The Gluten Free Lifesaver Avocado Banana Smoothie: A Digestion, Anti-inflammatory and Prenatal Helper!
I love sharing wonderful smoothie recipes with you,
almost as much asI love drinking them!
Smoothies are fast, fun and very tasty. They also keep all the nutrients in the food, and provide you with a proper vitamin boost.
In my opinion there’s pretty much a smoothie for every occasion and any purpose. One of the reasons I love them so much is because they save me on the days when my digestion has gone through a bit of a knock, like the times I’m recovering from a glutening. Quite often I can’t stand the idea of solid food for a while, 
especially in the mornings, and a smoothie is just the way to go. I get everything I need, and I don’t have to push my body too far in terms of digestion.
I have posted a few smoothie recipes earlier, that all suit different health purposes, like the Soothie Smoothie that gives your gut a helping hand after you’ve been exposed to gluten, or the Orange Julius which helps your brainfog.
Today I want to introduce you to a favourite of mine; the Avocado Banana Smoothie! With it’s anti-inflammatory qualities and it’s high levels of folate, it makes for a fantastic recovery smoothie as well as the perfect prenatal food supplement!
This smoothie is more of a meal than a snack, as it will fill you up. It will also however fill up your deposits of many essential vitamins and minerals!
Boasting an incredible 843 mg potassium, and covering 41% of your recommended daily amount of folate, this smoothie really makes value of every single calorie! Folate and folic acid is absolutely essential for women who want to get/are pregnant, as it is necessary for the healthy development of the baby (What is folic acid?).
(source)
Avocado also contains about 3 times more lutein than other common vegetables and fruits. Lutein helps protect against certain types of cancer, and reduces the risk of macular degeneration. As if that wasn’t enough, this smoothie will give you a whopping 130 mg calcium and over 16 grams of protein!
Top top it off, just look at these fantastic benefits for your digestion by the banana alone (source):
1. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently remove toxins and
heavy metals from the body
2. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in
the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing
nutrients.
3. High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility, as well as soothe the digestive tract and help
restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
4. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux,
heartburn and GERD
5. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to
relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against
corrosive acids
(source)
I could go on and on about the nutritional benefits of this fantastic smoothie, but I wouldn’t be telling the whole truth if I left out the greatest reason to love it; namely the smooth, creamy and yummy flavour! It is so delicious you’ll forget how healthy it is!
Avocado Banana Smoothie
For one smoothie you’ll need:
- 1 Medium Avocado, soft and peeled (halve portion for lowFODMAP)
- 1 Banana
- ½ Cup Natural yogurt (Greek, dairy-free or otherwise unsweetened)
- 1 Cup unsweetened almond milk/ soy milk/ rice milk or similar
- 1 tsp natural (organic) Vanilla extract
- 3 tsp Maple Syrup (or honey if you prefer)
- Ice Cubes or crushed ice
Simply pop it all in the blender and give it a good twirl!
I like to have mine on the go, with a couple of extra ice cubes in a thermo-cup. It feels more like a treat than a breakfast!
Enjoy!
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How do I get the recipes for the other smoothies shown here?
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Hi Anita,
Sorry, I forgot to link the images. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! I have added the links now, so you can simply click on the photos and they will take you straight to the recipe.
-Kristine
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This smoothie is something my husband dreams about! Haha. He’s always trying to get me to eat more avocado, but I’m still getting used to it! I think it’s a texture thing…;) Great recipe, especially for those times I get glutened!
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Nothing makes a creamier smoothie than avocado! Also works in a milkshake believe it or not. Hope you like it, it’s so wonderfully nutritious 🙂
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A very informative post! Great photos too!
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Thank you, I appreciate it! 🙂
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A friend sent me this {awesome} blog as I’ve had to give up gluten and dairy for my daughter’s sensitivities (breastfeeding). Any suggestions for what I might use in place of the yogurt?
