I know what you are thinking, a chocolate peanut butter smoothie—that’s so basic. Trust me, this is a delicious and super healthy upgraded version loaded with plant-based protein and fiber. First off, I love that this smoothie has nothing frozen in it. This is a smoothie you can drink in the wintertime! I love smoothies, but when it’s cold out, all I want is a warm beverage. This smoothie is the answer, with nothing frozen, it ends up being a pleasant room-temperature treat, enjoyed any time of the year. The bananas and ground flax create the perfect thick and creamy consistency. No chill required.

Sweet, But Not Too Sweet

This chocolate peanut butter smoothie is no doubt a sweet treat, but not too sweet. Bananas are the sole sweetener. Every single ingredient in this smoothie is healthy for your body; no added sugars here. I love that this is a smoothie I can make for my kids and feel good about giving them a chocolate sweet. A kid’s favorite after-school snacks or a quick on-the-go breakfast.

Flax Seed Goodness

Flaxseed is a true superfood. Loaded with fiber, both soluble and insoluble, it is super good stuff for your gut health and aids in smooth digestion. Additionally flaxseed is a great source of plant-based omega-3s. Flaxseed is so beneficial for our health that Michael Greger, MD recommends 1 tablespoon of flaxseed per day in his daily dozen. Healthline states that regularly consuming flaxseed may lower the risk of cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure, and may help stabilize blood sugar levels. Adding flaxseed to your diet can also help you to feel fuller and aid in weight loss.

Fiber-full

Did you know that 90-95% of Americans are deficient in fiber? Additionally, because so many of us are deficient in fiber, when we do consume it, we tend to experience negative side effects like bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Increase your fiber intake gradually to avoid these uncomfortable, temporary side effects.

Once you are meeting the recommended daily 25-38 grams of fiber, your whole digestive system will operate so much more smoothly, no constipation and no bloating. Eating a fiber-rich diet is probably the most beneficial and noticeable change I’ve made for nutritional health. Our Paleolithic ancestors consumed a whopping 50-150 grams of fiber every day!

Flaxseed Catch

In order for your body to access all the nutritional goodness of flaxseed, it must be ground up. The tough outer husk (shell) of the flaxseed can’t be broken down by your body. In order for your body to easily absorb the nutrients of flaxseed, grind those little seeds up! I usually grind flaxseed in the coffee grinder. No need to rinse the coffee grinder out afterwards, I don’t mind a little flax in my coffee!

Ground flaxseed spoils more quickly than the whole seed. I keep ground flaxseed in the refrigerator and try to use it up within a couple of weeks. Although it should stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-6 months. Ground flaxseed that has gone rancid has a distinct smell to it. Always give your flaxseed a sniff before using! Rancid flaxseed also has an extra-bitter taste; it’s pretty easy to tell if it has gone bad. Also, consuming rancid flaxseed, although not great for your health, won’t make you seriously ill, like food poisoning. Eating rancid flaxseed is more likely to just cause inflammation and an upset stomach. Obviously, things we want to avoid, but it still feels reassuring to know eating rancid flax won’t land you a trip to the ER. On to sweeter things!

Cacao Vs. Cocoa

Time for food semantics! Cacao is the name of the plant, and unroasted (raw) beans are called cacao beans. Cacao powder is the raw beans finely ground into a powder. To make cocoa powder, cacao beans are roasted and then ground into a powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is processed using baking soda, which greatly decreases the nutritional value of the cacao. You can use cocoa powder in this recipe, but I highly recommend using cacao powder. My favorite cacao powder is Navitas organic cacao powder. You can sometimes find it in a super-sized bag at Costco, but it’s readily available at Whole Foods or Royal River Natural Foods here in Maine. Great, now that we’ve cleared that all up, let’s get blending!

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