Alternates for bananas in smoothies?
wellthenwhat
Posts: 526 Member
So my typical smoothie is about 2 cups of strawberries, a frozen banana, .5-.75 cup of milk and a quart of ice. The banana really helps give it a bit of consistency. Are there other things I could use if I'm out of bananas? Trying to stay low calorie of course. I don't like adding yogurt, I don't like the flavor it gives, prefer the fruit slushy consistency.
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Guar gum thickens up nicely. Try a small amount...1/4 tsp and see how your body reacts. Not everyone digests it well. Can find at health food stores or some grocery stores.1
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Frozen mango, avocado.1
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Flax meal, protein powder, and greek yogurt are also good thickeners. Good protein powder and water can replace the milk too if you need to for the cals. Almond milk is another option there.0
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wellthenwhat wrote: »
None of us live in your area, so i would go check out what is cheapest/available in your area. Or you can order straight from bodybuilding.com.
I only came to see other replies, In my years of making smoothies I haven't found anything that adds the creamy texture that banana does.
I might try that Guar gum idea!
I wonder... does sugar free pudding work the same? hmm, so many things to consider!0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »wellthenwhat wrote: »
None of us live in your area, so i would go check out what is cheapest/available in your area. Or you can order straight from bodybuilding.com.
I only came to see other replies, In my years of making smoothies I haven't found anything that adds the creamy texture that banana does.
I might try that Guar gum idea!
I wonder... does sugar free pudding work the same? hmm, so many things to consider!
Cheapest, but far from tastiest, is probably the ones available at walmart and costco. Other than that, you'll need to do your own research.
Sugar free pudding mix with plain greek yogurt is AMAZING. Cheesecake mousse nomnomnom. I'll have to try it in a smoothie.5 -
Greek yogurt is the way to go, especially with frozen bananas. I use a lot of frozen fruit in my smoothies. I've heard some people use protein powder. As for sugar free pudding mix--I never eat anything sugar free, or fat free--it's a chemical sh*tstorm. Stevia is really the only sweetener that is not created in a chemistry lab. Many artificial sweeteners and ingredients that simulate fat are cancer causing, especially the sweeteners in things like diet soda, which has been strongly linked to lymphoma, especially in men. Eat pure unprocessed foods--just eat LESS of the sweet or fatty ones. My issue is not so much sugar, but salt, and the salty yummy things are the ones I have to eat less of. Also bread and pasta. It's hard!0
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vanilla protein powder would probably be a solid substitute and is really good in smoothies. my girlfriend doesn't like bananas and uses this.0
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peach0
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Oatmeal bulks it up too...not so 'good' for the protein like you wanted though1
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wellthenwhat wrote: »
I'm not sure what the policy is on links here, but myprotein puts their protein blends on sale from 30-60% off CONSTANTLY, so just sign up for the email and wait a week or two. Its the cheapest protein I've found.1 -
i always use protein powder in mine, Designer Whey blends really well. for fruit (i don't really like bananas), I do frozen mango cubes, mixed berries, and then add spinach and sometimes ripe avocado for yummy creaminess.1
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Geocitiesuser wrote: »wellthenwhat wrote: »
I'm not sure what the policy is on links here, but myprotein puts their protein blends on sale from 30-60% off CONSTANTLY, so just sign up for the email and wait a week or two. Its the cheapest protein I've found.
as long as you aren't selling it or making a profit it's totally fine to link.
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rainbowbow wrote: »wellthenwhat wrote: »
None of us live in your area, so i would go check out what is cheapest/available in your area. Or you can order straight from bodybuilding.com.
I only came to see other replies, In my years of making smoothies I haven't found anything that adds the creamy texture that banana does.
I might try that Guar gum idea!
I wonder... does sugar free pudding work the same? hmm, so many things to consider!
Ooh, I like the pudding idea, too!
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I use unsweetened almond milk for low calories, I don't like bananas, I add a little bit of carrots(I do use yogurt), sometimes I use chia seed when I want it thicker, or protein powder0
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Try oatmeal and protein powder, this will give you that smooth consistency your looking for.0
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wellthenwhat wrote: »
Either or...I don't mind raw (or you could grind into a 'flour' too) but cooked (and cooled) would work too.
