PB&J Smoothie (Wheat, Egg, Soy and Fish-Free, Can Be Milk and Nut-Free)

PB&J Smoothie made with a Triple Berry Mix

I owe this recipe idea to Katherine of greenthickies.com.  If you've never been to her site, I strongly urge you to go.  She has an amazing story of how she recovered her health by changing her diet.  A must read, for sure.

Anyway, I was browsing her recipes for Green Smoothies and Thickies (and let me tell you, you'd never know they were packed full of greens) and decided to try my hand at my own concoction.  This is the result.

I love this recipe because it gets some greens into my diet along with whole grain, which is fantastic for my Fibromyalgia and my overall health, and that are hard for me to get otherwise in a form that I enjoy.  Let's be honest - most of us don't like our greens, let alone eat them, so finding a way where I can get them and not taste them is a bonus. :)

I hope you like my version of a green thickie, and I encourage you to check out Katherine's site and recipes.  Oh, and just so you know - my 2 year old LOVES these and any other version of a green thickie I have made so far.  That speaks for itself. :) 

This recipe is soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), egg, wheat and fish-free, and can be milk and nut-free (see variations).

PB&J Smoothie

1 Cup milk

1 Cup soy-free vanilla or plain yogurt (I recommend Stonyfield)

2 Cups unsweetened frozen fruit

such as berries, peaches, bananas, apples, grapes, melon or any combination

(Think of your favorite type of jelly or jam and try to match that flavor profile in your fruit choice)

1 Cup baby spinach (loosely or tightly packed is your choice)

1/4 Cup soy-free, natural peanut butter

1 Cup quick oats

up to 2 Tablespoons honey or white sugar (optional)

1. Blend the ingredients in the order listed, making sure that the each ingredient is well incorporated before adding the next. (You may have to pulse the mix first until it is slightly blended, then continue full boar.  I use "Ice Crush" mode normally, but you can play around with the buttons and see which works best for you. :)  The mixture is supposed to be thick, but how smooth it is is up to you. Also, taste the mixture before adding the honey/sugar.  If it is sweet enough, leave it out.)

Make 4 Cups. 

If you're going to drink this with a straw, make sure it's a wide one. :)  This will hold up on its own as a meal, so keep that in mind when making it.

Variations:

• Milk-Free: You can substitute juice (apple, grape, orange) for the milk and yogurt.  If you use juice, you can probably omit the honey completely.  You can also use a dairy-free yogurt and milk (like SoDelicious).
    
• Thinner Smoothie: Omit the yogurt and increase the milk to 2 Cups.  You could also add even more milk if you so desire if it's still too thick for you.
    
• Gluten/Oat-Free: Use gluten-free oats or, if you have trouble with oats, leave them out.

• Nut-Free: If you can eat tree nuts, you can substitute any tree nut for the peanut butter in the same amount.  If you can't eat tree nuts, you can substitute an equal amount of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) if you can eat them.  If you can't eat peanuts, tree nuts or seeds, just leave them out.
    
• Add More Veggies: This one can be tricky, so I don't recommend this on your first try. :)  You can add some carrots, celery, cucumber to this mix when you add the spinach.  Just remember: You need DOUBLE the amount of fruit that you do of veggies, so if you have 2 Cup of veggies, you need 4 Cups of fruit.  Also, you need to make sure your veggies are very well blended or you could have texture issues.  You may even need a little more sweetener if you add more veggies as well.

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)