2015 has truly begun, and the real world is calling. After a Christmas spent at our kitchen tables, quaffing gravy and cocktails like there’s no tomorrow, work now starts getting busy, and life all the more demanding.
That’s where this coffee smoothie comes in. All year round, this healthy delight will restore your constitution, revive your temperament, and give you the energy to take on just about anything. It tastes fantastic, and is perfect as a quick morning pick-me-up shake. Grab your blender out from the back of the cupboard and get, well, blending!
In terms of the method, just bung everything into a blender and blitz away until you’re happy with the consistency. The only mental exertion you’ll have to suffer is remembering to pop your bananas into the freezer the night before – it makes a huge difference to the end product and is well worth doing. I tend to put any bananas that are black and overripe straight into the freezer for just this sort of thing – just be sure to take them out of their skins and individually wrap them in cling film before freezing.
The bulk of the drink is made up of the coconut water, coffee and banana – all of which will help you out of your front door and into society. The banana (age-old friend of the smoothie) adds texture, flavour and a shed-load of potassium to the drink, while the coconut water is chock-full of nutrients and is one of the best forms of hydration out there.
The coffee also very much has its place, bringing body, depth and all kinds of goodness to the table. The caffeine works its obvious wonders on the sleep-deprived, and has also been shown to have beneficial effects on physical performance. Coffee also happens to be one of the biggest sources of antioxidants in the Western diet.
While these three ingredients make up the body of the smoothie, the chia seeds (although rather delicate in taste) add a whole plethora of very scientific-sounding nutrients to the mix, as well as being high in fibre, omega 3 fatty acids and protein.
Tie these in with the almonds – which add the finishing flavour and give the smoothie a sweet, nutty finish while keeping your nervous system, teeth, and bones stay strong and healthy – and you’ve got one hell of an addition to your morning routine.
Healthy coffee smoothie recipe
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 8g chia seeds
- 125ml coconut water
- 1 tsp ground almonds
- 1 shot of espresso
Method
Pop everything into a blender and blitz!
For more amazing healthy drinks ideas, check out Drinks Tube, or even have a glance at a few more smoothie ideas.
