Post-workout mango banana avocado smoothie

Try our post-workout mango banana avocado smoothie today. 

Serving size:  1 big portion or 2 medium portions

Ingredients

1 handful of kale

125 g peeled ripe mango

½ ripe avocado

150 ml low fat or semi-skimmed milk or plant based alternative (add more depending on how thick you like the smoothie)

½ tsp vanilla (optional)

125 g thick Yoghurt (or plant based alternatives)

1 tbsp whole almonds

1 tbsp oats

½ very ripe, frozen banana

Optional: Honey/ when you use banana (especially a ripe one), the smoothie should be fairly sweet already.

Equipment

Smoothie blender (or food processor or an immersion blender)

Scales

Chopping board

Knife

For decoration (optional)

A little bit of extra mango, chopped into small pieces

1 tablespoon flaked almonds

Calories: 450 kcal (calories vary, depending on which milk and yoghurt you use)

Carbs: 50g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 15g, Fibre: 10g

Preparation

1. Wash kale (especially if it is not organic). Peel the mango and cut it into pieces. Measure 125g. Halve the avocado and take out the pulp. Measure 65g. Remove the big stems of the kale. Measure all the other ingredients and put them in separate bowls so they are ready for the blender.
2. Blend all the ingredients in your blender (or food processor or with an immersion blender). Start with the milk first, then add the vanilla and the kale. Give your smoothie a quick pre-blend before adding the next round of ingredients. Now add the yoghurt. Next, add the mango, avocado, almonds and oats. As the last step, add your frozen banana. Blend everything together. If it doesn’t blend properly, mix with a spoon and blend again.
3. Check the sweetness and consistency of the smoothie. If your smoothie is too thick for you, add more milk. If you want your smoothie to be sweeter, add a sweetener.
4. Pour the smoothie into a big glass, sprinkle some extra flaked almonds on top and a few chopped mango pieces.
5. Enjoy!

Tips

1. If you want to save calories, choose low-fat yoghurt and milk. You can also leave out the almonds.
2. Use frozen banana slices if you can. They will make the smoothie extra creamy.
3. Don’t have any mango at home? Don’t worry. As with any smoothie recipe, feel free to experiment with the ingredients, e.g. use raspberries instead of mango or spinach instead of kale.
4. Ideally, you want to drink fresh smoothies, but this one should be fine in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can prep the ingredients the night before so you can just blend and go the next day.
5. When first figuring out how to make a smoothie, the key to sweetening it up is using extra ripe fruit.
6. When it comes to smoothies, there’s rarely a mistake that you can’t fix by playing around with the ratios a little bit. If your smoothie’s too thin, add more frozen fruit. If it is too thick – add more liquid. But, if it’s too sweet, add a splash of water and if not sweet enough, blend in a couple of pitted dates or honey.

Why this smoothie is great for you

One big portion of this smoothie contains roughly 10g of fibre, which is a third of the daily fibre you need. There is increasing evidence that a diet high in fibre reduces breast cancer risk. The smoothie contains ~20g of Protein, which is roughly a third of the daily protein you need. Mango is rich in carotenoids which can help reduce breast cancer risk, especially when you eat lots of them.

Fruit and veg

Avocado contains vitamins, minerals and fibre. The type of fat in an avocado is mainly unsaturated (specifically, monounsaturated), which, when eaten in place of high-saturated-fat foods, can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, which regulates the heartbeat and ensures the proper function of the muscles and nerves.

Oats and calcium 

Oats are a source of fibre. The primary type of soluble fibre in oats is beta-glucan, which has been found to help slow digestion, increase satiety, and suppress appetite. Maintaining the correct weight for your height is a key part of reducing your risk of breast cancer. Natural yoghurt and milk are a source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein. There is some evidence that dairy products with high levels of calcium might be beneficial in reducing the risk of breast cancer. Protein is an important part of our diet and key to building and maintaining all types of body tissue, including muscle.

Vitamins

Almonds are a source of vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, fibre, calcium, magnesium and polyphenols. They have been suggested to reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol and exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which are also protective against cancer. Kale is a source of vitamin K, vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin B6, folate, fibre and manganese. It contains a plant chemical called glucosinolate, which is being researched for its proposed ability in humans to affect chronic conditions, including certain types of cancer and heart disease. As mentioned Consuming lots of foods high in carotenoids can help reduce your risk of breast cancer. When drinking this smoothie, you will have had more than half of your “5 a day”.

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