I love smoothies but hate bananas

aimforhealthy

I have a strong aversion to banana-flavored or scented anything. I'm not picky about any other kind of food, but when it comes to bananas, even a minor whiff turns my stomach. I love smoothies, but it seems like 80% of recipes I find for them include bananas - and never, ever in a way that hides the flavor and texture enough for me.

Lately I've been sticking to making protein shakes with EAS Soy Chocolate Protein Powder, 12 oz of unsweetened almond milk and a handful of frozen berries, and those are pretty awesome, but now that I'm in a smoothie phase, I'd like to get into green smoothies and other breakfast smoothies and was wondering what everybody's favorite banana-less smoothies are. Thanks!

lalaland82

My favourite banana-less one is frozen raspberry and vanilla yoghurt, so thick you eat it with a spoon. I need a couple more though as although i love bananas i only like them just so - not under ripe and not over so am often without them.
And I don't think there is a way to 'hide' banana flavour lol

JeneticTraining

Use Greek yogurt or freeze applesauce into a popsicle or ice cubes!

neanderthin

Sub absolutely anything you want, it doesn't matter.

jpvieira

I don't tend to use a ton of fruit in my smoothies (I go more for the green ones) usually will put a leafy green (kale, collard Greens, etc) some celery, some cucumber, parsley, fresh ginger, half a lemon, and a tablespoon of orange or lemon flavoured fish oil. If I want protein I'll add egg whites or protein powder, water and presto.

FearAndTrembling

I don't know how anyone can not like bananas..

Anyway, most smoothie recipes call for bananas because they give smoothies a creamy texture that many people like. If you don't like it, there is no reason to use them. Bananas are actually one of the highest sugar fruits.

aimforhealthy

I know lots of people who don't like bananas. It's a texture/smell thing. The ripe ones smell very strong and they have a unique mealiness to them that isn't pleasant for some people.

Sub absolutely anything you want, it doesn't matter.

It matters for texture. I like the creamy texture that comes from adding avocados, for example, and I know some people use coconut butter for the same reasons. Bananas are usually included in smoothies not necessarily because the recipe writer adores them, but because they're a relatively low-fat emulsifier.

Use Greek yogurt or freeze applesauce into a popsicle or ice cubes!

I love Greek yogurt, thank you for the tip

leafy green (kale, collard Greens, etc) some celery, some cucumber, parsley, fresh ginger, half a lemon, and a tablespoon of orange or lemon flavoured fish oil. If I want protein I'll add egg whites or protein powder, water and presto.

Not a fan of fish oil or raw egg whites, but this otherwise sounds really good and I imagine flax seeds have more or less the same effect! Thanks!!

I don't think there is a way to 'hide' banana flavour lol

THERE REALLY ISN'T! Lots of recipes say "you can hardly taste the banana in this one" - THEY LIEEEEEEE.

Cr01502

I love pizza but hate anchovies.

Therefore I just make a pizza without anchovies.

SusanleeBee

I'm allergic to bananas, but they -are- used to sweeten a lot of smoothies. I've started replacing banana with mango or kiwi in anything that calls for them.

My favorite smoothie is mango with vanilla yogurt and flax seed. Nom!

needt0l0seweight

I dunno about green smoothies but quite a few innocent fruit smoothies don't contain banana and the come in lots of flavours

aimforhealthy

OP, I have a crazy idea!! Make a smoothie without bananas!

That's the purpose of this post is to have a place to share recipes people like that don't have bananas. Got any?

My favorite smoothie is mango with vanilla yogurt and flax seed. Nom!

That sounds awesome. Adding it to my list, thanks! Do you add anything to it to make it less thick? Or does the mango juice thin out the yogurt?

claston77

Frozen mango chunks replicates the texture and creaminess of bananas in smoothies pretty well. And frozen pumpkin if you like it, I just freeze a can in an ice cube tray and add a couple to my smoothie.

aimforhealthy

And frozen pumpkin if you like it, I just freeze a can in an ice cube tray and add a couple to my smoothie.

I LOVE pumpkin in any variety - definitely going to try this, thank you!!

iulia_maddie

OP, I have a crazy idea!! Make a smoothie without bananas!

That's the purpose of this post is to have a place to share recipes people like that don't have bananas. Got any?

You don't need to necessarily look for recipes. Just mix stuff that you like in there. I mix protein powder with some almond milk, greek yougurt and an apple.
Or take any recipe that calls for a banana and replace the banana with a fruit you like.

whierd

Strawberries, frozen blueberries, almond milk, flaxseed, spinach, and vanilla protein powder.

MistressAella

lol. I add bananas in my pwo shake simply for the carbs... Greek yogurt is amazing, just don't add tooooo much if you don't like your shake having a "tangy" kind of taste (Hubby learned that the hard way) lol. Freezing the fruit first seems to make for a better flavour to me

Chocolate pp/coffee/ice/stevia.... freakin' awesome!

Chocolate pp/cocoa powder/stevia/natural peanut butter and ice to make it extra cold if you want tastes like a Reeses Pb cup.

Vanilla pp/frozen fruit/greek yogurt/enough water to be able to blend it - YUM!

Vanilla pp/frozen fruit/greek yogurt/natural pb/ground oats/stevia - Nothin' like a PB&J protein shake!

Vanilla pp/frozen mango/fresh pineapple/greek yogurt/frozen strawberries and a touch of coconut - Tropical Breeze

whierd

OP, I have a crazy idea!! Make a smoothie without bananas!

That's the purpose of this post is to have a place to share recipes people like that don't have bananas. Got any?

You don't need to necessarily look for recipes. Just mix stuff that you like in there. I mix protein powder with some almond milk, greek yougurt and an apple.
Or take any recipe that calls for a banana and replace the banana with a fruit you like.

Pretty much this. I just throw whatever the hell I have on hand in my smoothies. I have some pineapple that needs to be used up, so my smoothie today will feature that. It really doesn't matter to me, tasting good is a bonus, but they never taste awful. I drink them for the protein, antioxidants, nutrients, etc, not for fun.

aimforhealthy

Bananas are usually used as an emulsifier in smoothie recipes. In my experience, substituting bananas with grapes or an orange or a pear or pineapple will often significantly changes the texture and water content of a smoothie recipe, and often the recipes I'm looking at are dependent on the creamy sweet texture. I DO like my smoothies to taste good and I'm new to making my own smoothies, so I appreciate the people in this thread that have chimed in with their favorites.

suv_hater

I use frozen mango when I don't have bananas.

billsica

Maybe you should try starting with a 1/4 of a banana and just force yourself to like bananas. Increase to 1/2 and so on. I don't really see any other choice. God bless on your smooth journey!! :flowerforyou:

SusanleeBee

OP, I have a crazy idea!! Make a smoothie without bananas!

That's the purpose of this post is to have a place to share recipes people like that don't have bananas. Got any?

My favorite smoothie is mango with vanilla yogurt and flax seed. Nom!

That sounds awesome. Adding it to my list, thanks! Do you add anything to it to make it less thick? Or does the mango juice thin out the yogurt?

I like it pretty thick, like pudding, but if I'm taking it to go, in a bottle or cup, I add a little vanilla soy milk or almond milk. Water works too, in a pinch. And if I'm out of flax, I add chia. Easy peasy.