Banana & Strawberry Smoothie
Banana and frozen strawberry is a combination most people have blended a hundred times. This version layers a double dairy base, milk and nonfat yogurt, that pushes the protein to 28g without any powder.
The frozen strawberries are doing more than keeping it cold. Research found that freezing cracks berry cell walls and releases roughly twice the usable antioxidants compared to fresh. A tablespoon of honey softens the tartness, and the whole thing takes about five minutes from freezer to glass.
Banana and frozen strawberry is a combination most people have blended a hundred times. This version layers a double dairy base, milk and nonfat yogurt, that pushes the protein to 28g without any powder.
The frozen strawberries are doing more than keeping it cold. Research found that freezing cracks berry cell walls and releases roughly twice the usable antioxidants compared to fresh. A tablespoon of honey softens the tartness, and the whole thing takes about five minutes from freezer to glass.
Ingredients
- banana 1 piece
- strawberry (frozen) 0.75 cup
- milk, 2% reduced fat 1 cup
- yogurt, nonfat 0.75 cup
- honey 1 tablespoon
Method
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Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
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If the mixture is too thick, add water until you reach the desired consistency.
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Serve immediately.
Blend the strawberries straight from the freezer. Thawing them first costs you the thick, frosty texture and may reduce the cell-wall rupture that makes frozen berries release more antioxidants than fresh.
When strawberries freeze, ice crystals crack open the cell walls and free the antioxidants trapped inside. Researchers measured the most important one and found frozen strawberries made roughly twice as much of it available compared to fresh. The effect held regardless of how the berries were frozen.
Kamiloglu · DOIBehind this recipe
Why use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Frozen berries do more than thicken the texture. Research found that freezing cracks strawberry cell walls and releases roughly twice the bioaccessible antioxidants compared to fresh. The dominant compound in strawberries, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, makes up 72 to 89% of total strawberry antioxidants, and significantly more of it becomes available after freezing (P < 0.05). The effect held for both quick-freeze and conventional methods.
How does this smoothie hit 28g protein without powder?
Two dairy sources in one glass. A cup of 2% milk delivers about 8g protein, and three-quarters of a cup of nonfat yogurt adds roughly 10 to 12g more. Combined with the banana and small amounts from the other ingredients, the total lands at 28g. That puts this smoothie near the threshold where research suggests per-meal protein utilization starts to plateau.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I swap the 2% milk for a plant-based alternative?
Yes, but the protein will drop. Most oat, almond, and rice milks deliver 1 to 3g protein per cup compared to the 8g in 2% cow’s milk. Soy milk is the closest match at around 7g per cup. If you switch, the macros on this page will no longer be accurate.