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Hi Katrina!
I make my own yoghurt from soy milk, rice milk and coconut milk. It’s fairly easy to do, you just need a yoghurt culture to start you off. If you can have a little bit of dairy then I recommend simply buying a tub of regular yoghurt as a starter. You only need one spoonful for 500ml of your own yoghurt. Otherwise you can buy dairy free probiotics ( even capsules) which you can add to the liquid in order to form a culture.
You can buy yoghurt makers in most homeware shops, online, and even in some supermarkets, or alternatively you can find a good yoghurt recipe online that doesn’t require any special equipment.
If you make yoghurt from soy milk, it might pay off to thicken it slightly beforehand. You can also drain your yoghurt afterwards to achieve a “greek” style result. Making your own yoghurt is a very healthy option, and it’s a lot cheaper than buying it!
If you don’t want to make your own yoghurt there are plenty of dairy free versions you can buy at your local health food store too!
Best of luck on your new gluten- and dairy-free adventure, and I hope to “see” you on the blog again shortly!
You can get regular updates on our Thank Heavens’ Facebook page too 🙂
-Kristine
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could i blend this and put it in my fridge until morning ? im up at 4am and im sure no one would appreciate a blender that early in the morning.
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Hi Matt,
Smoothies and juices are usually best enjoyed fresh because they oxidate and can go brown. However, a bit of lemon juice might take care of that problem, and you can give it a good stir in the morning to make sure all the ingredients are mixed in again. Worth trying!
Thanks for your question, I’m sure more people were wondering about the same thing!
-Kristine
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If you’re like me and only eat raw fruits and veg then my recipe is just 2 ingredients… I used 6 ripe bananas and half an avocado! So creamy and delicious, I’m surprised I didn’t try it sooner!
Thank you for the nutritional information 🙂
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Thank you for that great tip! 🙂
-Kristine
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Use filtered water instead of yogurts and milk. Tastes just as good and better for you.
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Thanks for that great alternative Ranzii! Brilliant for people who don’t eat dairy as well 🙂
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Just made this without the yogurt or vanilla extract but used a scoop of vanilla flavored raw protein powder (garden of life) with a little more almond milk to thin it out. Very good.
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What a great variation Joe! Thanks for the tip 🙂 -Kristine
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I omit the yoghurt and vanilla and add in Tahini, cinnamon and soaked chia seeds. Yummy.
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Wow, that sounds pretty cool! Thanks for sharing Beth 🙂
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Wow, I tried it, Taste and health wise very good.
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Thanks for your feedback Manisha! I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂
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You can also use coconut water instead of yoghurts and milk. Makes it all tropical and yummy. Healthier for your waist line too
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Thanks for the tip Daphne 😊😊
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today 9pm I have avacodo with fat free greek yogurt blueberries Strawberries banana peabut butter all mixed with 1 scoop vanilla which has 20g protein. taste like ice cream. not use blender so is it OK that is what I eat some time. today saw ur post first time. will it help me lose weight n help clean my stomach as suffer constipation n bloat n heavy
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Hi 🙂 Sounds like a lovely smoothie! If you suffer from a lot of bloating, it might help to sub the dairy for a on-dairy alternative. Sometimes dairy can be a little bit hard for your stomach to digest. Otherwise, the addition of berries and peanut butter sounds delish! -Kristine
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Delicious! My family loved it. I added a handful of almonds.
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Hi Gemma, thanks for the feedback! The almond suggestion is great, I’ll try it! -Kristine
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Kristine;
Hi,I just copied down your avocado banana smoothie recipe and I am going to make it in my magic bullet blender as soon as I buy the ingredients and then I will make it at home.I am a diabetic so I can’t have maple syrup or honey in your smoothie so I will have to put stevia powder or drops in it.
Would it be OK to put stevia in your smoothie?
Kim
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Hi, Kim! Stevia would work really well, if that’s what you prefer 🙂
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