Chai seeds and protein powder adds more too...but the calories start adding up too1 -
I use unsweetened almond milk for low calories, I don't like bananas, I add a little bit of carrots(I do use yogurt), sometimes I use chia seed when I want it thicker, or protein powder
My whole, raw milk is free, and I'm on a tight budget, so I'll stick to that, other wise, I love the almond milk idea.0 -
I have a smoothie every day and it is simple with smoothie kits I make once every other week. I use the little containers that you can buy deli meat in because they stack well in my freezer.
140 grams of frozen fruit (I buy mixed bags or whatever is on sale) and 140 grams is a serving for 70 calories.
1 cup (by weight) of either spinach or kale fresh.
1/2 banana broken into small pieces.
By freezing the greens and bananas with the frozen fruit, you can buy them on sale or discounted because they will spoil soon. Also it makes a cold smoothing. 1.5 ounces of liquid.
That is what I will put in the container. Every morning I mix a container with either skim milk/water or orange juice/water and it is amazing and low calorie.
Some times I will add 1/2 a serving of dry oats (by weight again) and truthfully so good.1 -
ReneeDawalga5100 wrote: »I have a smoothie every day and it is simple with smoothie kits I make once every other week. I use the little containers that you can buy deli meat in because they stack well in my freezer.
140 grams of frozen fruit (I buy mixed bags or whatever is on sale) and 140 grams is a serving for 70 calories.
1 cup (by weight) of either spinach or kale fresh.
1/2 banana broken into small pieces.
By freezing the greens and bananas with the frozen fruit, you can buy them on sale or discounted because they will spoil soon. Also it makes a cold smoothing. 1.5 ounces of liquid.
That is what I will put in the container. Every morning I mix a container with either skim milk/water or orange juice/water and it is amazing and low calorie.
Some times I will add 1/2 a serving of dry oats (by weight again) and truthfully so good.
Can you taste the spinach or kale?1 -
I put a lot of spinach in my smoothies and I can't taste it at all. I've never tried kale.1
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wellthenwhat wrote: »ReneeDawalga5100 wrote: »I have a smoothie every day and it is simple with smoothie kits I make once every other week. I use the little containers that you can buy deli meat in because they stack well in my freezer.
140 grams of frozen fruit (I buy mixed bags or whatever is on sale) and 140 grams is a serving for 70 calories.
1 cup (by weight) of either spinach or kale fresh.
1/2 banana broken into small pieces.
By freezing the greens and bananas with the frozen fruit, you can buy them on sale or discounted because they will spoil soon. Also it makes a cold smoothing. 1.5 ounces of liquid.
That is what I will put in the container. Every morning I mix a container with either skim milk/water or orange juice/water and it is amazing and low calorie.
Some times I will add 1/2 a serving of dry oats (by weight again) and truthfully so good.
Can you taste the spinach or kale?
No way. I only put 1 cup by weight which to me is way more than a cup.1 -
You can try avocado. The other flavours will cover it up and it will make it nice and creamy. Plus omega 3's!0
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wellthenwhat wrote: »
i seriously cannot! it just makes the whole shake kind of taste "fresh". i use a handful. now it LOOKS a little yucky because of the green, but it tastes awesome.0 -
I'll definitely have to try the spinach. Maybe I could convince my kid he doesn't need a smoothie every time I have one. Probably wont happen. He's given every new food I've made a fair try, from fried apples and onions to dandelion greens.0
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Berries on sale....Aldi has black berries this week for 99c a 6 oz pkg. Buy when cheap only & freeze in zip lock bag. I do the same with strawberries. Easy to pop some into a smoothie.
BTW,Dollar Tree has small bags of frozen fruit for a $1.
If you eat beans,a 1/2 C (cooked) added will serve in place of banana.1 -
Frozen peaches. I detest bananas, but the peaches give it a nice smooth texture.0
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