced Meals Shake
- 2 Tbsp Slivered Almonds
- 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
- 1 Tsp Cacoa Nibs
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in blender and blend to desired consistency. For thinner shake, use more milk. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
ANYONE ELSE A COCONUT HATER GROWING UP TOO?
WERE YOUR FOOD LIKES EVER CHANGED BY A VACATION?
ANYONE ELSE READY FOR WARM WEATHER TO PERMANENTLY GET HERE?
MAKE THIS CREATION AND SHARE YOURS WITH ME BY TAGGING YOURS TRULY (@mandyenrightRD) ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND USING #FOODANDMOVEMENT
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